Fact #618: April 12, 2010 Vehicles per Household and Other Demographic Statistics

Since 1969, the number of vehicles per household has increased by 66% and the number of vehicles per licensed driver has increased by 47%. The number of workers per household has changed the least of the statistics shown here. There has been a decline in the number of persons per household from 1969 to 2009.

Demographic Statistics from the Nationwide Household Travel Surveys
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Supporting Information

Demographic Statistics from the 1969, 1977, 1983, 1990, 1995 NPTS and 2001, 2009 NHTS
 1969197719831990199520012009Percent change
1969–2009
Persons per household3.162.832.692.562.632.582.66-16%
Vehicles per household1.161.591.681.771.781.891.9266%
Workers per household1.211.231.211.271.331.351.264%
Licensed drivers per household1.651.691.721.751.781.771.8713%
Vehicles per worker0.961.291.391.401.341.391.5259%
Vehicles per licensed driver0.700.940.981.011.001.061.0347%

Sources:
U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, 1990 Nationwide Personal Transportation Survey: Summary of Travel Trends, FHWA-PL-92-027, Washington, DC, March 1992, Table 2. Data for 1995, 2001 and 2009 were generated from the National Household Travel Survey Web site.
Note: Average vehicle trip length for 1990 and 1995 is calculated using only those records with trip mileage information present. The 1969 survey does not include pickups and other light trucks as household vehicles.

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