Skip to main content
. 2021 Jun 20;113(6):599–611. doi: 10.1016/j.jnma.2021.05.011

Table 2.

Socio-demographic characteristics of the American Life Panel (ALP) survey subsample of Black Americans (n = 207) as compared to the U.S. population of Black and African American adults.

Socio-Demographic Characteristic Current Sample * National Population **
Age M (SD) 50.8 (12.7) 44.5
Self-reported female gender 71.3 53.1
Transgender (yes) a 0.5
U.S.-Born (yes) 90.5 86.2
Latinx (yes) 6.1 4.1
Sexual Orientation a
 Straight or heterosexual 87.1
 Gay, homosexual, or same gender loving 2.0
 Bisexual, pansexual, or other non-monosexual identity 4.4
 Something else or don't know 6.6
 Same-sex couple b 1.8
Marital Status
 Married or living with a partner 36.8 30.9
 Separated 5.2 5.5
 Divorced 16.4 12.2
 Widowed 4.3 3.3
 Never married 37.3 48.0
Employment Status
 Working 50.2 59.4
 Unemployed and looking for work 8.9 5.0
 Temporarily laid off, on sick or other leave 3.6 0.6
 Disabled, retired, or homemaker a 35.9
 Other a 1.4
 Not in labor force b 35.0
Highest Educational Level
 Less than high school 1.2 3.2
 Some high school, no diploma 8.1 9.7
 High school graduate or equivalent 14.1 32.0
 Some college, no degree 30.7 26.2
 Associate's degree 18.3 8.2
 Bachelor's degree 11.9 13.1
 Master's degree 13.4 6.0
 Professional school degree 0.9 0.9
 Doctorate Degree 1.5 0.7
Annual Income Level
 Less than $5k 9.2 3.5
 $5 K to $7.499K 3.0 1.2
 $7.5 K to $9.99K 3.3 2.4
 $10 K to $12.499K 5.3 2.5
 $12.5 K to $14.99K 1.4 1.9
 $15 K to $19.99K 3.9 4.3
 $20 K to $24.99K 4.0 4.6
 $25 K to $29.99K 5.7 4.6
 $30 K to $34.99K 4.3 4.8
 $35 K to $39.99K 7.6 4.4
 $40 K to $49.99K 7.6 8.8
 $50 K to $59.99K 7.9 7.7
 $60 K to $74.99K 9.7 10.7
 $75 K to $99.99K 8.0 12.9
 $100 K to $124.99K 8.9 8.8
 $125 K to $199.99K 7.6 11.6
 $200 K or more 2.8 5.3
Urbanicity c
 Small to midsize city or Large city, population of ≥50,000 6.8 10.0
 Rural or Small Town, population <50,000 93.2 90.0
Census Division
 New England 2.9 2.8
 Middle Atlantic 28.7 14.0
 East North Central 5.9 13.3
 West North Central 0.0 3.5
 South Atlantic 24.6 34.0
 East South Central 3.9 9.0
 West South Central 9.5 13.4
 Mountain 2.3 2.5
 Pacific 22.2 7.4

Note: The table indicates differences between the sample and the U.S. population by age and U.S. region.

*Weighted percentages or mean are presented.

**of Black Americans aged 18 years or older from American Community Survey 2019 Public Use Microdata Sample - 1-year.

a

ALP only.

b

American Community Survey only.

c

Derived from panelist's zip code and based on Census definition – for majority of population.