UTAH, D.C. CAN'T COMPARE, ACCORDING TO CENSUS DATA

Utah meet your antithesis - the District of Columbia.

While Utah has the largest and most traditional mom-and-pop families, the District of Columbia has an almost opposite portrait with a large singles population and smaller households, a Deseret News computer analysis of recently released 1990 Census figures shows.The analysis confirmed Utah's longstanding title as both the youngest state and state with the largest households.

The District of Columbia has the lowest percentage of married-couple families, 25.3 percent. Utah has the highest at 64.6 percent. That was nearly 10 percentage points higher than the national average of 55.1 percent. Right behind Utah are neighbors Idaho and Wyoming along with New Hampshire.

Utah has the lowest number of people living alone in the United States. In D.C., the number is by far the highest at 41.5 percent.

Utah's level of married-couple families and singles went against the trend in the West. Except for the Northeast, the West had the lowest percentage of married-couple families in the nation.

Utah has the nation's largest households, at 3.16 people. Washingtonians have the smallest households at 2.26 people. Utah's household size remains a notch above the nation's average of 2.63 people. Next behind Utah was Hawaii and Alaska, with 3 and 2.8 people per household respectively.

Utah has the largest state population under 18, as 36.4 of Utahns fit into this youthful category. Other Western states - Alaska, Idaho, Wyoming and New Mexico - are next in line with their larger-than-average young populations. Only 20 percent fit into the category in Washington, D.C.

In one of the few categories where Utah and Washington, D.C., didn't share opposite ends of a national scale was median age. There it was Florida's retirees that made it the oldest state with a median age of 36.4. Utah was youngest with 26.2 years. That's more than four years lower than the next youngest state, Alaska.

The national median age rose to 32.9, while the West remained the youngest area with a median age of 31.8 years.

In a couple of census categories, Utah appeared more average, with the 27th lowest median home value at $68,900. The lowest was South Dakota at $45,200. The most expensive homes were in Hawaii. That state's median home price was $245,300.

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Top of the charts

Most married-couple families

Top: Utah, 64.6 percent

U.S. Median: 55.1 percent

Bottom: District of columbia, 25.3 percent

Largest population under the age of 18

Top: Utah, 36.4 percent

U.S. Median: 25.6 percent

Bottom: District of Columbia, 19.3 percent

Largest households

Top: Utah, 3.15

U.S. Median: 2.63

Bottom: District of Columbia, 2.26 percent

Youngest Median Age:

Top: Utah, 26.2 years

U.S. Median: 12.6 years

Bottom: Florida, 36.4 years