Young House Love

Home Decorating & DIY Tutorials

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Blogiversary 5: Charts, Graphs & A Little Beyonce

As our fifth blogiversary week comes to a close, we must first dole out a giant thank you to everyone for the sweetness (oh the humanity) and the laughs (oh the hilarity) and – well – for taking our little annual poll that we dropped into Monday’s post. This year we had over 30,000 entries. Wowza. Thank goodness Google helped me crunch the numbers (a stark contrast to our first blogiversary poll where I copied and pasted all 199 comment responses into a spreadsheet by hand).

Obviously it wasn’t a scientific study, but we did come out with some fun facts and figures that we thought would be fun to share here courtesy of some fun little graphics we whipped up. I’m hoping if I say “fun” enough you guys will forget this is a post about statistics. Did it work? If not, and you refuse to scroll further, I’ll summarize it for you: most of you are pretty much like us (well, Sherry to be exact): married Americans who own a house and a dog. Although for the first time we’re older than a majority of our readers. So maybe we should throw some quotation marks around the “young” in our name (or check up on the availability of “Thirty-Something House Love”). Anyways, here goes nothing…

Stats Age

Stats Geography 3

Stats Housing

Stats Married

Stats Pregnant

Stats Pets

Stats Teeth

Stats Black Eyed Peas 3

Stats Blogs

We had so much fun reading all of the stats on you guys. Did anything surprise you? Is there anything you’d love to know next year? Oh yeah, and speaking of yesterday’s goal post, this post is under 375 words (not counting the text in the graphics). Small yet satisfying. Like popping a dense little truffle over a heavy ol’ hunk of pound cake. Take that resolution!

Image sources: Beyonce, Ultrasound, Black Eyed Peas, Tina Fey, J.K. Rowling, Martha Stewart and Candice Olson.

Update – Some of the most frequent requests that we get are for info about professionally blogging (how we made our site, how we grew our following, how we make money, etc) so we shared all of the details about how we started a blog, grew our traffic, and turned it into a full time job. 

Comments

  1. Penni McNamara says

    Nothing has ever shocked me more than the fact I am in the 6% pie chart. Crap. At 42 I don’t feel too old to read your blog! but clearly we forty-somethings are a low demographic. I’m gonna go out and start recruiting some friends to read your blog and change that number! Happy anniversary!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Aw, Penni, you’re not old! If it makes you feel any better, 6% of 30,000 = 1,800. So there are a lot of other fellow 40-somethings reading if you look at it that way! Heck I’m going to be reading blogs until I’m 100, if I’m fortunate enough to live that long!

      xo
      s

    • Heather says

      WOOT for the 40 somethings. Just turned 40, so I’m in the 6% with you! It made me feel really old for about 5 seconds and then I got over it. :)

    • paintergal says

      Along that line, I can’t believe I’m in the 3% segment! I believe that good taste is ageless. So it doesn’t matter to me that you young’uns (yes, you are young!) inspire me and motivate me as much as someone with years (ahem- decades) of experience.

    • Nancy says

      How about the 1% in their 60s? That’s me! And I think I’m pretty cool for reading the blog. Only time I feel old and out of it is when you mention songs and I don’t know them. The rest of the 1% is probably your older relatives, ha.

    • Amy Moran says

      Penni-

      I thought the same exact thing. I’m 45, and I really expected our demographic to be larger. We just need to spread the word.

    • Sheila says

      Ditto that! I was shocked by that 6% statistic! I feel old today! But mostly I feel sad for all of those fellow forty-somethings that don’t read your blog yet. ;)

    • Kitty says

      Feeling old was my first thought too! At 43, I’m part of the 6% too. Then I decided I must be really cool instead! I think the day I stop reading fresh blogs and changing up my decor is the day I become truly old. Thanks for keeping us young, YHL!

    • Emily says

      Penni – if it makes you feel better I seem to be in a similar minority, 33, single and childless. It’s lonely out here! I have yet to find a blog to follow where they aren’t happily married. While I’m all about it, it’d be nice to follow someone a little more like me!

