Listed: How do you stack up against average income, commute in Pa.?

Rick Lee
York Daily Record
Traffic on I-94 and I-75 will get more congested with the closure of the the Third Street overpass.

Face it. We are average.

The U.S. Census Bureau released some of its latest surveys this week.

And, boy, are we average here in Pa.

The average household size in Pennsylvania is a family of 2.49 people. Nationwide, it's 2.64.

The average household income in Pennsylvania is $54,895. Nationally it's $55,322.

Across the state, it takes us 27.1 minutes to commute to work. For the rest of the U.S. it's 26.1 minutes.

With a median age of 40.8 years, we're a little more mature than the national average age of 37.7.

Most frequently occurring names in the 2010 U.S. census

Name      Number of Occurrences 

Smith                 2,442,977 

Johnson            1,932,812 

Williams            1,625,252 

Brown               1,437,026 

Jones                1,425,470 

Garcia               1,166,120 

Miller                 1,161,437 

Davis                 1,116,357 

Rodriguez         1,094,924 

Martinez            1,060,159 

The really detailed numbers, the info that makes psychologists, social academicians and journalists scratch their heads, is not broken down to the state and county levels.

But, you can decide if you're average or not by comparing yourself with the data below.

  • The average number of hours watching TV per day is 2 hours and 44 minutes.
  • The average hours worked each day is just over 8 hours for men and just over 7 hours for women.
  • The average amount of time spent on housework is 52 minutes for women and 16 minutes for men.
  • The average amount of time parents spend caring for their children ages 6 to 12 is 1 hour and 19 minutes for moms and 42 minutes for dads.
  • The average amount of time spent on phone calls and mail per day is 11 minutes for women and 10 minutes for men.

And, there have been some notable changes in lifestyles in the past 41 years.

  • In 1975, 45 percent of young Americans age 25 to 30 had moved out of their parents' houses, obtained jobs, got married and  began having children. In 2016, that number  dropped to 24 percent.
  • In 1975, almost 32 million young adults -- age 18 to 34 -- were married and living with their spouses. In 2016, that number dropped to just under 20 million.
  • In 1975, 14.7 million 18-to-34-year-olds were living with their parents. In 2016, that number rose to just under 23 million.
  • In 1975, about 700,000 young adults were living with an unmarried companion. In 2016, that number jumped to 9.2 million.
  • And, possibly due more to changing social customs, conventions, shattered glass ceilings and  the economy, 14 percent of women age 25 to 34 now are full-time homemakers. In 1975, that number was 43 percent.