It is no secret that education has long been a key driver of financial stability and prosperity in the United States. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the typical full-time worker with a bachelor’s degree earns about $77,600 a year. Meanwhile, the typical worker with no more than a high school diploma earns about $46,700 a year, or $9,900 more than the median annual earnings among those who did not complete high school.
The latest estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey show that 89.1% of American adults 25 and older have at least a high school diploma, and 34.3% have a bachelor’s degree or higher. Still, despite the clear advantages education offers American workers, there are many parts of the country where the majority of adults have not completed high school, and even fewer have earned a college degree.
- Adults with a high school diploma or higher: 42.9% (46.2 ppt. less than nat’l rate)
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 9.1% (25.2 ppt. less than nat’l rate)
- 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 1.2% (4.1 ppt. less than nat’l rate)
- Poverty rate: 7.6% (4.9 ppt. less than nat’l rate)
- Median household income: $91,250 ($16,101 more than nat’l median)
- 25 and older population: 4,712