United States

Population

Growing. Up 3.1% since 2020.

341,784,857

people.

Census Population Estimates, 2025. Sources: Census Population Estimates

Unemployment, 2026

The low came in April: 4.0%.

4.0%

in September 2026, the latest month released. A year earlier it was 4.3%.

BLS Current Population Survey, monthly, through September 2026. Not seasonally adjusted, so compare with the same month a year earlier. Sources: BLS Current Population Survey

Rent

Median rent is up 73% since the 2005–2009 survey, before inflation.

$1,413

a month. Across the 50 states and D.C., from $872 in West Virginia to $2,036 in California.

Census ACS 5-year, 2020-2024 (latest), with earlier 5-year windows. Highest and lowest of the 50 states and D.C. computed by the Almanac. Sources: Census ACS 5-year

Building

75% of the housing here was built before 2000.

• 13,564,682 homes permitted in ten years, 2016–2025
• 37% of those were in multifamily buildings
• 75% of all homes were built before 2000

Census Building Permits Survey, 2016–2025; Census ACS 5-year, 2020-2024. Sources: Census Building Permits Survey, Census ACS 5-year

Home value

A median home in Hawaii costs 5.2 times one in West Virginia.

$332,700

median home value in the United States.

• $839,100 Hawaii
• $332,700 U.S.
• $162,600 West Virginia

Census ACS 5-year, 2020-2024. Highest and lowest of the 50 states and D.C., and the ratio between them, computed by the Almanac. Sources: Census ACS 5-year