As the month of Irishness is upon us, take a look at how Irish the United States really is. The latest US Census Bureau report for Irish Americans reveals the strong Irish presence in the states. 

* There’s 34.5 million people who claimed Irish ancestry in 2011 in the United States. That is the second largest group after German Americans.

* 150,990 of them were US citizens born in Ireland.

* New York’s population alone is about 13 percent people who claim Irish ancestry. 

* 92.9% of people of Irish ancestry, 25 or older, have at least a high school diploma.

*  For the nation as a whole that number is 85.9%.

* The percentage of people of Irish ancestry, 25 or older, who have a bachelor's degree or higher is 33.3%, nearly 5% higher than the national number. 

* The average annual income for Irish-American households is $57,319 compared to the national average of $50,502. 

* Irish influence has even breached the naming of US cities and towns. There are 7 places in the United States named Shamrock and 13 places named after the Irish capital, Dublin. 

* The celebration of St. Patricks Day has even caused major increases in the value of U.S. imported beer. In 2012, the value of US imported beer in March was $86,0002,408 more than in February.  

* The United States imported $538.1 million worth of alcoholic beverages from Ireland in 2011. The total value of imports from Ireland to the US in 2011 was $39.4 billion.

* Numbers don’t lie. Irish influence is a prominent aspect of all things that make up the United State’s unique, diverse culture. 

Source US Census Bureau.