Charts

Timeline Displays Average U.S. Internet Speeds Over Time

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In 1993, when the Internet became publicly available, the average speed was 14.4 Kb/s, and today, the average speed is 214 Mb/s. These are huge leaps in speed that can be difficult to understand. The team at Ooma shows the progression of this leap with a timeline of Internet speeds year by year. Tracking these Internet speeds can help us understand the technological developments that made this possible and show how the Internet has proliferated in daily life.

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Average U.S. Internet Speeds Over Time

At the top of the timeline, we see Internet speeds throughout the ‘90s at their slowest. Internet users had dial-up modems using phone lines to connect to the web. This was the slowest version of Internet technology we have seen on the timeline. The team provides context for the speed, explaining it would take almost four seconds to download an image of a meme, 11 minutes and 41 seconds to download an MP3 file of a song, and almost 34 hours to download the film, “The Dark Knight.” The peak speed reached in the dial-up era was 44.3 Kb/s. The graph shows significant jumps in speed in 1999, 2005, 2014, and 2022. These jumps occurred mainly due to technological advances, such as the creation of broadband and satellite Internet, as well as the expansion of access to higher speeds.

Context for today’s speeds compared to the past shows that it takes less than a second to download a meme, half a second to download an MP3, and only 8 seconds to download a long movie like “The Dark Knight.” Even though there have been vast improvements, the United States doesn’t have the fastest Internet speeds in the world. Singapore and the United Arab Emirates have higher speeds. The team tells us this is because of America’s vast landmass. It has been a challenge to provide high-speed Internet to rural areas, but there have been big improvements. Thanks to satellite Internet connections, people in more remote areas can have access to higher speeds.

Current projections show that by 2025, most of the world will have Internet access, even in remote areas with less infrastructure. The best equipment will be able to download a terabyte of data in just seconds through the use of fiber-optic cables, which are much faster than coaxial cables.

While there’s been great progress in providing high-speed Internet to rural areas, millions of Americans still don’t have access to high-speed Internet. The challenge is how to connect these locations to broadband. There are countless ways we have seen the Internet improve quality of life for people, from bringing them the ability to use telehealth, to social connections, to remote work opportunities. Timelines like this one from Ooma highlight progress but also remind us of the work that still needs to be done to improve American infrastructure. When we’ve seen such huge leaps in speeds, it’s not fair for some people to lack access to reliable Internet because of where they live.

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Charts

A New Study Examines Infidelity in States Across America

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NapLab looked at a sensitive topic for Americans everywhere by mapping survey results, which expose where people have engaged in and experienced the most infidelity. We can see from the results that cheating is, unfortunately, a very common experience, at least for the people who responded to the survey.

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Which States Have the Most Infidelity?

The team’s data yields some surprising results. For example, 100% of respondents in North Carolina, Kentucky, and Alaska said they had cheated or been cheated on. Overall, in every state, over half the respondents said they have been cheated on. These are some hefty statistics.

Overall, these states ranked highest with residents most likely to cheat:

  • Hawaii
  • Louisiana
  • Rhode Island
  • Delaware
  • Wyoming
  • New Hampshire
  • Maine
  • North Carolina
  • New Mexico
  • Utah

These are the states where people are most likely to be cheated on:

  • Kentucky
  • Alaska
  • Maryland
  • North Carolina
  • North Dakota
  • Michigan
  • West Virginia
  • Oklahoma
  • Maine
  • South Carolina

Studies like this one can help us take steps to understand why infidelity occurs. Infidelity can be tricky to even define. Some may consider emotional involvement to be cheating, while others only consider physical romantic acts to be cheating. In other relationships, physical acts outside the relationship are acceptable as long as both partners are comfortable with them and the behavior stays within certain boundaries defined by the couple.

