The U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) provides the latest detailed look at the nation's rapidly changing and diverse population with its release of new population profiles by race, Hispanic origin, ancestry and age.

Coupled with information from the latest National Association of Realtors 2006 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, the information has interesting implications for the future, namely that future homebuyers will more likely be black, Hispanic, and Asian than the current white majority. They are also more likely to be foreign-born, and an increasing number of U.S. residents speak a language other than English in the home. More households will be headed by women and more women will be non-married heads of households.

The 2005 ACS data provides key socioeconomic and housing characteristics for about 200 selected population groups at the national and state levels, allowing for easy comparisons across groups and access to a range of data from age, marital status and fertility, to language spoken at home and educational attainment.

White Alone, Not Hispanic

• The median age for non-Hispanic whites was 40.4 years.

• Married-couple families comprised nearly 53 percent of non-Hispanic white households. Additionally, 9 percent of households were maintained by a woman with no husband present and 28 percent in which the householder lived alone.

• About 2.4 million non-Hispanic white women between the ages of 15 and 50 gave birth in the year prior to the survey -- 78 percent of those were married.

• Nearly 6 percent of the non-Hispanic white household population age five years and over spoke a language other than English at home.

• Among non-Hispanic whites age 25 and over, 89 percent were at least high school graduates and 30 percent had a bachelor's degree or higher.

Black or African-American Alone

• The median age for black or African-American was 31.3 years.

• Married-couple families comprised nearly 29 percent of black or African-American households. About 30 percent of households were maintained by a woman with no husband present and in 31 percent the householder lived alone.

• About 600,000 black or African-American women between the ages of 15 and 50 gave birth in the year prior to the survey -- 35 percent of those were married.

• About 7 percent of the black or African-American household population five years and over spoke a language other than English at home.

• Among blacks or African-Americans ages 25 and over, 80 percent were at least high school graduates and 17 percent had a bachelor's degree or higher.

American Indian and Alaska Native Alone

• The median age for American Indian and Alaska Natives was 31.9 years.

• Married-couple families comprised about 40 percent of American Indian and Alaska Native households. About 20 percent of households were maintained by a woman with no husband present and in 25 percent the householder lived alone.

• About 44,000 American Indian and Alaska Native women between the ages of 15 and 50 gave birth in the year prior to the survey -- 48 percent of those were married.

• About 26 percent of the American Indian and Alaska Native household population five years and over spoke a language other than English at home.

• Among American Indian and Alaska Natives age 25 and over, 76 percent were at least high school graduates and about 14 percent had a bachelor's degree or higher.

Asian Alone

• The median age for Asians was 35.1 years.

• Married-couple families comprised about 59 percent of Asian households. Among the Asian households, 9 percent were maintained by a woman with no husband present and 20 percent in which the householder lived alone.

• About 218,000 Asian women between the ages of 15 and 50 gave birth in the year prior to the survey -- 89 percent of those were married.

• Nearly 76 percent of the Asian household population five years and over spoke a language other than English at home.

• Among Asians age 25 and over, nearly 86 percent were at least high school graduates and 49 percent had a bachelor's degree or higher.

Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander Alone

• The median age for Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islanders was 30.6 years.

• Married-couple families comprised 50 percent of Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander households. Among the Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander households, about 15 percent were maintained by a woman with no husband present and in 20 percent the householder lived alone.

• About 7,000 Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander women between the ages of 15 and 50 gave birth in the year prior to the survey, 77 percent of whom were married.

• About 40 percent of the Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander household population five years and over spoke a language other than English at home.

• Among Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islanders age 25 and over, 83 percent were at least high school graduates and 15 percent had a bachelor's degree or higher.

Hispanic

• The median age for Hispanics was 27.2 years.

• Married-couple families comprised 49 percent of Hispanic households. Among Hispanic households, 19 percent were maintained by a woman with no husband present and in about 16 percent the householder lived alone.

• About 900,000 Hispanic women between the ages of 15 and 50 gave birth in the year prior to the survey, 66 percent of whom were married.

• About 78 percent of the Hispanic household population five years and over spoke a language other than English at home.

• About 60 percent of Hispanics ages 25 and over were at least high school graduates and 12 percent had a bachelor's degree or higher. Among Cubans age 25 and over, 73 percent were at least high school graduates and 24 percent had a bachelor's degree or higher.

According to the NAR 2006 profile, the median homebuyer is 41 years of age and 81 percent were white or Caucasian in race. Seven percent were black, six percent Hispanic/Latino, and five percent Asian/Pacific Islander, with two percent noted as "other."

Eleven percent of homebuyers participating in NAR's survey were foreign-born, while 89 percent were born in the U.S.A.