Gone: The Average Consumer

According to a new Advertising Age white paper, the face of the American consumer is now so diverse that it is difficult to categorize any group as “the average.” In addition, the concept of an average household is also out the window: only 22 percent of households are now married couples with children.

Here are some other enlightening revelations from the report:

• The biggest household segment is married couples with no children, with single-person households not far behind. However, no household type represents even a third of the population.
• In four states – California, Texas, Hawaii and New Mexico – white, non-Hispanics represented a minority of the population.
• By the end of this decade in 2010, five million people will have left the Northeast and the Midwest for the South and the West.
• In the nation’s 10 largest cities, no one ethnic or racial group represents a majority of the population.
• Hispanics (50 million) represent the largest and fastest-growing minority.