Six Florida metro areas are among 20 regions with the fastest population growth, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The Villages, Fla., is No. 1 overall, posting 5.4% growth from July 2013 to July 2014. Texas has four areas on the list.

The median size of new homes built last year was 2,415 square feet, a record, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Home size declined during the recession but is on the rise again, as much of the market's buying and building activity is among wealthier people. More homes priced above $400,000 sold last year than those priced below $200,000 -- a first.

Consumer electronics and major appliance sales hit $9 billion in December, rising 6.8% compared to the previous December's figures, figures from the U.S. Census Bureau indicate.

Data released Thursday by the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey categorizes same-sex married couples as families. Previously, the bureau categorized such couples as "unmarried partners," even if they were legally married at the time. The data showed that among the 56 million married-couple households in America, 251,695 of them, or just under 0.5% of the total, were same-sex couples.