Census 2010 and the Changing American Family

We’re constantly reminded that the American family is undergoing change. But what do the statistics say? With the release of data from the 2010 census, it is clear that milestones have been reached. For the first time in our history, married couples make up less than half of all households. And the traditional nuclear, or two-parent, family—that is, a married couple with one or more children—now represents just a fifth of all families (down from 43 percent in 1950). Historically, the pace of such changes was greater in the 1970s and 1980s, but trends established during those decades have continued. The Census Bureau has almost finished releasing its full state-by-state tabulations of family size and composition; household type; relationship and age of occupants; and details about group-living situations, such as dormitories and barracks.

From a level in 1950 of only 22 percent, households with a non-nuclear form of family structure are now the majority. Such nontraditional households include those headed by women without husbands, which have increased by 18 percent in the 2000s. Households made up of occupants who are not related, such as unmarried couples, rose by 16 percent over the same decade. The fact that Americans are living longer has contributed to increases in the number of elderly persons living alone as well as of families composed of three or more generations living under the same roof. The growth of multigenerational households is also the result of more grandparents caring for grandchildren and a larger number of persons over age 18 living with their parents.

According to some observers, changes to the family such as reduced rates of marriage are caused, in part, by economic factors like employment instability. And this “retreat from marriage” typically has negative effects on children. Although the overwhelming majority of Americans do eventually marry, a decrease in the number of married couples living together means reduced security for children, both economically and emotionally.

Image credit: © Sean Justice/Taxi/Getty Images

Related Links

• Census 2010 News Stories: The Changing Family
  Examine in-depth the results of the Census as it reflects changes in the American family.
  (Source: Pew Research Center, June 23, 2011)
• Married Couples Are No Longer a Majority, Census Finds
  Explore key findings concerning American households and families.
  (Source: New York Times, May 26, 2011)
• More Than a Century of Tracking Our Children
  Read about the place of children in the context of census statistics, from “Random Samplings,” the official blog of the U.S. Census Bureau.
  (Source: U.S. Census Bureau, June 29, 2011)
• Projections of the Number of Households and Families in the United States: 1995 to 2010
  Check out past predictions by the Census Bureau (issued in April 1996) concerning U.S. families and households. Compare the new findings to see how accurate the Bureau was in projected trends.
  (Source: U.S. Census Bureau; accessed August 1, 2011) 
• U.S. Census Bureau: State & County QuickFacts
  Refer here for basic 2010 population data, as well as 2005–2009 data useful for comparing to the newly released information.
  (Source: U.S. Census Bureau; accessed August 1, 2011)