America's fragile households, and more

America's fragile households
50 percent of American households are so “financially fragile’’ that they say they certainly could not or probably could not come up with $2,000 to pay an unexpected expense, according to the National Bureau of Economic Research.
The Wall Street Journal

The suburbs continued growth
Despite all the talk about people moving back to big cities, more than 91 percent of population growth in U.S. metropolitan areas between 2000 and 2010 occurred in suburbs rather than in city cores. Today, more than 60 percent of Americans live in suburbs, and non-whites constitute 27 percent of suburbs’ populations.
The New York Times

A woman's wardrobe, then and now
In 1930, the average American woman owned nine outfits. Today, thanks primarily to the lower prices of garments made abroad in low-wage nations, she purchases more than 60 pieces of new clothing per year.
Etsy.com

Plastic bag usage
On average, each American uses, and discards, about 500 plastic bags a year.
The New York Times

Disabilities affect 1 billion people worldwide
About 15 percent of the world’s population—or more than 1 billion people—has a disability, including missing limbs, paralysis, blindness, mental retardation, or a serious disease such as cancer or emphysema, says a new study by the World Health Organization.
The Washington Post