10/4/13
In 2012, married couples with children made up just 20% of all U.S. households, half their proportion in 1970 (40%), according to newly released data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Two-thirds of households in 2012 (66%) were family households-defined as including at least one other family member related to the householder by birth, marriage, or adoption-down from 81% in 1970.
Single-person households increased from 17% of all households in 1970 to 27% in 2012. The average household size decreased during this time from 3.1 people to 2.6 people. Households made up of one or two people made up 61% of all households in 2012, up from 46% in 1970. At the same time, the share of households including five people or more decreased from 21% to 10%.
Men under age 65 made up more than a third (34%) of all one-person households in 2012, up from 23% in 1970. Women under age 35 are more likely than men in this age group to be living with a spouse (33% vs. 26%). Men under 35 are more likely than women under 35 to be living with their own child(ren) (34% vs. 27%).
Among adults ages 65 and older, the pattern is reversed: Men (72%) are more likely than women (45%) to be living with a spouse.
Almost three in 10 U.S. children (28%) lived in single-parent households in 2012. About 3% lived with one parent and a cohabiting partner. Among black children, the majority lived in single-parent households.
Among same-sex couple households, female couples were twice as likely as male couples to have their own children under 18 living at home (22% vs. 11%). Equal proportions of married (40%) and unmarried (41%) opposite-sex couples had children under 18 at home. However, among opposite-sex couples with children in the household, married couples are much more likely than unmarried ones to have only children who are biological offspring of both partners living with them (87% vs. 51%).
Multigenerational Households
Multigenerational households made up 5% of all households in 2012. The most common multigenerational household arrangement includes a householder living with both a child and a grandchild (64% of all multigenerational households). Hispanic, black, and Asian households are more likely than non-Hispanic white households to be multigenerational. Some 8% of Hispanic and black households, respectively, are multigenerational, as are 6% of Asian households. Only 3% of non-Hispanic white households are multigenerational. Asian (60%) and Hispanic (53%) multigenerational households are more likely than black (38%) and non-Hispanic white (29%) households to contain children under age 18.
SOURCE: “America’s Families and Living Arrangements: 2012,” August 2013, U.S. Census Bureau, Public Information Office, 4600 Silver Hill Rd., Washington, DC 20233; 301-763-4636; pio@census.gov; www.census.gov.
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