The U.S. Census Bureau released new American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, showing notable increases in educational attainment among adults age 25 and over in metropolitan statistical areas between the 2015-2019 and 2020-2024 periods. The percentage of adults with a bachelorâs degree or higher rose from 34.2% to 37.8% during this time.
âOver the last five years, weâve noticed a significant increase in the percentage of adults completing higher education,â said Erik Hernandez, a Census Bureau statistician. âApproximately 89% of metro areas experienced an increase in the percentage of population 25 years and over with a bachelorâs degree or higher when compared to the 2015-2019 period.â
Durham-Chapel Hill, North Carolina, was among metro areas with the largest gains, rising from 45.3% to 53.4%. Conversely, Springfield, Massachusetts, saw its rate fall from 32.8% to 29.3%.
Micropolitan statistical areas also saw improvements; about half reported increases in educational attainment for those age 25 and over with at least a bachelorâs degree. Taos, New Mexico, had one of the largest jumpsâfrom 28.7% to 38.5%.
The ACS data further breaks down changes by field of degree:
– In Gadsden, Alabama, college graduates age 25 and over who studied education increased from 24.5% to 29.1%.
– Enid, Oklahoma, saw science and engineering graduates rise from 24.8% to 33%.
– Carson City, Nevadaâs arts and humanities graduates increased from 19.5% to 27.5%, while Enid experienced a decrease in this group.
The ACS is unique as it offers local estimates across more than forty topics related to people and housing nationwide.
Median household income in the United States reached $80,734 for the period between 2020-2024âan inflation-adjusted increase of approximately four percent compared to the previous five-year span.
While most counties did not see statistically significant changes in median household income during this period (about seventy-two percent), there were increases in seven hundred seven counties and decreases in one hundred seventy-nine counties.
Most U.S. counties had median incomes below the national median; only about thirteen percent exceeded it.
The poverty rate fell nationally from thirteen point four percent to twelve point five percent between these periods according to ACS data.
Changes varied locally: poverty rates decreased in six hundred sixty-three counties but increased in one hundred ninety-five.
Among people under eighteen years old, nine hundred three counties saw significant changes; rates declined for children in most cases.
For those sixty-five or older, eight hundred ninety-six counties recorded shiftsâpoverty rates rose for seniors in most locations.
Three hundred nine counties consistently reported poverty rates above twenty percent across all four nonoverlapping five-year intervals since ACS tracking began.
Regarding broadband internet access, all metro areas covered by both survey periods recorded growth except Greenville (MS) and Ruston (LA) micro areasâwhich saw declines.
Brownsville-Harlingen (TX) posted the biggest gain among metros: households with broadband subscriptions jumped from fifty-seven point five percent to eighty-four point four percent.
Farmington (NM) had the lowest share at seventy-two point four percent during this latest interval.
Other trends included:
– An increase in English-only speakers at home was highest in Las Cruces (NM); Lakeland-Winter Haven (FL) experienced one of the steepest drops.
– Large cities such as New York City added hundreds of thousands of households since ACS began releasing estimates.
– The proportion of never-married men and women increased significantly among major urban populations like Houston (TX).
The Census Bureau plans further releases including Public Use Microdata Sample files on March 5, 2026; additional resources are available on their website for users seeking detailed guidance or access through various platforms including APIs.
Metro and micro area definitions follow standards set by the Office of Management and Budget based on population size and commuting patterns.
All highlighted comparisons have been tested for statistical significance at a ninety-percent confidence level unless otherwise stated; users can consult detailed tables online for margins of error information.
