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Facts for Features: Super Bowl XLVIII

Press Release Number CB14-FF.04 *UPDATED*

Super Bowl XLVIII will be played Feb. 2 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. This will be the first time the Super Bowl has been held in the New York City metropolitan area, as well as being the first Super Bowl played outdoors in the northern U.S. To commemorate this occasion, the Census Bureau has compiled a collection of facts examining the demographics of the host city, as well as the cities represented by the remaining teams in the playoffs, the Denver Broncos and the Seattle Seahawks.

Go to <//www.census.gov/quickfacts/> for more statistics about these cities. Unless otherwise noted, all comparisons are statistically different from each other.

Super Bowl Trends

21

Out of 47 Super Bowls, the team whose city had the smaller population won the game 21 times. In the past 14 years, the city with the smaller population has won 10 times (71.4 percent).
Source: National Football League <//www.nfl.com/superbowl/history>.

1995

Year that the NFL instituted the salary cap, which was intended to allow smaller market teams to be more competitive with large market teams. The team with the larger population had won the last 13 Super Bowls prior to the salary cap, and 19 of the first 28 Super Bowls (67.9 percent) before the 1995 season.
Source: National Football League <//www.nfl.com/superbowl/history>.

270

How many more people lived in Seattle than Denver on July 1, 2012, making Seattle 0.04 percent larger than Denver.
Source: Census Population Estimates
<//factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/PEP/2012/PEPANNRSIP.US12A>.

Denver (Broncos)

23rd

Where Denver ranked on the list of the nation's most populous cities. The estimated population of Denver on July 1, 2012, was 634,265. Denver gained 14,980 people from July 1, 2011, to July 1, 2012. At the time of the Broncos' first season in 1960, the 1960 Census population for Denver was 493,887.
Source: Census Population Estimates and Decennial Census
<//factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/PEP/2012/PEPANNRSIP.US12A>
<//www.census.gov/prod/www/decennial.html>

44.7%

Percentage of Denver residents 25 and older who had a bachelor's degree or higher in 2012; 86.0 percent had at least graduated from high school. The respective national figures were 29.1 percent and 86.4 percent. Denver's percentage of 25 and older who at least graduated from high school is not significantly different from the national figure.
Source: 2012 American Community Survey
<//factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/12_1YR/DP02/1600000US0820000>

26.3%

Percentage of Denver residents 5 and older who spoke a language other than English at home. The national average was 21.0 percent.
Source: 2012 American Community Survey
<//factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/12_1YR/DP02/1600000US0820000>

$50,488

Median household income for Denver. The national median was $51,371. Denver's median household income is not significantly different from New York's median household income or the national figure.
Source: 2012 American Community Survey
<//factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/12_1YR/DP03/1600000US0820000>

$251,200

Median home value of owner-occupied homes in Denver. The national median was $171,900.
Source: 2012 American Community Survey
<//factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/12_1YR/DP04/1600000US0820000>

24.6 minutes

Average amount of time it took Denver residents to get to work; 68.6 percent of the city's workers drove to work alone, 8.7 percent carpooled and 7.2 percent took public transportation. Nationally, it took an average of 25.7 minutes to get to work. Denver's carpooled percentage is not significantly different from Seattle's carpooled percentage.
Source: 2012 American Community Survey
<//factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/12_1YR/S0801/1600000US0820000>

Seattle (Seahawks)

22nd

Where Seattle ranked on the list of the nation's most populous cities. The estimated population of Seattle on July 1, 2012, was 634,535. Seattle gained 12,638 people from July 1, 2011, to July 1, 2012. At the time of the Seahawks' first season in 1976, the 1970 Census population for Seattle was 530,831.
Source: Census Population Estimates and Decennial Census
<//factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/PEP/2012/PEPANNRSIP.US12A>
<//www.census.gov/prod/www/decennial.html>

57.7%

Percentage of Seattle residents 25 and older who had a bachelor's degree or higher in 2012; 93.6 percent had at least graduated from high school. The respective national figures were 29.1 percent and 86.4 percent.
Source: 2012 American Community Survey
<//factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/12_1YR/DP02/1600000US5363000>

