Common Purpose Data References
In order of appearance
Page 4
- US is the wealthiest nation and widest income and wealth inequality
- World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (PIP), GINI Index, 1981-2024
- Worldometer, 2026
- Fewer Americans than at any point in two decades—only about 59 percent—expect their lives to improve in the future.
- American Optimism Slumps to Record Low (Gallup Poll)
Page 17
- Over the 11 years from 2013 to 2024, the number of people in our country completing teacher preparation programs dropped by more than 20 percent.
- NCES Digest of Education Statistics (2012–13 to 2019–20)
- NCES Title II Teacher Preparation Data (2020–21 to 2023–24)
- Today, 87 percent of teachers express concern over low pay and 40 percent work extra jobs.
- National Education Association (NEA), Financial Snapshot Survey, 2024
- The share of American adults under 50 without children who say they are unlikely to ever have them rose significantly in just five years, from 37 percent in 2018 to 47 percent in 2023. More than a third of those people cited being unable to afford children as a major reason.
- Since 1960, American households have undergone a quiet but profound shift. Then, most families relied on a single income; today, the majority depend on two.
- U.S. Census Bureau, Historical Income Tables: Families (Table F-12).
- Total household working hours increasing by roughly 16 percent.
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- Since the late 1970s, worker productivity has risen three times faster than typical worker pay.
- Economic Policy Institute (EPI), The Productivity-Pay Gap 1948–2025
- Wages barely keep up with inflation in basic needs like food, housing, healthcare, and childcare.
- It’s no surprise that a poll released in late 2025 found that 69 percent of us believe that the American Dream no longer holds true or never did.
- The “American Dream” Polling (Wall Street Journal/NORC)
- Roughly 53 million full-time workers in the United States—about 44 percent—earn less than what they need to meet basic living costs in their local areas.
Page 20
- For the last 15 years, Americans on average have been paying between 17 and 21 percent of their income for childcare—nearly triple what the federal government defines as “affordable.”
- Calculated using U.S. Department of Labor (NDCP) & U.S. Census Bureau, 2008-2023
- Nationally, progress on early reading has largely stalled, and roughly two-thirds of fourth-graders in US schools are not proficient readers.
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- The federal government spends more than $1 trillion each year on well-intentioned, means-tested safety-net programs aimed at helping people survive in times of need.
- Trillions more are spent on human services, community improvement, and K-12 education.
- America also has a vast charitable sector of 1.9 million nonprofits and more than $500 billion in annual philanthropic giving.
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- Percentage of Americans earning a living wage
- Calculated using MIT Living Wage Calculator and U.S. ACS population data (state-level), 2024
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- Percentage of people in our communities paying no more than 30 percent of income on housing
- Created longitudinal dataset using Tables B25070 & B25091 from the U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 1-Year Estimates, 2005–2024
Page 37
- Percentage of America’s children who can read proficiently by the end of fourth grade.
Page 38
- Childcare consuming no more than 10 percent of a household’s income
- Care.com Annual Cost of Care Reports (2018–2026) – Long Dataset
- Percentage of Americans with sufficient savings to cover at least a $400 emergency
- Survey of Household Economics and Decisionmaking, Federal Reserve Board of Governors, 2015-2024
Page 39
- Affordable healthcare costing less than 10 percent of a household’s income.
Page 40
- Percentage of adults 18 and older who have been told by a healthcare professional that they have a depressive disorder, major or minor.
- Percentage of high school students reporting persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) – Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBS), 2007-2023