The data shows an interesting pattern, which is that more people reported being cheated on than cheating. This makes sense as cheating usually comes with a sense of shame. Not everyone admits to having cheated, but those who have been cheated on feel a sense of pain and outrage that makes them more likely to share their experience. Another interesting pattern is that the number of people who have self-reported that they cheated and have been cheated on is similar. That implies that many people have been both the cheater and the victim. How might that affect someone’s views on infidelity? The survey certainly leads to many more interesting questions.

People cheat for many varied reasons, including personal choices, social pressures, cultural norms, and dissatisfaction. Some couples say financial stress pushes them apart and builds resentment. The data may show some evidence for this, as low-income states like Kentucky and Louisiana rank highly on the list.

The team’s study leads to many more interesting questions to examine. For example, does age have anything to do with cheating rates? Studies seem to indicate it’s a yes. There have also been studies centered on gender, finding that men are more likely to cheat than women. Cultural factors are certainly impactful. A lot of research shows religious couples are less likely to cheat on one another, and the same is true in more conservative regions. This could be an inaccurate depiction, though, since stronger shame and taboos will make people more likely to carefully hide their infidelity and not admit to it. There’s no doubt that this study is a thought-provoking one.

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Charts

Study Analyzes Kindergarten Measles Vaccination Gaps Across America

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As of April 2025, there have been 16 measles outbreaks in the United States, a number that has jumped significantly over the past few years. A new study from PA Requirements shows this has a connection to vaccination gaps. Kindergarten vaccinations help protect citizens against diseases like measles and contribute to our population achieving herd immunity, which eradicates the threat of the disease. However, the team’s study reveals that a combination of policy, vaccine access, and community factors is hindering our progress toward this goal.

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Where in the U.S. Are the Most Kindergartners Not Up to Date on Their Measles Vaccines?

The team found that these states had the highest percentage of children not vaccinated for measles:

  • Idaho: 20.4%
  • Alaska: 15.7%
  • Wisconsin: 15.2%
  • Minnesota: 13.0%
  • Florida: 11.9%
  • Oklahoma: 11.7%
  • Colorado: 11.7%
  • Utah: 11.2%
  • Iowa: 10.9%
  • Ohio: 10.8%

It can be useful to compare these numbers to the states with the lowest rates of unvaccinated children:

  • West Virginia: 1.7%
  • New York: 2.3%
  • Connecticut: 2.3%
  • Mississippi: 2.5%
  • Maine: 2.5%
  • Rhode Island: 2.9%
  • Maryland: 3.4%
  • Massachusetts: 3.7%
  • California: 3.8%

We can observe some interesting regional patterns by examining the map, such as lower vaccination rates in the Midwest and Southwest.

Among the states with high rates of vaccination, we find that these five states don’t allow non-medical vaccination exemptions: Maine, New York, West Virginia, Connecticut, and California. It’s no surprise that stricter policies lead to a greater number of vaccinations. Among states with lower rates, we find more relaxed laws that allow for greater exemptions on the basis of religion, philosophy, and other personal reasons. Comparing each state to its neighbors reveals patterns and trends that might imply cultural differences affecting vaccination rates in different regions. We can look for locations with a high prevalence of religions that outlaw vaccines to identify reasons for the numbers on the map. Check the numbers on the states with the largest cities, and you might find stricter vaccination laws there to help prevent disease spread in population-dense areas.

There’s no doubt that state policies correlate directly with vaccination rates when we look at the numbers presented on the team’s graphic. Many states require certain vaccinations, like measles, in order to enroll in public school. These laws and requirements also directly impact vaccination rates. Looking at insurance costs and access to vaccine clinics in rural areas may also reveal why some areas have more unvaccinated children than others. Some states have created initiatives to encourage vaccination and provide education, leading to higher vaccination rates.

Overall, studies like these greatly benefit public health by increasing awareness and education about diseases like measles. People who shy away from vaccines often find them untrustworthy. The only way to convince them otherwise is to answer their questions and present them with transparent data that’s easy to understand, just like the information shown in this graphic, regarding the risks associated with declining vaccines. These studies provide policymakers, parents, and public health officials with more information to make informed decisions for the health of their children and communities.