23.9%

Percentage of Seattle residents 5 and older who spoke a language other than English at home. The national average was 21.0 percent.
Source: 2012 American Community Survey
<//factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/12_1YR/DP02/1600000US5363000>

$64,473

Median household income for Seattle. The national median was $51,371.
Source: 2012 American Community Survey
<//factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/12_1YR/DP03/1600000US5363000>

$415,800

Median home value of owner-occupied homes in Seattle. The national median was $171,900.
Source: 2012 American Community Survey
<//factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/12_1YR/DP04/1600000US5363000>

25.9 minutes

Average amount of time it took Seattle residents to get to work; 49.2 percent of the city's workers drove to work alone, 8.5 percent carpooled and 19.7 percent took public transportation. Nationally, it took an average of 25.7 minutes to get to work. Seattle's average commute time is not significantly different from the national average, and Seattle's carpooled percentage is not significantly different from Denver's carpooled percentage.
Source: 2012 American Community Survey
<//factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/12_1YR/S0801/1600000US5363000>

Host Sites

8,978

Population of East Rutherford, N.J., location of MetLife Stadium where Super Bowl XLVIII will be played. Find more information on the social, economic and housing characteristics of East Rutherford on American Factfinder.
Source: Census Population Estimates
<//factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/PEP/2012/PEPANNRES/0400000US34.16200>

1st

Where New York City ranked on the list of the nation's most populous cities. The estimated population of New York City on July 1, 2012, was 8,336,697. New York City gained 67,058 people from July 1, 2011, to July 1, 2012.
Source: Census Population Estimates
<//factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/PEP/2012/PEPANNRSIP.US12A>

34.7%

Percentage of New York City residents 25 and older who had a bachelor's degree or higher in 2012; 79.6 percent had at least graduated from high school. The respective national figures were 29.1 percent and 86.4 percent.
Source: 2012 American Community Survey
<//factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/12_1YR/DP02/1600000US3651000>

49.2%

Percentage of New York City residents 5 and older who spoke a language other than English at home. The national average was 21.0 percent.
Source: 2012 American Community Survey
<//factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/12_1YR/DP02/1600000US3651000>

$50,895

Median household income for New York City. The national median was $51,371. New York's median household income is not significantly different from Denver's median household income.
Source: 2012 American Community Survey
<//factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/12_1YR/DP03/1600000US3651000>

$478,400

Median home value of owner-occupied homes in New York City. The national median was $171,900.
Source: 2012 American Community Survey
<//factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/12_1YR/DP04/1600000US3651000>

39.3 minutes

Average amount of time it took New York City residents to get to work; 22.6 percent of the city's workers drove to work alone, 4.7 percent carpooled and 55.9 percent took public transportation. Nationally, it took an average of 25.7 minutes to get to work.
Source: 2012 American Community Survey
<//factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/12_1YR/S0801/1600000US3651000>

The following is a list of observances typically covered by the Census Bureau’s Facts for Features series:

Black (African American) History Month (February)
Super Bowl
Valentine's Day (Feb. 14)
Women's History Month (March)
Irish-American Heritage Month (March)/
      St. Patrick's Day (March 17)
Earth Day (April 22)
Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month (May)
Older Americans Month (May)
Mother's Day
Hurricane Season Begins (June 1)
Father's Day
The Fourth of July (July 4)
Anniversary of Americans With Disabilities Act (July 26)
Back to School (August)
Labor Day
Grandparents Day
Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15-Oct. 15)
Unmarried and Single Americans Week
Halloween (Oct. 31)
American Indian/Alaska Native Heritage Month (November)
Veterans Day (Nov. 11)
Thanksgiving Day
The Holiday Season (December)

Editor’s note: The preceding data were collected from a variety of sources and may be subject to sampling variability and other sources of error. Facts for Features are customarily released about two months before an observance in order to accommodate magazine production timelines. Questions or comments should be directed to the Census Bureau’s Public Information Office: telephone: 301-763-3030; or e-mail: pio@census.gov.

Page Last Revised - December 16, 2021
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