    • Julie says

      I was shocked to be in the 3% at 55….do others my age already know how to do everything…or do they not even try?

    • Jen@The Decor Scene says

      I was surprised to be in the 6% part of the pie as well. Just turned 42 the other day. :) I need to get more of my friends on the YHL train now too. I love see your charts and seeing sort of into other people’s lives. It’s fun!!!! :)

    • Kasey M. says

      Maybe you guys are the super cool 30 and 40 somethings that are willing to take polls! I think there are a lot of diverse readers on this blog (and there will be more after the book I’m sure).

    • Vonda says

      Hey I’m in my [early] forties, but started reading when I was still in my [late] 30s. I just couldn’t do the survey b/c my work blocked that site. BOO!

      I was surprised actually at the large % of readers that own their homes when I looked at large # of 20-something readers. I know people in their 40s that still rent, and we live in RVA!!

    • Jen says

      Heh, I feel the same way (my 40th is about two months away so I just tell people I’m 40). In addition to being an old, I also rent, and don’t have kids or pets, so I’m super rare…like a unicorn or something!

      I’d be interested in seeing generally where in the country U.S. readers live, mostly because I want to know where all these youngsters are buying houses! In the general area where I live, it’s not rare for people to rent their whole lives because housing is so incredibly expensive. Unless we win the lottery or something, my husband and I will probably be amongst them!

    • Meg says

      I’m surprised that there are far fewer 30somethings than 20somethings reading, especially (as mentioned previously) since such a large percentage are homeowners. I figured most of the readers were like me and my husband who, like John and Sherry, are in our early 30s with a kid or two! Maybe the “young” brings people in? :)

    • YoungHouseLove says

      A few folks suggested that there could be tons of on-the-cusp folks (ex: 28 & 29) which seems to make sense! We can’t wait to see the poll next year to see how many come over to the dark side (aka 30s, hahah!).

      xo
      s

  2. Jon says

    John,

    I would venture to say that the number of MALE readers is a bit higher….most of us are just to ADHD to fill out surveys! haha. My wife and I moved to Toronto in 2009 from Lynchburg, VA and found your blog that year when we bought our first home here..and have been following it ever since!

    Here’s another stat that you missed. We love 99.99% of the things you and Sherry do, and have even translated many of the ideas into our home reno projects!

    Keep up the awesome blog…we anxiously await the new posts each day.

    Jon

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      John felt a little better when he realized that 2% of 30,000 is still 600+ guys, and then when a friend of him said “dude, guys don’t take surveys” it made him smile a little bigger. We have definitely met guys who recognize us while we’re out and about (they all wanna fist bump John) so I keep reminding John that he’s not all alone over here. Haha!

      xo
      s

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Ack, we weren’t expecting it! We actually secretly replaced the survey with an identical one about halfway through the day since the first one “ran out of room to record data” – haha! That was a mad panic!

      xo
      s

  7. Sarah says

    Derp, so old, so out of touch. We’ve got Thirty-Forty-Something-House Love going on at my house. ;)

    (Thing my boyfriend loves to hear: “HAYYYY GUESS WHAT YOUNGHOUSELOVE DID TODAY?!?!?!?! BET YOU’RE SO EXCITED”

    Reply

  9. Emma says

    Wow! I love data too. So how did you make the hot gender infographic? (I think it’s too cool to be a called a simple graph). A little more info on the “8 percent” of other critter owners. I have two fabulous rabbits.

    Reply

  11. Ashley says

    LOVE the graphics you whipped up! Very interesting stats indeed. I have a feeling, despite the results, that a fair amount of 20 somethings are actually, like me, on the verge of being a 30 something like the both of you. My bets are on that pie chart shifting in the next 2 years to being more 30 somethings.

