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Fact #618: April 12, 2010
Vehicles per Household and Other Demographic Statistics

Since 1969, the number of vehicles per household has increased by 66% and the number of vehicles per licensed driver has increased by 47%. The number of workers per household has changed the least of the statistics shown here. There has been a decline in the number of persons per household from 1969 to 2009.

Demographic Statistics from the Nationwide Household Travel Surveys
Graph showing the increase in the number of vehicles per household and other demographic statistics from 1969, 1977, 1983, 1990, 1995 NPTS and 2001, 2009 NHTS. For more detailed information, see supporting information below.

Supporting Information

Demographic Statistics from the 1969, 1977, 1983, 1990, 1995 NPTS and 2001, 2009 NHTS
  1969 1977 1983 1990 1995 2001 2009 Percent change
1969–2009
Persons per household 3.16 2.83 2.69 2.56 2.63 2.58 2.66 -16%
Vehicles per household 1.16 1.59 1.68 1.77 1.78 1.89 1.92 66%
Workers per household 1.21 1.23 1.21 1.27 1.33 1.35 1.26 4%
Licensed drivers per household 1.65 1.69 1.72 1.75 1.78 1.77 1.87 13%
Vehicles per worker 0.96 1.29 1.39 1.40 1.34 1.39 1.52 59%
Vehicles per licensed driver 0.70 0.94 0.98 1.01 1.00 1.06 1.03 47%

Sources:
U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, 1990 Nationwide Personal Transportation Survey: Summary of Travel Trends, FHWA-PL-92-027, Washington, DC, March 1992, Table 2. Data for 1995, 2001 and 2009 were generated from the National Household Travel Survey Web site.
Note: Average vehicle trip length for 1990 and 1995 is calculated using only those records with trip mileage information present. The 1969 survey does not include pickups and other light trucks as household vehicles.

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Content Last Updated: 04/09/2010