The results come from the bureau's "America's Families and Living Arrangements: 2008," conducted in February, March and April from a nationwide sample of about 100,000 addresses. The survey has been conducted annually since 1940.
Other stats: the percentage of women age 40 to 44 who were childless increased from 10% in 1976 to 20% in 2006. The median age for men at first marriage was 27.4 years. For women, the median age at first marriage was 25.6.
The percentage of adults ages 45 to 49 who were married varied by race and ethnicity. For example, among women ages 45 to 49, 79% of Asians, 69% of white non-Hispanics, 62% of Hispanics and 43% of blacks were married.
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The United States last year had about 5.5 million "stay-at-home" parents: 5.3 million mothers and 140,000 fathers, per the bureau.
It found that 85% of Asian children, 78% of white non-Hispanic children, 70% of Hispanic children and 38% of black children live with two parents.
Also, 6% of white non-Hispanic children lived in a household with a grandparent present last year, compared with 10% of Hispanic children, and 14% of both Asian and black children.--Karl Greenberg