Smaller Households Headed By Older Folks

by Jack Loechner, Dec 25, 2012, 9:10 AM

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According to new data from the US Census Bureau, analyzed by the Marketing Charts staff, the average size of the American household has diminished by about one person over the past 65 years. The average population per household now stands at 2.55, down from 3.67 in 1948. Much of that decline is attributable to the growth in one person households, which have almost quintupled in number from 1960, and now account for 27% of all households.

Household Size (Number of HH by Number of Persons in Household)
	People in HH
	All HH	One	Two	Three	Four	Five	Six	≥Seven	Avg Pers per HH
2012	121,084	33,188	40,983	19,241	16,049	7,271	2,734	1,617	2.55
Source:

Those single person households aren’t only the domain of youth... more than half of householders 75 and older live alone as of this year. That compares to less than one-quarter of householders less than 30. (households excludes group-quarters arrangements such as school dormitories, nursing homes, or military barracks.)

Households By Age of Householder
	All HH	< 25	25-29	30-34	35-44	45-54	55-64	65-74	≥75	Median age
2012	121,084	6,180	9,208	10,638	21,240	24,196	22,779	14,517	12,326	50.6
Source:

Another statistic stands out, says the report. The Census Bureau data shows that the percentage of households headed by adults aged 75 and older has grown from 6% in 1960 to 10% this year. And in the past 12 years, the share of households headed by 30-44 year-olds has fallen from a peak of 34% in 1990 to just 26% this year. The Census Bureau attributes these changes to the aging of the Baby Boomers, who control 70% of US disposable income. In fact, the percentage of households headed by adults aged 45-64 represents a plurality among age demographics, at 39%.

Additional findings from the study:

• There are now 7.8 million couples living together without being married, more than double the 2.9 million from 1996.
• Married households make up 49% of all households, down from 71% in 1970.
• The proportion of households headed by white non-Hispanic adults stands at 69% this year, down 8% from 75% in 2000.
• 52% of married couples have both husband and wife in the labor force. That’s down from 56% in 2000.
• The percentage of stay-at-home parents who are fathers has grown from 1.6% in 1994 (76,000) to 3.6% this year (189,000). Among married-couple parents with children younger than 15, the percentage with stay-at-home mothers is estimated to be 24%.
• 85% of single-race Asian children live with 2 parents (whether married or not). That proportion falls to 77% among single-race white non-Hispanic children, 66% of Hispanic children, and 38% of single-race black children.

The latest Annual Social and Economic Supplement to the Current Population Survey was conducted in February, March and April of 2012 for a nationwide sample of about 100,000 addresses.

For the detailed census data in XLS format, please visit the Census Bureau here.

 

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