    Reply

    • Heather says

      I’m heading into my last year in the 20’s club in about three weeks, so on next year’s survey I will have just eeked in under the radar in the 20’s field. It will feel like a little bit of a lie. Kind of like when I say I’m 5’7″. It might literally be true, but it’s pretty much *just* true. Or like when I say I didn’t eat all of the cake. I might have literally eaten *most* of the cake, but if there’s a tiny slice left I did not eat *all* of the cake.

  12. Kim says

    I am going to guess that you have lots of male readers if they are like my husband he reads over my shoulder when I am reading and then before you know it, I have been kicked off the computer and three hours later he emerges from the office with a list of things to do and we need at Home Depot.

    Reply

  13. Katie says

    I just have to say I love the images you used for this post especially the put a ring it. I totally laughed out loud while at work.

    Reply

  15. Ray says

    Okay, so the sentence “Like popping a dense little truffle over a heavy ol’ hunk of pound cake” made me question your sanity for a little bit, and also made me think that maybe you guys shouldn’t hang out with Katie B so much… I’ll let you figure out why. Let’s just say, I read (and reread) it very, very wrong. TMI?

    Besides that, love you guys!! Looking forward to five more years of stalking (not creepy, promise) your beautiful DIY adventures :)

    Reply

  17. Eileen says

    Shocked to learn that at 51, I’m in the 3% pie slice. Heck, don’t all those other 50-somethings out there know that now that the kids are finally moving out, we can take back our houses and do what WE want with all the rooms?

    Reply

  18. Alana says

    I’m really confused as to how your gender stats equal 101%?!? I know my math skills are questionable, but how does that work?

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Oops, off to fix that. They were all rounded up, so you’re right about it adding up to too much. I blame all the females up in this joint who are making my head spin. Haha.

      -John

    • Alana says

      I figured that was what happened. But don’t blame the estrogen.

      And congratulations of 5 years! I look forward to your blog so much that I save it for when I’m working (only 3 days a week) so that I have an abundance of of YHL to read at one go. And it still isn’t enough. :) I’ve loved every format of YHL you’ve put out – keep up the fantastic work.

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Hahahah! Thanks Alana. Can I blame the lack of dudes taking the survey and murking (man lurking)? Next year you guys better help a dude out and click those buttons. Ha!

      -John

  19. Suzi says

    Thanks for sharing guys! Love your posts/blogs… Inspiring and warm and personable. You guys rock and I wish you every success : )

    Reply

  20. Jess @ Little House. Big Heart. says

    The math nerd in me loves this post, too! I’m an engineer. Numbers are what I do everyday… that and read you guys when no one’s looking, of course!

    Oh, and John. Kevin reads you guys everyday too, but he didn’t want to fill out the survey too and skew your results. He said two responses from the same household would mess things up. :) He’s even math-nerdier than me!

    Reply

    • KathyG says

      Maybe next year the question should be – does your mate read it too, or holla if you relay the info to a male regularly. My hubs doesn’t “read”, but I am always relaying the info to him, or showing him your pics to explain what I want to do. So they might be considered “second hand followers” haha

  22. JT says

    It is interesting that there are statistically similar numbers of stuff stuck in teeth and fetuses stuck in uteruses. good to know.

    Reply

  25. Ann says

    Looks like you missed one question/statistic. Percentage of readers who think you’re great: 100%. And fun, inspiring, and always&forever young-at-heart :)

    Reply

  26. Lisa says

    That hilarious Sarah! Same thing here. ME: “Saw this awesome thing YHL did today…”
    Hubby: “Have you already done it or am I getting the tools out when I get home?”

    :-)

    Reply

    • Heather says

      Hahaha my husband reads forestry and equipment forums. It’s his equivalent to YHL. Conversations are slightly more skewed in our house. This is more or less what you’d be likely to hear:

      “Look at their cabinets (shows white kitchen from YHL or Pinterest).”
      “Do you see this sawmill?”
      “I think I’m still stuck on solid shaker style cherry cabinets if that tree is solid at your moms.”
      “Look at the size of this tree this guy sawed.”
      “That’s huge. Definitely shaker style cabinets.”
      “How about we just finished the addition first. Man, I can’t wait until we get a sawmill…and a winch.”

