Fastest Growing Cities in 2008

The population of New Orleans grew 8.2 percent in 2008, faster than any other large city in the U.S., according to population estimates released today by the U.S. Census Bureau.

Full-text press release is available via the U.S. Census Bureau, 7.1.09.

Changing Demographics Could Be More of a Challenge to Charities Than the Recession

Fund raisers might want to be more concerned about shifting demographics than economic swings, Judith E. Nichols, deputy director for external affairs at the Brooklyn Public Library, told fund raisers recently.

Full-text blog post is available via The Chronicle's Prospecting Blog, 6.14.09.

Internet Use Triples in Decade, Census Bureau Reports

New data from the U.S. Census Bureau show that 62 percent of households reported using Internet access in the home in 2007, an increase from 18 percent in 1997, the first year the bureau collected data on Internet use.

Full-text press release is available via the U.S. Census Bureau, 6.3.09.

U.S. to Grow Grayer, More Diverse

The nation's population will look dramatically different by mid-century, becoming more racially and ethnically diverse and a good deal older as it increases from about 302 million to 439 million by 2050, according to projections released today by the U.S. Census Bureau.

Full-text article by N.C. Aizenman is available via the Washington Post, 8.14.08.

Web Triggers Direct Mail Response

Across virtually every demographic -- age, gender, race, income, education and household size -- more people are heading for the Internet before they make a charitable donation.

Full-text article by Mark Hrywna is available via the NonProfit Times, 7.15.08.

As Numbers Decline In US, Women's Colleges Boom Globally

As women's colleges numbers decline in the United States, they are booming in much of the developing world — places such as Africa, Asia and the Middle East. They've become a trendy tool for jump-starting economic growth and political development, and for helping break down barriers in the same way their U.S. counterparts have been doing since the 19th century.

Full-text article is available via the Associated Press, 6.10.08.

Higher Education Is in Flux as Demographics Change, Federal Report Shows

For-profit colleges are serving a bigger a share of a market that includes an increasing number of women and minority students, according to report by the U.S. Education Department.

"The Condition of Education 2008" summarizes important developments and trends in education using the latest available data. The report presents 43 indicators on the status and condition of education. The indicators represent a consensus of professional judgment on the most significant national measures of the condition and progress of education for which accurate data are available. The 2008 print edition includes 43 indicators in five main areas: (1) participation in education; (2) learner outcomes; (3) student effort and educational progress; (4) the contexts of elementary and secondary education; and (5) the contexts of postsecondary education.

The complete report is available via the National Center for Education Statistics.

Full-text article by Peter Schmidt is available via The Chronicle of Higher Education, 5.30.08. [Subscription required.]

Immigrants in the United States, 2007

The nation’s immigrant population (legal and illegal) reached a record of 37.9 million in 2007. Immigrants account for one in eight U.S. residents, the highest level in 80 years. In 1970 it was one in 21; in 1980 it was one in 16; and in 1990 it was one in 13. The largest increases in immigrants were in California, Florida, Texas, New Jersey, Illinois, Arizona, Virginia, Maryland, Washington, Georgia, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania.

Immigrants in the United States, 2007: A Profile of America's Foreign Born Population provides a detailed picture of the number and socio-economic status of the nation’s immigrant or foreign-born population, both legal and illegal. The data was collected by the Census Bureau in March 2007.