Data: U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2025 population estimates; Chart: Russell Contreras/Axios America's child population fell by 1.8 million from 2020 to 2025 — with the under-18 population shrinking in every region but the South . Why it matters: Most of America is preparing for fewer students and young families, while the South faces the opposite problem: crowded classrooms, new housing pressure and rising political stakes. The big picture: The South had 303,969 more children in 2025 than in 2020, according to new Census Bureau Vintage 2025 estimates reviewed by Axios. - The West had the largest under-18 decline: down 1,015,068, or 5.7%. - Overall, the South's total population grew 6% from 2020 to 2025 — nearly double the nation's…
Large urban counties and the border were the most affected. And in three-quarters of U.S. counties, population growth either slowed or turned negative.
Data: ATTOM ; Chart: Axios Visuals U.S. homeowners are staying in their houses for the longest time in at least 25 years, largely thanks to their low mortgage rates , data shows. Why it matters: That — along with still-high home prices and tight inventory — is keeping the housing market on ice. The big picture: Sellers at the end of 2025 had owned their homes for an average of 8.6 years — a record in data going back to early 2000, when the average was 4.2 years. What we're hearing: Homeowner tenure has increased steadily in almost every major metro area over the past two decades, according to ATTOM, an industry data provider. - The "trend is especially pronounced in coastal and Northeast metros, where tenure often exceeds a…
In a stunning warning for the rapidly-aging U.S., poverty rose for seniors in more than 800 counties over the past five years, according to new Census Bureau estimates. Why it matters: America's post-pandemic rebound didn't flatten inequality — it rearranged it. The winners clustered in educated metro areas and owned homes outright. The losers are increasingly older, renting, rural — or all three. - The latest Census data also suggest the next phase of U.S. politics will be shaped less by a single national economy than by who benefited from growth and where they live. By the numbers: The U.S. median household income rose to $80,734, the 2020–2024 American Community Survey released Thursday and examined by Axios showed. - That's a…