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…
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.
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!
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
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. :)
Ditto what Penni said. I feel old.
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.
Hahah! We love you guys.
xo
s
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.
You’re right Nancy, you’re just cool for reading the blog. Haha. You guys are cracking us up today.
xo
s
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.
Aw thanks you guys. Tell your coolest friends! Haha.
xo
s
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. ;)
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!
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!
Just wanted to say hi to 42-year-old Penni from 42-year-old Penny. I’ll help you recruit! :)
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?
I think you’re just extra cool to read our blog, so that’s the explanation. Haha.
xo,
s
I kinda think so too!
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!!!! :)
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).
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!!
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!
Oh yes, that’s how it was in NYC when we lived there for sure!
xo
s
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? :)
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
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
High fives Jon. Made my day.
-John
Whoa! Current Lynchburgian here! Did you go to LU by any chance?
Holla for Lynchburg, Va! What a small world we live in…
Dervy,
Yes! Both my wife and I graduated from LU in 2009. I was born and raised in Danville. Couldn’t take “small town” life any more so we moved to Toronto!
Jon
way to represent the burg!
to YHL
p.s. love the blog and have been reading for awhile but never comment. as a newly married person my goal is to have a home as awesome as y’all’s. keep in the inspiration coming!
Male checking in and also one of the 2%. Come on men, who doesn’t like a good deck building series?
Amen!
-John
Hey now, some of us are ADD and still can fill out surveys. ;)
But i’m a girl so maybe that’s a unique talent of the female ADDers!
To Jon, Dervy, & Jo:
We just moved from Lynchburg, VA and yes, indeed, it is a small town. When the opportunity to move to a bigger city arrived, we happily packed up and moved south. BTW, I love “it’s a small world” stories. :)
What a fun post! :-) Speaking of fun…maybe this could be Burger’s halloween costume next year, if Clara gets into an undersea mood!
http://www.dailydawdle.com/2010/10/10-wacky-pet-halloween-costumes-pic.html
Hehehe!
Ahhh- that’s hilarious!
xo
s
Awesome post! But where are all the guys? I like to think of YHL as equal opportunity fun and good ideas.
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
30,000 respondents!! You guys are *so* big time.
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
I’m a member of the 2% male population that regularly stops by… I feel so.. elite. ;)
Hah, totally! We’re the rarest roses.
-John
LOVE THIS! The graphics are fantastic, you guys are so talented.
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”
Hahahahahh!
xo
s
Love the infographics! What did you guys use to make them?
John whipped them all up in photoshop. Isn’t he talented?
xo
s
I second the love of the infographics! Way to go John! Way to make statistics so purty.
Me too! The infographics bring such a fun touch to data-talk. Good call Sherry & John.
Nice infographics (never heard that term before)! Hard to say I have just one favorite but I thought the Beyonce one was cute/funny. I also thought the ultrasound one was cool too!
Love the graphics, John! Awesome!
I wanted to comment also about the graphics, love them. They make the post! You guys are so creative!
Also chiming in with love for those infographics. This is the only blog I check in on every weekday because 1) there’s always new content (and the length doesn’t matter, it’s quality stuff) and 2) speaking as a graphic designer I appreciate your ascetic.
Congrats on 5 years! Here’s to looking forward to another year.
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.
I just made one male and one female figure and I duplicated them a bunch (in photoshop) and lined them up in all of those rows. It was sort of like how we made Clara’s wormy birthday invitations, actually!
-John
Awesome! You guys are so design-ish. Go figure!
Since Africa doesn’t feature in the graphics, I’m going to imagine I’m your only reader in Africa. Yay me!
Wahoo! We love you Michelle! Africa was home for less than .1% of the people who took the survey, so you’re a rare girl indeed ;)
xo
s
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.
Ooh, that’s a very interesting thought. Should be fun to see how stats change next year!
xo
s
Yes I agree with this thought!
I know I’ll have to check a different box next year…the big three ohh is coming up fast!
Wahoo! Join the club Jamie!
xo
s
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.
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.
I totally agree! John is not alone. Ha!
xo
s
It just crossed my mind to wonder how many are named John/Jon since 2 have already commented. :)
Haha! We need a John poll!
xo
s
hahaha, I wish my husband would do that! :D
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.
Thanks Katie!
-John
Love all your fun figured and pictures to go along with the stats! I’m amazed by all the pregnant women–holy cow!
