Newsroom

*Special Edition*
50th Daytona 500

The 50th running of the Daytona 500 on Feb. 17 is being billed as the "most anticipated event in racing history." NASCAR's 200-lap, 500-mile stock-car race that began in 1959 at Daytona International Speedway has evolved into a worldwide phenomenon. A global TV audience of more than 50 million is expected to watch, with the winner pocketing about $1.5 million. To commemorate this automotive milestone, the Census Bureau has compiled a collection of facts and figures relating to our nation, Florida and Daytona Beach during the past 50 years.

How Times Have Changed

National Population

1959: 178 million
2008: 303 million
Source: National population estimates
<http://www.census.gov/popest/archives/1990s/popclockest.txt>

Global Population

1959: 3 billion
2008: 6.7 billion
Source: International database <http://www.census.gov/ipc/www/idb/worldpop.php>

Median Age of the U.S. Population

1959: 29.4
2008: 36.8 (projected)
Source: American FactFinder <http://www.census.gov>

Average Price of a New Home

1959: $12,400
2008: $267,300 (as of December 2007)
Source: New residential sales <http://www.census.gov/const/newressales.xls>

Price of a New Car

1959: $2,200
2008: $28,451 (as of 2006)
Source: National Automotive Dealers Association <http://www.nada.org>

Price of a Gallon of Gas

1959: 25 cents (regular leaded)
2008: $2.98 (regular unleaded as of Feb. 4, 2008)
Source: Energy Information Administration <http://www.eia.doe.gov/oil_gas/petroleum/data_publications/wrgp/mogas_home_page.html>

Median Age of First Marriage

1959: Men, 22.5; women, 20.2
2008: Men, 27.5; women, 25.5 (as of 2006)
Source: Current Population Survey <http://www.census.gov/population/socdemo/hh-fam/ms2.xls>

Most Popular Baby Names

1959: Michael and Mary
2008: Jacob and Emily (as of May 11, 2007)
Source: Social Security Administration <http://www.ssa.gov/OACT/babynames/>

Daytona Beach

37,395

The population of Daytona Beach, Fla., from the 1960 Census. About 42,000 fans attended the first Daytona 500 on Feb. 22, 1959. Daytona Beach was the 14th largest city in Florida at that time; Miami was the largest at 291,688.
Source: 1960 Census of Population and Housing <http://www.census.gov/prod/www/abs/decennial/1960.htm>

64,183

The July 1, 2006, estimated population of Daytona Beach, now the 35th largest city in Florida. The 2008 race-day attendance at Daytona International Speedway is expected to reach 250,000, which would be larger than any Florida city except Jacksonville (794,555), Miami (404,048) and Tampa (332,888).
Source: Population Finder <http://www.census.gov>

19.7%

Percentage of Daytona Beach's population in 2000 that was 65 and older. In 2006 in Florida, 16.8 percent of the population was 65 and older, and in the nation, it was 12.4 percent.
Source: American FactFinder <http://www.census.gov>

Deltona-Daytona Beach Metro Area

496,575

The July 1, 2006, estimated population of the Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach metropolitan statistical area (Volusia County), a 400 percent increase from the 125,319 population from the 1960 Census.
Source: Population Finder <http://www.census.gov/popest/metro/metro.html>

20.4%

Percentage of the Daytona Beach metro area's population in 2006 that was 65 and older. The national percentage was 12.4.
Source: 2006 American Community Survey at American FactFinder <http://www.census.gov>

$40,881

Median household income in the Daytona Beach metro area, which is below the national figure of $48,451.
Source: 2006 American Community Survey at American FactFinder <http://www.census.gov>

23.4 minutes

The mean travel time to work for the Daytona Beach metro area. The national mean commute time is 25 minutes.
Source: 2006 American Community Survey at American FactFinder <http://www.census.gov>

26,527

The number of workers employed in retail trade in 2005 in the Deltona-Daytona Beach metro area, the most of any industry group. That same year there were 2,153 construction firms, the most number of businesses in any industry group in the area.
Source: County Business Patterns <http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/county_business_patterns/cb07-78.html>

Auto Racing

1,867,000

Total number of adults who attended a NASCAR race at least once a month in 2006.
Source: 2008 Statistical Abstract <http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/2008/tables/08s1219.xls>

Automobiles

$85 billion

Estimated revenue in 2005 of the nation's automotive repair and maintenance businesses.
Source: 2008 Statistical Abstract <http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/2008/tables/08s1256.xls>

11,947,000

Number of motor vehicles produced in the United States in 2005, with 4.3 million of them being passenger cars (36 percent). In 1960, the country produced 6.7 million passenger cars, which was 85 percent of the 7.9 million total motor vehicles produced. The production of SUVs, minivans, trucks and commercial vehicles passed the production of passenger cars in 1997, and the trend has continued ever since.
Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics <http://www.bts.gov/publications/national_transportation_statistics/html/table_01_15.html>

237,431,000

Number of registered motor vehicles across the country in 2004. A little more than 136 million, or about 57 percent, of them were cars. In 1959, about 83 percent of the nation's 71.5 million registered motor vehicles were cars.
Source: 2007 Statistical Abstract <http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/2007/tables/07s1074.xls>
1960 Statistical Abstract <http://www.census.gov/prod/www/abs/statab1951-1994.htm>

52,442

Number of automobile dealers across the country in 2005, with nearly 1.3 million employees and an annual payroll of more than $54 billion.
Source: County Business Patterns <http://www.census.gov/econ/cbp/>

Editor’s note: The preceding data were collected from a variety of sources and may be subject to sampling variability and other sources of error. Facts for Features are customarily released about two months before an observance in order to accommodate magazine production timelines. Questions or comments should be directed to the Census Bureau’s Public Information Office: telephone: 301-763-3030; fax: 301-763-3762; or e-mail: <PIO@census.gov>.