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Business Visualizations

The Biggest Employers by Industry

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There are more than 30 million businesses in the U.S. — but some of those companies employ far more workers than others. Giants like Walmart and Amazon have more than a million employees working on developing, marketing, transporting and selling their products everyday. Meanwhile, lesser-known companies in industries you may not be as familiar with also employ a significant amount of our workforce.

Using Fortune 500 data, our team at The Chartistry identified the largest employers in every industry, including retail, food, health care, real estate and many more (we included a whopping 75 industries total).

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The Biggest Employers by Industry

Who is the largest employer in America?

Technically, the largest employer in the U.S. is the federal government. But if we’re talking about the company that employs the most people, Walmart takes the cake.

Since Walmart’s first store opened in 1962, the company has grown to establish more than 11,500 stores globally to serve more than 260 million weekly shoppers in 28 countries, according to the company’s site. It’s no surprise that the retailer requires a lot of manpower. Walmart has 2,100,000 employees, and is the only one on our list that employs more than 2 million people.

Who else are America’s biggest employers?

Walmart may offer up the most jobs in the U.S.,but there are plenty of other companies with thousands of employees headed to work everyday. Some of the giants on the list of companies with the most employees in every industry are also among the largest U.S. employers in general.

Amazon, which started in Jeff Bezos’ garage in 1994 as an online bookseller, has grown up to make its mark around the world. There’s a good chance you’ve shopped online via the company, watched its streamer or walked past an Amazon retail store or fulfillment center. Amazon may have started with a solo founder, but it now employs 1,525,000 people.

Home Depot is another retail heavyweight. Founded in 1978 as a hardware store, the company now boasts more than 2,300 stores across North America. But offering up all that home improvement requires a lot of hands on deck: The company has 463,100 employees. That makes it the highest employer in one category of specialty retailers, but TJX, with 349,000 employees, is the largest employer in the apparel-specific specialty retailer category.

In the mail, package and freight delivery industry, you can probably guess who employs the most people. It’s FedEx, which was just an idea in 1965 when its eventual founder Frederick W. Smith wrote a paper at Yale University on the potential of a new way to get time-sensitive shipments to recipients (he received an average grade, according to the company’s website). Since then, the company makes around 14.5 million deliveries each day thanks to its 446,400 employees.

UnitedHealth Group also made our list, which makes sense, seeing as its the largest health insurance company in the U.S. Parent company of United Healthcare, the company was founded in 1977. Nowadays, it employs 440,000 people.

Curious which food and drug store is the largest employer? That would be Kroger, which had its start in 1883 when Barney Kroger invested his life savings of $372 to open a single grocery store. More than 140 years later, Kroger is the nation’s largest grocer with nearly 2,800 stores in 35 states and 414,000 employees. But if we’re talking specifically about food services, latte lovers’ favorite place, Starbucks, is the largest employer, with 381,000 employees. Looking specifically at the food consumer products industry, PepsiCo — which owns brands like Lay’s, Doritos, Gatorade, Quaker and, of course, Pepsi — is the largest employer with 318,000 employees.

The travel industry also requires tons of workers. American Airlines Group, which offers thousands of flights daily in more than 60 countries, is the largest employer in the airline industry with 132,100 people. Hilton Worldwide Holdings, meanwhile, has 178,000 employees to help run its hotels, casinos and resorts.

In the entertainment industry, a very familiar name earns the title for largest employer with its 199,125 workers: Walt Disney.

The largest U.S. employers in each industry

Here are the largest companies by employees in every industry — from hotels and airlines to pharmaceuticals and medical equipment.

