The U.S. Census Bureau has released new data from the American Community Survey (ACS) showing that educational attainment among adults age 25 and over has increased in metropolitan statistical areas across the country. The percentage of adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher rose from 34.2% during the 2015-2019 period to 37.8% during the 2020-2024 period.
“Over the last five years, we’ve noticed a significant increase in the percentage of adults completing higher education,” said Erik Hernandez, a Census Bureau statistician. “Approximately 89% of metro areas experienced an increase in the percentage of population 25 years and over with a bachelor’s degree or higher when compared to the 2015-2019 period.”
Data show that nearly nine out of ten metro areas saw gains in educational attainment for this age group. Durham-Chapel Hill, North Carolina, recorded one of the largest increases, moving from 45.3% to 53.4%. In contrast, Springfield, Massachusetts was the only metro area to see a decline, dropping from 32.8% to 29.3%.
Micropolitan statistical areas also showed progress: about half reported increases in residents with at least a bachelor’s degree. Taos, New Mexico saw one of the most notable jumps, rising by nearly ten percentage points.
The ACS also examined changes by field of study among college graduates aged 25 and older:
– In education fields, Gadsden, Alabama had one of the highest increases (24.5% to 29.1%), while Elizabethtown, Kentucky saw a decrease (19.0% to 13.0%).
– For science and engineering degrees, Enid, Oklahoma posted an increase (24.8% to 33%), but Carson City, Nevada declined (37.6% to 31%).
– Among arts and humanities graduates, Carson City had an increase (19.5% to 27.5%), while Enid experienced a decrease (21.7% to 15.6%).
The ACS is unique in providing local estimates on more than forty topics related to people and housing nationwide.
Additional findings from this release include:
– The median household income for the United States reached $80,734 for the period between 2020 and 2024.
– When adjusted for inflation to current dollars, median household income increased by about four percent since the previous five-year period.
– Most counties did not experience statistically significant changes in median income; however, some counties saw either increases or decreases.
– Over seventy percent of counties have median incomes below the national figure.
Poverty rates have declined nationally: The overall poverty rate dropped from roughly thirteen percent in the previous period to twelve-and-a-half percent between 2020 and 2024.
– Of all U.S counties analyzed between these periods:
– Poverty decreased in over six hundred counties,
– Increased in almost two hundred,
– And remained unchanged elsewhere.
For those under eighteen years old as well as those sixty-five and older, poverty rates changed significantly across hundreds of counties—with decreases more common among children but increases seen mostly among seniors.
Household technology access improved: All metro areas tracked showed an increase in broadband internet subscriptions except for two micro areas—Greenville MS and Ruston LA—which both declined slightly; Brownsville-Harlingen TX led metros with its share rising from just under sixty percent up to eighty-four percent.
Language use at home shifted as well: Las Cruces NM saw more English-only speakers at home while Lakeland-Winter Haven FL had fewer English-only households; Spanish speakers made up nearly a quarter there during this latest survey window.
Major cities continued growing—the number of households rose notably since earlier survey periods in places like New York City (+286K), Los Angeles (+140K), Chicago (+97K), and Phoenix (+98K). The proportion of never-married adults also increased across large urban centers such as Houston TX.
According to Census Bureau guidelines set by the Office of Management and Budget, metropolitan areas are defined based on population size and commuting patterns connecting surrounding communities.
All data comparisons were tested for statistical significance at ninety percent confidence unless otherwise noted; further technical information is available through official Census resources online including data.census.gov.
The full Public Use Microdata Sample files will be released March 5th of this year according to the agency’s schedule. Users can find detailed statistics via data.census.gov or through API tools provided by the Census Bureau.
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