Native American Statistics

Native American Statistics

shared by Gina Glaczko, The Heard Museum

Many folks ask "numbers" questions of me: how many Native Americans? Average income? etc. The following is a summary of some of the newest statistics s from the most recent census with references to the appropriate web site for additional information. I did not compile this myself, but am indebted to one of our volunteer docents who retired from Indian Health...where he worked compiling statistics! Hope you find this interesting and/or useful.

American/Alaskan Indian Heritage Month

November 2001

To mark this observance, the Census Bureau has culled the following facts from previously released statistics on the American Indian and Alaska Native population.

Population Distribution Note: The data in this section come from Census 2000, with the exception of the "Age Distribution" paragraph.

Nation:

4.1 million The number of U.S. residents who reported as American Indian and Alaska Native alone or in combination with one or more races in Census 2000. These people made up 1.5 percent of the total population. The 2.5 million who reported as American Indian and Alaska Native alone represented 0.9 percent of the population. http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2001/cb01cn61.html

2.2 million The increase in the number of people who reported as American Indian and Alaska Native alone or in combination with one or more races since the 1990 census (when respondents could choose only one race). The rate of increase was 110 percent. The increase in the population who reported as American Indian and Alaska Native alone was 516,700 or 26 percent. http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2001/cb01cn61.html

States:

627,600 The number of California residents who reported as American Indian and Alaska Native alone or in combination with one or more races in Census 2000, making the Golden State the state with the highest number of such people. Oklahoma was next, with 391,900. These two states also ranked first and second in number of residents who reported as American Indian and Alaska Native alone, with 333,300 and 273,200, respectively. http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2001/cb01cn64.html

19% Percentage of Alaska's population who reported as American Indian and Alaska Native alone or in combination with one or more races in Census 2000. Alaska led all states, followed by Oklahoma and New Mexico, each at 11percent, and South Dakota, at 9 percent. Sixteen percent of Alaska's population was American Indian and Alaska Native alone, also tops in the nation, followed by New Mexico (10 percent) and South Dakota and Oklahoma(8 percent each). http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2001/cb01cn64.html

Counties and Places:

138,700: The number of people in Los Angeles County, California, who in Census 2000 reported as American Indian and Alaska Native alone or in combination with one or more races, tops among the nation's counties. Maricopa County, Arizona (75,900), and McKinley County, N.M. (57,100), were second and third, respectively. When it came to the number of people who reported as American Indian and Alaska Native alone, the order was the same: Los Angeles was first (77,000), followed by Maricopa (56,700) and McKinley (55,900). http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2001/cb01cn64.html

95% Percentage of residents of Shannon County, S.D., who in Census 2000 reported as American Indian and Alaska Native alone or in combination with one or more races? the highest percentage of any county in the nation. This county also led the nation in the proportion of residents who reported as American Indian and Alaska Native alone (94 percent). http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2001/cb01cn64.html

87,200 The number of people in New York city who in Census 2000 reported as American Indian and Alaska Native alone or in combination with one or more races. New York City led all the nation's cities in this category. Los Angeles was second, with 53,100, followed by Phoenix, 35,100. For the population that reported as American Indian and Alaska Native alone, the order was the same, with New York city first (41,300), followed by Los Angeles (29,400) and Phoenix (26,700). http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2001/cb01cn64.html

10% Percentage of Anchorage, Alaska, residents who in Census 2000 reported as American Indian and Alaska Native alone or in combination with one or more races. Among cities of 100,000 or more, Anchorage edged out Tulsa, Okla. (8percent). Other high ranking cities were Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (6 percent), Albuquerque, N.M. (5 percent) and Green Bay, Wisconsin (4 percent). As to the proportion of those who reported as American Indian and Alaska Native alone, Anchorage led, with 7 percent, followed again by Tulsa (5 percent), Albuquerque (4 percent), Oklahoma City (4 percent) and Green Bay (3 percent). http://www.census.gov/Press?Release/www/2001/cb01cn64.html

Note: The data from this point forward comes from sources other than Census 2000.

Age Distribution:

187,000 The number of American Indians and Alaska Natives who were 65 or over in 2000. This number represented 7 percent of the total American Indian and Alaska Native population nationwide. http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2001/cb01-96.html

Income and Poverty

$31,799 Median household income for American Indians and Alaska Natives, based on a 1998/2000 average. This is higher than for African Americans ($28,679), not statistically different from Hispanics ($31,703) and lower than for non Hispanic Whites ($45,514), and Asians and Pacific Islanders ($52,553). http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2001/cb01-158.htm

25.9% The poverty rate for American Indians and Alaska Natives, based on a 1998/2000 average. This rate was not statistically different from the rates for African Americans and Hispanics, but was higher than those for non-Hispanic Whites, and Asians and Pacific Islanders. http://www.census.gov/Press?Release/www/2001/cb01?158.html

701,000 Number of American Indians and Alaska Natives below the poverty line, based on a 1998?2000 average. http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2001/cb01-158.html

Health Insurance:

26.8% Proportion of American Indians and Alaska Natives lacking health insurance coverage, based on a 1998?2000 average. Their rate is significantly higher than the rates of African Americans (19.5 percent), Asians and Pacific Islanders (18.8 percent) and non Hispanic Whites (10.1 percent), but lower than that of Hispanics (32.8 percent). http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2001/cb01-162.html

Businesses:

197,300 Number of American Indian and Alaska Native owned businesses in the United States in 1997. These businesses employed 298,700 people and generated $34.3 billion in revenues. They made up 0.9 percent of the nation's 20.8 million non-farm businesses and 6.5 percent of its 3.0 million minority? owned firms. http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2001/cb01-87.html

http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2001/cb01-115.html

84% The increase from 1992 to 1997 in the number of American Indian and Alaska Native-owned firms, excluding C corporations for which prior comparable data are not available. By comparison, the total number of firms in the United States grew 7 percent over this period. http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2001/cb01-87.html

179% The increase in receipts of American Indian and Alaska Native- owned firms between 1992 and 1997; the increase for all U.S. firms over the same period was 40 percent. http://www.census.gov/Press?Release/www/2001/cb01?87.html

34% Proportion of all U.S. firms that were owned by American Indians and Alaska Natives in 1997 in four states: California (26,600), Texas (15,700), Oklahoma (15,100) and Florida (10,500). http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2001/cb01-87.html

11% Proportion of all the firms in Alaska that were owned by American Indians and Alaska Natives in 1997, the highest of any state in the nation. http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2001/cb01-87.html

$174,100 Average receipts of an American Indian and Alaska Native- owned firm in 1997. About 2 percent (4,900) of all American Indian and Alaska Native-owned firms had annual sales of $1 million or more. http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2001/cb01-87.html

27% Proportion of the nation's American Indian and Alaska Native-owned firms in 1997 whose owners were women. http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2001/cb01-115.html

The preceding facts come from Census 2000, the Survey of Minority? Owned Business Enterprises and the Current Population Survey. The data are subject to sampling variability and other sources of error.

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