Book of Ages 30: The updated data

As time passes, so too does census data. When, earlier this year, CBS Sunday Morning approached us to do a segment featuring Book of Ages 30 as part of their 30th Anniversary show (airing tomorrow, Sunday, September 6 - check your local listings), they wondered whether there had been some changes to the data since the book was first written, way back in the glory days of two-thousand-oh-two. So we delved into the census archives and discovered that yes! there were several minor, and mostly within the margin of error, differences. Please adjust your paper copies of the book accordingly. Pencils ready? We'll begin.

As follows:
p.9 "You are now older than 42% 41% of America. 3,789,800 4,211,541 Americans will turn 30 this year, 15% 13.5% of Americans are in their 30s."

p.35 55% 54% own a home / 71% 71% of married couples / 35% 39% of unmarried men / 32% 34% of unmarried women / 50% 50% of northeasterners / 64% 63% of midwesterners / 57% 67% of southerners / 47% 48 % of westerners

p.80-81 of women by their early 30s 81% 78% have been married 69% 68% married once 11% 8% married twice 1% 1% married 3x 16% 17% divorced / of men in their early 30s 71% 70% married 62% 62% once 8% 7% twice 1% 0.6% married 3x

p.86 by their early 30s 83% 82% have ever been pregnant 17% 18% once 26% 26% twice 19% 19% 3x 21% 19% 4+

p.96-97* 41% 40% have set up retirement accounts - median value $6,400 $11,000 / 20% 15% bonds / 11% 13% stocks - median value $3,200 $4,400 / 23% 11% life insurance median value $3,000 $3,700 (*note: new data gathered pre-Madoff arrest)

p.99 Net worth for families headed by people under 35: $65,900 $73,500

p.100-101 81% 83% carry debt - median balance $19,200 $26,500 / 51% 50% have a credit card balance - median bal $1,500 $2,100 / 60% 64% have an installment loan - median bal $9,100 $10,200 / 33% 36% have a mortgage median bal $71,000 $82,000

Book of Ages: continuing to bring you updated data whenever they want to put us on TV!