December 2022:
By the Numbers

Join us this month as we celebrate the Holiday Season, remember our history, and more.

Explore statistics about nine states and take a look back at the year in Census Bureau data.

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🎁 The Holiday Season

This festive holiday season is a time for gathering and celebrating with family and friends. A time for gift giving, reflection, and giving thanks. To commemorate this time of year, the Census Bureau presents the following holiday-related facts and figures from its vast collection of statistics.

🔎 Did You Know?

🎄 The value of imports of Christmas tree lights was $550.3 million in 2021. Cambodia led the way with 61.9% of the total.

🌟 The value of imports of Christmas decorations from China was $2.9 billion in 2021 – that’s 91.3% of total U.S. imports of Christmas decorations.

⛄ There are many holiday-sounding places in the United States. Here are some highlights:

Visit the Facts for Features page on census.gov to see the latest holiday facts and figures.

Facts for Features

Infographics and More

This month, we have a collection of holiday-themed teaching materials to get students excited about the season.

December Resources

Get into the holiday spirit with this Kahoot! game that ties U.S. Census Bureau statistics to holidays celebrated across the United States.

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This new Kahoot! game showcases festive Census Bureau data on imports of holiday decorations, population estimates for places like Santa Claus, Indiana, and Rudolph, Wisconsin, and more holiday-related stats and facts to help get you in the spirit!

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4️⃣ Facts for the Holiday Season

1. There were $17.1 billion in estimated retail sales for the nation’s department stores in December 2021. That's an increase of 17.8% from $14.5 billion in December 2020.

2. There were $113.9 billion in estimated retail sales by electronic shopping and mail-order houses in December 2021. That was the highest estimated total for any month last year.

3. There were nearly 4.7 million U.S. workers aged 16 and over employed full-time, year-round as either retail salespersons, cashiers, or first-line supervisors of retail sales workers in 2021.

4. In the U.S. in 2020, there were approximately:

🧁 3,000 baked goods stores

🍫 3,000 candy and nut stores

🏬 4,000 department stores

🧸 8,000 hobby, toy, and game stores

💎 20,000 jewelry stores

💻 Learn More About Census Bureau Data

Retail business owners, economists, and researchers will love discovering the retail data the Census Bureau has to offer. In this Data Gem, we demonstrate the Monthly State Retail Sales Tool, which easily allows you to compare year-over-year retail data by sector for national and state-level geographies.

💎 Data Gem

These facts are available thanks to the public’s participation in Census Bureau surveys. We appreciate the information shared by each respondent as we continuously count and measure America’s people, places, and economy.

📜 Remembering Our History

Every year on December 15^th, we celebrate Bill of Rights Day. The Bill of Rights is important not only in the freedoms it protects but in its demonstration of America's enduring commitment to self-improvement and striving to continuously form a more perfect union. Three-fourths of the existing state legislatures ratified the first 10 Amendments of the Constitution on December 15, 1791. Since then, 17 additional Amendments have been ratified for a total of 27 Amendments to the Constitution.

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🔎 Did You Know? The Constitution might never have been ratified if the framers had not promised to add a Bill of Rights, according to the National Archives. The first 10 amendments to the Constitution gave citizens more confidence in the new government and contain many of today's Americans most valued freedoms.

Visit the Stats for Stories page on census.gov to learn more about Bill of Rights Day and the First Amendment.

On December 7th, 1941, the Empire of Japan attacked the military installations in and around Pearl Harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. The attack killed 103 civilians and 2,335 military personnel, including 2,008 Navy seamen (1,177 from the USS Arizona alone), 109 Marines, and 218 Army personnel. Japanese pilots and submariners damaged 19 ships and damaged or destroyed more than 300 aircraft. However, as devastating as the attack first appeared, only three ships—the USS Arizona (BB-39), Oklahoma (BB-37), and Utah (AG-16)—were complete losses.

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On December 8th, President Franklin D. Roosevelt addressed a joint session of Congress, calling the attack on Pearl Harbor "a date which will live in infamy." One hour later, Congress passed a formal declaration of war against Japan by a vote of 82-0 in the Senate and 388-1 in the House of Representatives. The United States joined the Allies—Great Britain, France, Russia—on land, sea, and in the air to defeat the Axis powers that included Japan, Germany, and Italy.

As we mark National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, we honor the patriots who perished, commemorate the valor of all those who defended our nation, and recommit ourselves to carrying forth the ensuing peace and reconciliation that brought a better future for our world.

🎂 Happy Birthday to Illinois, Delaware, Mississippi, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Alabama, New Jersey, Iowa, and Texas!

This month we celebrate the birthdays of nine states beginning with Illinois on December 3rd and finishing up with Texas on the 29th.

December 3rd, 2022:

Illinois' 204th Anniversary

🔎 Did you know? Illinois is the 24th largest state by area and was the 21st state to join the Union.

🐦 The state bird is the Northern Cardinal.

🌾 The state nickname is the Prairie State.

🌆 The largest city is Chicago.

Illinois' population decreased 0.1% from 2010 to 2020.

The results of the 2020 Census show that:

The total population of Illinois was 12,812,508 – a decrease of 0.1% from 2010
2,337,410 or 18.2% of people in Illinois reported Hispanic or Latino origin – an increase of 15.3% from 2010

🌐 Check out our America Counts state profile for Illinois

🌐 Explore Census Bureau data for Illinois using data.census.gov

December 7th, 2022:

Delaware's 235th Anniversary

🔎 Did you know? Delaware is the 49th largest state by area and was the first state to join the Union.

