National

Data: The New Normal; Google Trends; Chart: Jared Whalen/Axios 

As the pandemic enters its third year, some of America's COVID-era shopping habits — including strong demand for tequila and sweatpants — are here to stay.

Driving the news: Axios worked with Google Trends and the Schema Design firm to create The New Normal, which analyzes the products Americans have Googled since 2020. Items with a lasting increase in search interest help fill in the details of what our "new normal" looks like.

We have had to stock home offices for the long haul, leading to more searches for computer accessories, fax machines, scanners, computer monitors and printers. 

Beauty and self-care products seem to becoming more mainstream after a stressful few years. We are googling more often for nails, skin care, hair care, massages and loungewear.

With more flexible time at home, we have been searching for items associated with home improvement and car upkeep: car parts, power tools, home and garden organization and decor. 

We were forced to explore new activities to keep ourselves entertained while paying heed to CDC recommendations. 

A surge of interest in roller skates, disc golf and card games seems to be sticking for now.  So does cocktail making, with "tequila," "spirits" and "liquor" landing in the "new normal" category.

Another group of search terms saw big spikes in reactions to specific moments in the pandemic, but then cooled off.

Those include the 2020 toilet paper shortage, and the time then-President Trump dangerously suggested injecting bleach to fight COVID. 

And the pandemic had little effect on search volumes for many everyday products, like eggs, dog food, coffee and salt.

What they're saying: "Trends data really gives us an honest insight into what people care about — and how our lives have shifted during the pandemic," Google Trends' Simon Rogers told Axios. 

Out of 5,000 different topics initially analyzed, "the outcome is a showcase of the top 300 keywords that did end up exhibiting a clear pattern due to the pandemic—a window into the ways in which our lives have changed,” Schema's Christian Marc Schmidt said.

Go deeper: Explore The New Normal project here.

Editor's note: This story originally ran on Jan. 12.

The new normal: Google searches reveal America's COVID shopping habits

Searches for home improvement tools and home office supplies have risen — and stayed there.

COVID-19

Politics & Policy

From the Valley to D.C., Big Tech players like Facebook, Google and Amazon are under more scrutiny than ever as new technology develops and privacy and antitrust concerns grow in lockstep with companies’ ambitions.

Technology

Data: Census Bureau. Chart: Jared Whalen/Axios

In new U.S. census data showing migration from July 2020 to July 2021, five of the top 10 counties in numeric growth were in Texas — Collin, Fort Bend, Williamson, Denton and Montgomery counties.

The others were in Arizona (Maricopa County) ... California (Riverside County) ... Florida (Polk and Lee counties) ... and Utah (Utah County).

The three largest numeric losers were L.A. County ... New York County (Manhattan) ... and Cook County, Ill., which includes Chicago. 

On a percentage basis (mapped above), the top gainer was Kaufman County, Texas (east of Dallas). The biggest loser was Manhattan. 

Mapped: America's COVID shuffle

Five of the top 10 counties in numeric growth were in Texas.

Census

In new U.S. <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="census data" data-vars-click-url="https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2022/population-estimates-counties-decrease.html" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2022/population-estimates-counties-decrease.html" target="_blank">census data</a> showing migration from July 2020 to July 2021, five of the top 10 counties in numeric growth were in Texas — Collin, Fort Bend, Williamson, Denton and Montgomery counties.<ul><li>The others were in Arizona (Maricopa County) ... California (Riverside County) ... Florida (Polk and Lee counties) ... and Utah (Utah County).</li></ul>

After a record economic expansion, the coronavirus pandemic sent the U.S. economy into a recession as unemployment soared to staggering heights. The country now faces urgent questions about how much stimulus is needed for reeling consumers and businesses, and what a recovery might look like.

Economy & Business

Axios Pro Rata

 Data: Yahoo Finance; Chart: Jared Whalen/Axios

U.S. stocks markets performed worse during the first year of Joe Biden's presidency than during the first year of Donald Trump's presidency. 

By the numbers: The S&P 500 rose 19.3% between the market close before Biden's inauguration and yesterday's market close, compared to a 24.1% increase for Trump during the similar period. 

