Institute for Social Research

Faculty Profiles

William H Frey

William H Frey

Research Professor, Population Studies Center, Institute for Social Research

BIO

William H. Frey is a demographer and sociologist specializing in U.S. demographics. He is currently a Senior Fellow with the Metropolitan Policy Program at the Brookings Institution in Washington, DC and Research Professor with the Population Studies Center. Dr. Frey has written widely on issues relating to urban populations, migration, immigration, race, aging, political demographics, and the U.S. Census. He has authored over 200 publications and several books including Regional and Metropolitan Growth and Decline in the US (Russell Sage, 1988, with Alden Speare, Jr); America By the Numbers: A Fieldguide to the US Population (The New Press, 2001, with Bill Abresch and Jonathan Yeasting); and Social Atlas of the United States (Allyn and Bacon, 2008, with Amy Beth Anspach and John Paul DeWitt). His most recent book is Diversity Explosion: How New Racial Demographics Are Remaking America (Brookings Institution Press, 2015).

Dr. Frey has also been active in creating demographic media for use by educators, policy makers and the general public. Examples are the websites: frey-demographer.org, Social Science Data Analysis Network (SSDAN), and CensusScope. Dr. Frey is the director of SSDAN at the Population Studies Center.

  • Frey, William H, Teixeira, Ruy , Griffin, Robert . 2016. America's Electoral Future: How Changing Demographics Could Impact Presidential Elections from 2016 to 2032.
  • Frey, William H. 2014. Diversity Explosion: How New Racial Demographics Are Remaking America.
  • Frey, William H, Somerman, Stephanie , DeWitt, John P. 2012. Investigating change: web-based analyses of US Census and American Community Survey data.
  • Frey, William H. 2010. Baby Boomers and the New Demographics of America's Seniors. Generations 34(3):28-37.  
  • Frey, William H. 2010. Investigating change in American society, 3rd edition.
  • Frey, William H, Singer, A . 2010. Demographic dynamics and natural disasters: learning from Katrina and Rita. Population and Environment 31(1-3):1-2.  
  • Frey, William H. 2008. Race, immigration, and America's changing electorate. Red, blue, and purple America: the future of election demographics
  • Frey, William H, Anspach, Amy , DeWitt, John . 2008. Allyn & Bacon Social Atlas of the United States.
  • Frey, William H. 2007. America: A Social Atlas.
  • Frey, William H. 2007. The Three Americas: reflections on America's Americans in regional context. America's Americans: population issues in U.S. society and politics
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