Just the Facts … but Dragnet not Included

The Statistical Abstract of the United States certainly sounds official. Considering it was published by the government from 1878 to 2012 certainly adds to its credence. Before sharing just a few of the amazing facts in the current edition, note that the Census Bureau ceased publication last year to save money but that a private entity has picked up the ball and versions are available both in print and online.

A few of the items:

  • Liquor stores outnumber bookstores by three to one
  • More Americans (10.6 million) belong to a fantasy sports league than a book club (5.7 million)
  • Americans are eating more peanuts and drinking less coffee
  • The number of federa lprison inmates is at a record level of nearly 210,000
  • Far more global visitors came to New York (9.3 million) than any other U.S. city. Los Angeles was second at 3.5 million
  • More households have dogs as pets than cats
  • And no, I can’t explain this one, but the research says more people are injured on toilets than by skiing or snowboarding