COASTLINE AMERICAJune 2019

The AmericanCoastline

This infographic highlights selected demographic characteristics for each of the coastline regions of the United States, and features comparisons to the United States as a whole and to noncoastline counties.

Coastline counties of the United States are defined as counties within the 50 states and the District of Columbia that are adjacent to coastal water or territorial sea. The coastline counties are grouped into three coastline regions: the Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, and Pacific regions.

Geographic Extent

100 mi. 100 mi. 100 mi.

Pacific Atlantic

Gulf of Mexico

Coastline Counties by Coastline Region: 2017

List of coastline counties: .Source: U.S. Census Bureau.

Population in Coastline RegionsAbout 94.7 million people lived in the 255 coastline counties in 2017, or about 29.1 percent of the total U.S. population of 325.7 million. The Atlantic was the most populous of the coastline regions, with about 44.4 million people, followed by the Pacific (34.4 million), and the Gulf of Mexico (15.8 million). About 70.9 percent (232.1 million) of the U.S. population lived in noncoastline counties.

Atlantic

Pacific

Gulf of Mexico

Noncoastline

United States

Number ofcounties

Population,in millions

Percent ofU.S. total

129 44.4 13.6

70 34.4 10.6

56 15.8 4.9

2,887 231.1 70.9

3,142 325.7 100.0

Region

Coastline 255 94.7 29.1

Population by Coastline Region

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, V.2017 Population Estimates.

Population ChangeAlthough the Gulf of Mexico was the smallest of the coastline regions, it was also the fastest growing between 2000 and 2017, adding more than 3 million people for an increase of 26.1 percent—more than 10 percentage points higher than the U.S. growth rate of 15.7 percent over the same period. Harris County, TX, which had the largest numeric gain of any county in the United States over the period, played a noteworthy role in the Gulf of Mexico region’s growth rate.

13.2

26.1

13.5

15.9

U.S.percent:

15.7

Coastline Gulf of Mexico Noncoastline

Percentage Change in Population by Coastline Region: 2000 to 2017

Atlantic Pacific

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, V.2017 Population Estimates.

15.3

Age and SexThe United States had a higher percentage of its population under age 25 compared to coastline counties. For coastline counties, a higher percentage of the population fell between the ages of 25 and 54 compared to the United States as a whole. This held true for both the male and female populations. The percentage of the population aged 85 and older was also higher for coastline counties than for the United States across both sexes.

Age and Sex Structure for Coastline Counties

United States Coastline Counties

001234

Male Female

Percent

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, V.2017 Population Estimates.

0-45-9

10-1415-1920-24

85+

25-2930-3435-3940-4445-4950-5455-5960-6465-6970-7475-7980-84

4321

Race and EthnicityCoastline counties in aggregate were more diverse than noncoastline counties. Race or ethnic groups other than non-Hispanic White alone accounted for more than half of the coastline county population (52.1 percent) compared to 39.3 percent for the United States, and 34.0 percent for noncoastline counties.

U.S.percent:

39.3

52.148.1 48.5

58.8

34.0

Coastline Atlantic Gulf of Mexico Pacific Noncoastline

Percentage of Population Other Than Non-Hispanic White Alone by Coastline Region

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, V.2017 Population Estimates.

Industry and OccupationAmong the coastline regions, the Gulf of Mexico had the highest percentage of its workforce employed in construction industries (8.5 percent), consistent with the area’s high rate of population growth. Similar to the industry data findings, the Gulf of Mexico had the highest percentage of its employed residents in “Natural resources, construction, and maintenance” occupations (10.8 percent vs. 8.9 percent for the United States).

Construction Industries

Coastline

Atlantic

Pacific

Gulf ofMexico

Noncoastline

U.S. percent: 6.4

6.4

6.2

5.9

6.3

8.5

6.3

Natural Resources, Construction, and Maintenance Occupations

Coastline

Atlantic

Pacific

Gulf ofMexico

Noncoastline

U.S. percent: 8.9

8.3

7.8

8.0

9.1

10.8

(Civilian employed population aged 16 and older. Data based on sample. For information on confidentiality protection, sampling error, nonsampling error, and definitions, see www.census.gov/acs)Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2013–2017 American Community Survey, 5-year estimates.

Atlantic and Gulf Coast CountiesThe population in the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico regions—those most vulnerable to hurricanes—increased from 51.9 million in 2000 to 60.2 million in 2017 (8.3 million, or 16.0 percent). The population in these regions grew every year during the period, with the exception of 2005 to 2006, a year marked by an intense hurricane season that included three of the costliest hurricanes on record (Katrina, Rita, and Wilma). Of note, Hurricane Maria caused an estimated $91.8 billion in damages in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands in 2017, but is not shown on the charts below as it did not make landfall in the continental United States.

51.952.5

53.053.5

54.054.5 54.5

54.955.4

55.956.4

57.057.6

58.1

59.358.7

59.860.2

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017

KatrinaRita

Wilma

Matthew

Harvey Irma

Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico Coastline County Population: 2000–2017(In millions. Also shown, by year, are U.S. landfalling hurricanes that caused $10 billion or more in damages)

Year

Sources: National Climatic Data Center ; U.S. Census Bureau, V.2017 Population Estimates, and 2000 to 2010 Intercensal Estimates.

CharleyFrances

IvanJeanne

Ike

IreneSandy

Impact of Atlantic HurricanesFrom 2000 to 2017, 13 hurricanes that made landfall in Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coastline counties caused more than $600 billion in damage in the United States. Seven of those hurricanes occurred in two successive years, 2004 and 2005.

Sources: National Climatic Data Center ; National Hurricane Center .

Hurricanes That Caused $10 Billion or More in Damages (Damages are adjusted for the Consumer Price Index (CPI) in 2018 dollars)

$10.2

$10.6

$13.3

$15.4

$21.8

$24.4

$25.1

$27.9

$35.7

$51.0

$72.2

$165.0

$127.5

Jeanne

Matthew

Frances

Irene

Charley

Irma

Rita

Wilma

Ivan

Ike

Sandy

Katrina

Harvey

Connect with us@uscensusbureau