The S&P 500 had done better under most of Biden's first year than under Trump's, but the "lead" flipped in recent weeks due to a market selloff. 

Both the Dow Jones Industrial Average and Nasdaq Composite also grew much slower under Biden than under Trump.

Historical context: U.S. stocks gained more during President Obama's first year than during Trump's, and also for their entire first terms. 

Part of this relates to how it's easier to get larger percentage gains when you begin with smaller numbers. 

The S&P 500 was at just 850 when Obama's term began, 2,270 for Trump and 3,816 for Biden. 

But it's not entirely about the law of small numbers, as evidenced by the start of George W. Bush's presidency, when the S&P 500 was 65% smaller than during the start of Biden's.

Be smart: Stock market performance is not necessarily reflective of economic health, for better or for worse. 

Biden stock market gets Trumped

U.S. stocks performed worse during the first year of Biden's presidency than during the first year of Trump's.

Wall Street

U.S. stocks markets performed worse during the first year of Joe Biden&#x27;s presidency than during the first year of Donald Trump&#x27;s presidency. By the numbers: The S&amp;P 500 rose 19.3% between the market close before Biden&#x27;s inauguration and yesterday&#x27;s market close, compared to a 24.1% increase for Trump during the similar period.

Data: N.Y. Times; Chart: Jared Whalen/Axios

This data visualization shows what the U.S. has been through in the past year of COVID: from the winter surge to the arrival of the vaccines — and now, sadly, back to the start of a new winter surge.

Between the lines: In a few seconds, you can see the welcome lull as many Americans got vaccinated and cases dropped off — and then their return with the Delta wave, and now the Omicron wave.

The year in COVID, visualized

From the winter surge to the arrival of the vaccines to the Delta and Omicron waves.

Coronavirus

This data visualization shows what the U.S. has been through in the past year of COVID: from the winter surge to the arrival of the vaccines — and now, sadly, back to the start of a new winter surge.Between the lines: In a few seconds, you can see the welcome lull as many Americans got vaccinated and cases dropped off — and then their return with the Delta wave, and now the Omicron wave.

The U.S. faces a range of health care flashpoints — unaffordable drugs, opioids, vaping — as we debate whether to adopt universal care. For now, the Affordable Care Act is the law of the land, but Republicans want to issue it a final death blow.

Health

Axios Vitals

As COVID-19 began to spread in the U.S. in March 2020, Trump administration officials estimated 100,000 to 200,000 Americans might die. A worst-case scenario, they said, meant between 1.6 million and 2.2 million might perish. The figures felt staggeringly high.

Two years later, the U.S. has reached 1 million deaths even as COVID has faded from the headlines.

At this grim milestone, we sought to refocus on the scale of loss suffered. Read our special report here.

1 million COVID deaths: Visualizing the scale of loss suffered in America

Remembering the lives lost to COVID-19 in America.

A collage of vignettes depicting scenes of life during the pandemic, including a person wearing a mask, washing their hands, and a gravestone.

A collage of vignettes from life during the pandemic.

As COVID-19 began to spread in the U.S. in March 2020, Trump administration officials estimated 100,000 to 200,000 Americans might die. A worst-case scenario, they said, meant between 1.6 million and 2.2 million might perish. The figures felt staggeringly high.<ul><li>Two years later, the U.S. has reached 1 million deaths even as COVID has faded from the headlines.</li></ul>At this grim milestone, we sought to refocus on the scale of loss suffered. <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Read our special report here" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/one-million-us-covid-19-deaths/" data-vars-content-id="e536bd95-d702-4672-aabe-d655645eaafc" data-vars-headline="1 million COVID deaths: Visualizing the scale of loss suffered in America" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/one-million-us-covid-19-deaths/" target="_self">Read our special report here</a>.

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Jared Whalen

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1 million COVID deaths: Visualizing the scale of loss suffered in America

Mapped: America's COVID shuffle

Biden stock market gets Trumped

The new normal: Google searches reveal America's COVID shopping habits

The year in COVID, visualized