Industry

Company

Number of Employees

General Merchandisers

Walmart

2,100,000

Internet Services and Retailing

Amazon

1,525,000

Specialty Retailers: Other

Home Depot

463,100

Mail, Package, and Freight Delivery

FedEx

446,400

Health Care: Insurance and Managed Care

UnitedHealth Group

440,000

Information Technology Services

Concentrix

440,000

Food and Drug Stores

Kroger

414,000

Insurance: Property and Casualty (Stock)

Berkshire Hathaway

396,500

Food Services

Starbucks

381,000

Specialty Retailers: Apparel

TJX

349,000

Food Consumer Products

PepsiCo

318,000

Commercial Banks

JPMorganChase

309,926

Health Care: Medical Facilities

HCA Healthcare

265,000

Diversified Outsourcing Services

Aramark

262,550

Health Care: Pharmacy and Other Services

CVS Health

259,500

Semiconductors and Other Electronic Components Equipment

Jabil

236,000

Computer Software

Microsoft

221,000

Entertainment

Walt Disney

199,125

Motor Vehicles & Parts

Lear

186,600

Telecommunications

Comcast

186,000

Aerospace & Defense

RTX

185,000

Hotels, Casinos, Resorts

Hilton Worldwide Holdings

178,000

Computers, Office Equipment

Apple

161,000

Food Production

Tyson Foods

139,000

Airlines

American Airlines Group

132,100

Pharmaceuticals

Johnson & Johnson

131,900

Real Estate

CBRE Group

130,000

Industrial Machinery

General Electric

125,000

Scientific, Photographic, and Control Equipment

Thermo Fisher Scientific

122,000

Medical Products and Equipment

Abbott Laboratories

114,000

Construction and Farm Machinery

Caterpillar

113,200

Transportation and Logistics

GXO Logistics

109,000

Household and Personal Products

Procter & Gamble

107,000

Network and Other Communications Equipment

Amphenol

95,000

Chemicals

3M

85,000

Diversified Financials

Marsh & McLennan

85,000

Apparel

Nike

83,700

Tobacco

Philip Morris International

82,700

Beverages

Coca-Cola

79,100

Advertising, Marketing

Omnicom Group

75,900

Wholesalers: Food and Grocery

Sysco

71,750

Insurance: Property and Casualty (Mutual)

State Farm Insurance

65,054

Petroleum Refining

Exxon Mobil

61,500

Financial Data Services

Fidelity National Information Services

60,000

Wholesalers: Diversified

Genuine Parts

60,000

Electronics, Electrical Equipment

Whirlpool

59,000

Oil And Gas Equipment, Services

Baker Hughes

58,000

Packaging And Containers

WestRock

56,100

Securities

Edward Jones

54,000

Engineering and Construction

Quanta Services

52,500

Home Equipment, Furnishings

Stanley Black & Decker

50,500

Waste Management

Waste Management

48,000

Wholesalers: Health Care

McKesson

48,000

Insurance: Life, Health (Stock)

MetLife

45,000

Trucking, Truck Leasing

J.B. Hunt Transport Services

34,718

Toys, Sporting Goods

Mattel

33,000

Railroads

Union Pacific

32,973

Metals

Nucor

32,000

Automotive Retailing, Services

CarMax

30,621

Building Materials, Glass

Builders FirstSource

29,000

Utilities: Gas and Electric

PG&E

28,010

Wholesalers: Electronics and Office Equipment

TD Synnex

28,000

Temporary Help

Manpower Group

27,900

Mining, Crude-Oil Production

Freeport-McMoRan

27,200

Equipment Leasing

United Rentals

26,300

Publishing, Printing

News Corp.

25,000

Miscellaneous

Service Corporation International

21,267

Transportation Equipment

Polaris

18,500

Energy

NRG Energy

18,131

Education

Graham Holdings

17,006

Insurance: Life, Health (Mutual)

TIAA

16,023

Pipelines

Energy Transfer

13,786

Homebuilders

D.R. Horton

13,450

Forest and Paper Products

Domtar

13,000

Shipping

Kirby Corporation

5,450

Don’t miss our other visuals (Chartistry Originals) that give insight into some of the biggest employers in the U.S, including our map of the biggest Fortune 500 companies in every state, breakdown of America’s most valuable companies ranked by profit per employee and original chart of everything owned by Apple.

Source:

Fortune 500

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