Andrew Van Dam
Washington Post
New York, NY, United States
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Past articles by Andrew:
Paper checks are dead. Cash is dying. Who still uses them?
Don’t be the guy who holds up the line at Safeway to spell out “sixteen dollars and forty-four cents.” And maybe think twice before fishing out a twenty. → Read More
The real reason(s) food allergies are on the rise
Why is everyone suddenly allergic to everything? And how are hookworms involved? The Department of Data investigates. → Read More
The states that produce the most doctors, artists and writers, and more!
The data dump returns! In addition to finding the states that birth the most artists, we offer a stirring look at the laws that grease the wheels of democracy. → Read More
The real reason the highest-paid doctors are in the Dakotas
The Department of Data digs into another doctor-pay mystery: Why do the highest-earning doctors live in different places from the high earners in almost every other profession? → Read More
The real reason Mexico suddenly dominates global beer exports
Old World heavyweights like Heineken once led the beer export market. But these days, it seems like we're all squeezing limes into Coronas. What happened? → Read More
The age at which people give up on homeownership, and more!
This week: Does the age at which we decide to abandon homeownership have anything to do with shoveling snow? Also: who's coming to America post-pandemic? → Read More
The real reason trucks have taken over U.S. roadways
Light trucks now dominate U.S. roadways, outnumbering cars among registered vehicles in all 50 states. How did this happen, and is it Gerald Ford's fault? → Read More
America’s friendliest big cities are not the ones you’d expect
Skeptical of a report ranking the City of Brotherly Love and Beantown as the most helpful cities in the nation, we sought a broader measure of civic engagement. → Read More
The political leanings of people who go on cruises, and more!
This week, we ask the immortal question: Are Republicans more likely to go on cruises? We also look at top destinations for health-care travel, and which college majors are most likely to marry their own kind. → Read More
A surprising (and growing) gender gap in the most dangerous jobs
In the government's deep database of work-related injuries, most injury types are falling. Except one: Violent attacks, almost exclusively against women. → Read More
Is Alaska a haven for retirees? Yes, but not for the reasons you think
Why does Alaska appear to rank near Florida and Arizona in our measure of top retirement states? We asked -- and so many of you responded! → Read More
The last thing Americans do before bed, and more!
From the Great Recession to the Great Resignation, we explore trends in job-hopping. Also: What Americans do before bed and the proper pronunciation of "data." → Read More
Why does the South have such ugly credit scores?
Why does the American South have worse credit scores than the rest of the country? Hint: It's not just race or income. → Read More
The mystery of the disappearing vacation day
A little-known government indicator shows Americans are on vacation half as often as they were 40 years ago. What happened?! → Read More
The collegiest college town in every state, and more
Some places are way more gown than town. In other places, the deer and the antelope may play, but bears and beavers are mentioned more often. → Read More
Fear the deer: Crash data illuminates America’s deadliest animal
When and where you're most likely to hit a deer and what daylight saving time has to do with it. → Read More
States where cars outnumber drivers, and more!
We look at the state that sends the most people abroad, the state that attracts the most retirees, and the places where cars outnumber people. → Read More
The happiest, least stressful, most meaningful jobs in America
Trees make us happy, according to data, even when we're chopping them down. → Read More
Millions of Americans have left the country. Where are they going, and why?
The real American emigrants often bear little resemblance to the exiles, dissidents and malcontents of popular imagination. → Read More
Who gets higher real-estate prices, owners or agents?
This week, the Department of Data reveals: The states with the highest living standards! The homeowners who outfox the system by selling their own homes! And the best jobs for older workers! → Read More