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 :)
Oh my gosh, I might be too innocent. I’ve read it and reread it about ten times and don’t see any innuendo. Haha. Must be over my head.
xo
s
Oh my goodness I’m sorry, nothing innuendo-y! Just gross… I read “popping” as “pooping,” and the mental picture that followed was kind of icky. Hahaha
Hhahahah! That totally went right over my head!
xo
s
YAY! CANADA! 6%!!!
I’m going to make it my GOAL to increase that number for next year’s survey!
CALLING ALL CANADIANS!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hahah!
xo
s
Yes we need to increase the readers up here!!! Spread the YHL across the north!
There has to be more Canadians. uhum…I forgot to fill out the survey …sorry.
Canada represent! I’ve been following you guys since 2009. Love it! We bought our 1960’s bungalow two years ago…and our “to do” list (or as the hubster calls it, the “honey-do” list) is quite long! I love the inspiration from the YHL team of S, J, C&B!
Whoop whoop Canada!! I hope our 6% is enough to get a book tour stop:) Happy 5 YHL, here’s to many, many more;) You guys rock!!
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?
Someone else just came up with the theory that only to coolest ladies read in their 40s and 50s and I think they’re onto something! Maybe not everyone your age does, but the hip mommas do! Haha.
xo
s
Eileen, I’m with you!
I was happy to be able to check off the 40 box as I won’t be able to do that much longer! eeks! But I’m feeling extra rare that I’m also Canadian and olderish.
I’m really confused as to how your gender stats equal 101%?!? I know my math skills are questionable, but how does that work?
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
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.
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
Thanks for sharing guys! Love your posts/blogs… Inspiring and warm and personable. You guys rock and I wish you every success : )
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!
Hahah! Tell that man to weigh in next time for me. I need my brothers so my graph can have three dudes next year. A guy can dream…
-John
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
welp, the beyonce graphic just made me spit on my keyboard. Hilarious!
It is interesting that there are statistically similar numbers of stuff stuck in teeth and fetuses stuck in uteruses. good to know.
Hahahahah!
xo
s
Fantastic graphics, John! So creative and fun to read/look at. Love it!
Excellent overview – I was wondering when we’d see the stats :)
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 :)
Aw, you’re sweet Ann.
xo
s
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?”
:-)
Haha!
xo
s
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.”
LOL. You guys need a sitcom.
-John
that’s a lot of preggo hormones around this place!
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 …. ;)
Absolutely! I think you’re onto something. Haha!
xo
s
Oh sad face for missing the poll…. Looks like it would have been fun to take!! Oh we’ll I guess there’s always next years!!!
Yes! Next year will be here before we know it.
xo
s
I wonder what percentage of the guys are named John/Jon? Judging from the two commenters so far, it’s 100%! LOL
Hahaha!
xo
s
So true! haha. It was a popular name in the 80’s!
My husband is a reader, but I doubt he took the survey! I feel like men are a lot less interactive with stuff like that, so you could have TONS of compadres and not even know it.
I totally think so too! If only we could spy on the dudes and catch them somehow. Hahah!
xo
s
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.
Ha! Thanks Brenda.
-John
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!)
Oh yeah, we forgot to put that in there! A whopping 21% of our readers have a blog- which adds up to over 6,400 of them!
xo,
s
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.)
Hahahah- it’s true. But John loves doing this stuff (more than writing words I’d say) so he was smiling at the screen the whole time. Hahah!
xo
s
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.
Thanks Kate!
-John
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!
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.
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!
Haha! We love you Romy!
xo
s
I wonder if you should have broke up the age groups more. Like 20-25, 26-30, etc. Don’t feel too old. They’re probably all 28.
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
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.
Ooh I love all the graphs and percentages! Interesting!
One of your readers from Asia! Started reading your blog before we moved over here and it’s a nice piece of “home.”
Aw thanks Jessica!
xo
s
Just wondering how you came up with 101% with the gender category. Interesting info otherwise.
Haha, we accidentally rounded up. All fixed now!
xo
s
I love the numbers breakdown. Surveys are awesome…just like you guys!
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.
I thought you would have had more readers in Europe. I am in Ireland and love your blog.
Thanks Lou!
xo
s
I’m from England, clearly we need to help increase the European readership of YHL! ;-)
I’m from England too Kitty, I always wondered how many of us over here read it, not too many it doesnt look like, shame that!! xxx
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!
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)
We love you over there for sure! Maybe you guys have to tell your friends about us for next year. Haha!
xo
s
I love your info-graphic/graphic design style. I lol’ed at the “have a ring on it” block.
I was just going to say the same! The Beyonce graphic is my fave.
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.
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! ;-)
Aw, thanks Kitty!
xo
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