Young Adults Census Bureau Project

In December 2014, the U.S. Census Bureau, working in collaboration with Social Explorer, released a new edition of its interactive mapping tool, Census Explorer, titled "Young Adults Then and Now." Social Explorer brought its expertise in making complex demographic data accessible and visually navigable to the project. The tool draws on five years of American Community Survey data (2009–2013) alongside figures from the 1980, 1990, and 2000 decennial censuses, providing estimates at the national, state, metropolitan, county, and neighborhood levels.

At the heart of the tool is a set of questions that resonate across generations: Are young adults today more or less likely to own a home, get married, pursue higher education, or achieve financial independence than their parents or grandparents were at the same age? The findings paint a nuanced portrait of today's millennials – better educated than young adults in 1980, yet more likely to be living in poverty and less likely to be employed or married, and far more likely to be foreign-born.

Andy's collaboration with the Census Bureau reflects Social Explorer's broader mission: transforming large, complex datasets into tools that help researchers, policymakers, and everyday users understand how – and where – America is changing.