  28. Deb says

    I’m with Penny – how is it that we old ladies only represent 6% of your readers? And when did I get old? I still think of myself as 30 (much to the dismay of my pre-teen daughters) so maybe Penny and I are just much hipper and cooler than most 42 year olds. I’m just gonna tell myself that …. ;)

    Reply

  32. Brenda says

    I like stats anyway, but this may be the most pretty way I’ve ever looked at stats. Your “charts” are really too awesome to be called charts, except the pie charts. Because duh, it’s a pie chart.

    Reply

  33. Chelsea @ Riding Escalators says

    I feel so… cookie-cutter. I’m one of the ones in the majority of literally all of those categories! LOL!

    I forget – did you ask about how many people keep up their own blogs (even if it’s just to keep family up to date on life’s happenings). That could be a fun thing to know too! :)

    Happy Blogiversary! (And Happy Friday!)

    Reply

  34. Shannon says

    The point of having shorter posts was probably so you didn’t spend so much time on them but…these awesome graphics had to have taken plenty of time so I’m not going to say you’re meeting your goal. :) (Love it though! Feel like your graphics have taken a step up this week, and I never thought they were bad.)

    Reply

  35. Kate says

    Looooong time lurker, and while you guys have done some unbelievable projects, THIS is what got me to comment… I just have to say, John, your design on these graphics is SO cool.

    Reply

  36. Amber Du says

    Long time reader, first time commenter here! I’m in the majority (married lady in her 20s) but for whatever reason I picture the majority of your readers being middle-aged ladies of the soccer-mom variety! (No idea why.) So your stats surprised me!

    Reply

  37. Eileen says

    Yay for statistics!! Gotta love a post where you can incorporate a few good pie charts and a reference to the Black Eyed Peas.

    Happy Blogiversary! Hope you have an awesome weekend.

    Reply

  38. Romy says

    Reading YHL in the morning is like washing my teeth, I can’t get the day rolling without that! I’m in the less than 1% of Latin American (I’m from Argentina!). Great graphics!
    No ring on it YET, no pets YET, no baby YET, but definitely something stuck in my teeth!
    Have a great weekend!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Haha, thanks Anne! Someone else said it would be interesting to see if next year there were more 30 somethings if a bunch of people were right on the cusp! Should be fun to watch!

      xo
      s

  40. Morgan says

    I am a numbers nerd. So obviously I love this post. It always makes me happy when I see people from other countries are reading my blog. Makes me feel like I am really reching out to people without having to leave my room. Anyways, congratulations on five years, guys! You’re awesome. Keep up the good work.

    Reply

  45. Chris says

    I too am apart of the 2% Male readers that actually took the survey. I just got my wife to start reading your blog as well. We are looking forward to your book and the craziness that will be inside.

    Reply

  47. Ana says

    I’d like to change my answer from JK Rowling to Tina Fey. After skimming The New Yorker’s profile of her, I’m going to switch my allegiance to Liz Lemon. :)

    Happy blogiversary!

    Reply

  48. Tania says

    Aaaww, I’m a little dissapointed Africa didn’t make the cut in the ‘Geography’ category.

    Happy 5th year YHL! You may not be young forever, but it still counts if you’re young at heart.

    With love from,
    ‘The Warm Heart of Africa’ (aka Malawi)

    Reply

    • Heather says

      Me too. Favorite graphic. I announced our engagement on Facbeook by saying “He liked it, so he put a ring on it.” That graphic = sentimental to me.

  50. Kitty says

    I love this post, all the pretty statistics!

    I think it’s cool that there are a lot of us in our Twenties reading, although I had expected more Europeans would read your blog.

    If it helps, I don’t think of you guys as “old” or anything! ;-)

    Reply

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