U.S. households receive far more advertising than letters, bills or other similar matter.

In 1999, an estimated 9.6 million US households owned an aquarium.

The 12 million families represent 11.2 percent of all U.S. households.

US households borrowed heavily during the economic boom, using their rising share prices as collateral.

Most of the US households are now non-traditional under this definition.

Both were seen by more than 60 per cent of the U.S. households watching television.

Almost half of U.S. households have one or more pets.

By contrast, eight years later, 90 percent of U.S. households had one.

The number of U.S. households with a net worth over $5 million, again not including first homes, fell by 28 percent to 840,000.

The average U.S. household spent $370 on fresh fruit and vegetables in 2004.