The Increase in Multi-Generational Family Living

If you have ever thought that it would be cool to live under the same roof with your children and your parents, now is the time to do it. There is a growing trend for multiple generations of families to all live together under the same roof. The exact reasons for the increase are unclear, but it is estimated that the sluggish economy and, perhaps, an increase in immigration has caused the increase in multi generational cohabitation.

You may be wondering what, exactly, counts as a growing trend. According to a study conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, out of 76 million family households existing in the United States today, over 4.3 million – or 5.6 percent – are multi-generational. Two years ago, in 2010, only 4 percent of all U.S. households were multigenerational. Lending credence to the idea that the economy is the root cause behind the increase in these living situations, between 2000 and 2010, the percentage of U.S. households that were multigenerational only increased 0.3 percent.

The areas with the highest concentration of these living situations were found in the southern and western areas of the country. With 11 percent of all the families living there, Hawaii had the highest percentage of multigenerational households.

The survey found the percentage of multigenerational families differed by race as follows: 13 percent of Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders, 10 percent of Hispanic and American Indian and Alaska Natives, 9 percent of African Americans and 3.7 percent of caucasian Americans.