🌺 The state flower is the Peach Blossom.

🥇 The state nickname is the First State.

🌃 The largest city is Wilmington.

Delaware’s population was just short of 1 million in 2020.

The results of the 2020 Census show that:

The total population of Delaware was 989,948 – an increase of 10.2% from 2010
104,290 or 10.5% of people in Delaware reported Hispanic or Latino origin – an increase of 42.4% from 2010

🌐 Check out our America Counts state profile for Delaware

🌐 Explore Census Bureau data for Delaware using data.census.gov

December 10th, 2022:

Mississippi's 205th Anniversary

🔎 Did you know? Mississippi is the 31st largest state by area and was the 20th state to join the Union.

🐦 The state bird is the Mockingbird.

🌺 The state nickname is the Magnolia State.

🌇 The largest city is Jackson.

Mississippi’s population declined 0.2% from 2010 to 2020.

The results of the 2020 Census show that:

The total population of Mississippi was 2,961,279 – a decrease of 0.2% from 2010
105,220 or 3.6% of people in Mississippi reported Hispanic or Latino origin – an increase of 29.1% from 2010

🌐 Check out our America Counts state profile for Mississippi

🌐 Explore Census Bureau data for Mississippi using data.census.gov

December 11th, 2022:

Indiana's 206th Anniversary

🔎 Did you know? Indiana is the 38th largest state by area and was the 19th state to join the Union.

🌳 The state tree is the Tulip Tree.

🌽 The state nickname is the Hoosier State.

🌃 The largest city is Indianapolis.

Indiana’s population rose 4.7% since 2010.

The results of the 2020 Census show that:

The total population of Indiana was 6,785,528 – an increase of 4.7% from 2010
554,191 or 8.2% of people in Indiana reported Hispanic or Latino origin – an increase of 42.2% from 2010

🌐 Check out our America Counts state profile for Indiana

🌐 Explore Census Bureau data for Indiana using data.census.gov

December 12th, 2022:

Pennsylvania's 235th Anniversary

🔎 Did you know? Pennsylvania is the 32nd largest state by area and was the 2nd state to join the Union.

🦃 The state bird is the Ruffed Grouse.

🍫 The state nickname is the Keystone State.

🔔 The largest city is Philadelphia.

Pennsylvania's population hit 13 million in 2020.

The results of the 2020 Census show that:

The total population of Pennsylvania was 13,002,700 – an increase of 2.4% from 2010
1,049,615 or 8.1% of people in Pennsylvania reported Hispanic or Latino origin – an increase of 45.8% from 2010

🌐 Check out our America Counts state profile for Pennsylvania

🌐 Explore Census Bureau data for Pennsylvania using data.census.gov

December 14th, 2022:

Alabama's 203rd Anniversary

🔎 Did you know? Alabama is the 28th largest state by area and was the 22nd state to join the Union.

🌸 The state flower is the Camellia.

💖 The state nickname is the Heart of Dixie.

🌇 The largest city is Huntsville.

Alabama's population grew 5.1% since 2010, surpassing 5 million.

The results of the 2020 Census show that:

The total population of Alabama was 5,024,279 – an increase of 5.1% from 2010
264,047 or 5.3% of people in Alabama reported Hispanic or Latino origin – an increase of 42.3% from 2010

🌐 Check out our America Counts state profile for Alabama

🌐 Explore Census Bureau data for Alabama using data.census.gov

December 18th, 2022:

New Jersey's 235th Anniversary

🔎 Did you know? New Jersey is the 46th largest state by area and was the 3rd state to join the Union.

🌳 The state tree is the Red Oak.

🍅 The state nickname is the Garden State.

🌇 The largest city is Newark.

New Jersey's population topped 9 million in the last decade.

The results of the 2020 Census show that:

The total population of New Jersey was 9,288,994 – an increase of 5.7% from 2010

2,002,575 or 21.6% of people in New Jersey reported Hispanic or Latino origin – an increase of 28.8% from 2010

🌐 Check out our America Counts state profile for New Jersey

🌐 Explore Census Bureau data for New Jersey using data.census.gov

December 28th, 2022:

Iowa's 176th Anniversary

🔎 Did you know? Iowa is the 23rd largest state by area and was the 29th state to join the Union.

🐦 The state bird is the Eastern Goldfinch.

🦅 The state nickname is the Hawkeye State.

🌇 The largest city is Des Moines.

Iowa’s 2020 population neared 3.2 million in 2020.

The results of the 2020 Census show that:

The total population of Iowa was 3,190,369 – an increase of 4.7% from 2010
215,986 or 6.8% of people in Iowa reported Hispanic or Latino origin – an increase of 42.5% from 2010

🌐 Check out our America Counts state profile for Iowa

🌐 Explore Census Bureau data for Iowa using data.census.gov

December 29th, 2022:

Texas' 177th Anniversary

🔎 Did you know? Texas is the 2nd largest state by area and was the 28th state to join the Union.

💐 The state flower is the Bluebonnet.

⭐ The state nickname is the Lone Star State.

🌇 The largest city is Houston.

Texas added almost 4 million people in the last decade.

The results of the 2020 Census show that:

The total population of Texas was 29,145,505 – an increase of 15.9% from 2010
11,441,717 or 39.3% of people in Texas reported Hispanic or Latino origin – an increase of 20.9% from 2010

🌐 Check out our America Counts state profile for Texas