Reduced Postage Rates

The U.S. population was 203.3 million in 1970, which translated into 63.4 million households, according to census reports. In 1970, nonprofit organizations mailed 63 pieces of discounted mail per American household or, on average, 1.2 pieces per week.

By 2005, the U.S. population had grown to 299.8 million and the number of households reached 108.8 million. In the same year, nonprofit organizations mailed 138 pieces of discounted mail per household, or 2.7 pieces per week. (Actually, the pieces-per-household rate is much higher because nonprofits don’t mail every household in the country.)