House Facts From The Census

Fun Housing Facts

The United States Census Bureau recently released some fun facts related to housing across the country, based on data for 2010. Here are just a few highlights from the release that you may find interesting…and may want to pass on to others.

Heating Our Homes

• 57 million = Number of houses heated by utility gas.
• 2.2 million = Number of houses heated by wood.
• 38,010 = Number of houses heated by solar energy.

From Home to Work

• 25.3 minutes = Average time workers across the country spent getting from home to work.
• 31.8 minutes = Longest commute time in the nation, which belonged to Maryland residents.
• 16.1 minutes = Shortest commute time in the nation, which belonged to North Dakota residents.

Home Sweet Home

• 2,392 square feet = Average size of a single-family house built in 2010. That number was down a little from 2,438 square feet in 2009.
• 131.7 million = Number of housing units counted in the 2010 Census. Compare that to 37.2 million in the first housing census, which was conducted in 1940!

Bonus Fact!

The first housing census in 1940 featured 31 housing questions - including some we may find odd today, such as whether the house had a radio…toilets or an outhouse…electric lighting…and running water.

Conversely, the 2010 census only included two housing questions: (1) whether the home was owned or rented and (2) whether the respondent sometimes lived or stayed somewhere else. The number of housing questions in the census has dropped because we now ask a number of housing questions in the American Community Survey, which is sent to about 3 million households nationwide every year.

Over the years, housing has really changed. But regardless of the time or location, 

 one thing remains the same…there's no place like home!

MOTIVATION TO WORKOUT

Many times an individual will begin an exercise program, only to lose all of their motivation to workout within a month of starting. Over time, the person’s exercise routine and motivation may slowly dwindle from working out multiple days a week to none. This is a common problem and many people say to themselves, “I need motivation to workout”. One of the issues is that a person may start working out with misinformation about the plentiful benefits of exercise.

This will cause a lack of motivation to workout. I'm going to discuss a variety of ways for you to gain long lasting motivation to exercise, so that you can avoid the cycle of starting and stopping work out programs.

One of the main reasons an individual begins an exercise program is to lose weight. Working out is an excellent way to manage your weight and burn more calories. This does not mean that regular, sometimes boring, weight lifting or cardiovascular exercises are the only options. In order to develop a true motivation to work out, variety and creativity is a big factor. Playing a pickup game of basketball or taking an exercise class with friends are great ways to keep things interesting and prevent you from quitting on yourself and giving up on your goals

Besides keeping your body fit, regular work outs will assist in improving your overall health in a variety of ways. One of the main body parts to benefit is the heart. Exercising will keep your heart running strong and healthy by increasing blood flow and decreasing beats per minute. Other benefits include keeping cholesterol and blood pressure at healthy levels, preventing certain conditions such as cancer and diabetes, and improving circulation.


The final benefit to help you to find motivation to work out is mental health. Twenty to thirty minutes of physical exercise a week can go a long way in helping you manage stress, anxiety and depression. It is thought that regular strenuous exercise can release chemicals in your brain such as endorphins and dopamine to help you feel better and increase your stress tolerance. This is a great way to avoid prescription medicines and give you a natural alternative that works. Regular exercise will also reduce skeletal muscle tension in your body that anxiety often causes. You will feel less “uptight” and more relaxed in every situation.

Many complaints that I have heard is that people are having trouble finding motivation to work out in the morning, which is commonly the only alotted time available for many people. Overcoming this issue is all about getting used to it and forming a new habit. I recommend setting a goal to work out in the morning for 30 days straight. Many people say that a habit takes 21-30 days to form. The reason we say only 30 days is that there appears to be a finish line to the individual. If a person can see an end date, it will be easier to complete the 30 days. After the person completes the initial 30 day period, they have formed a new habit and they do not actually stop their exercise routine. So whether the morning or evening after work works best for you - form a habit

I hope that you will internalize these benefits and strongly consider them when you are on the fence about working out one day. Exercise has countless benefits and it is awesome to be able to enjoy it regularly. It is my hope that you can avoid having no motivation to work out ever again.

If you want a one-on-one conversation, 

don't hesitate to contact me via email or phone!