Family dynamics changing, according to latest Census

By Starla Muhammad -Staff Writer- | Last updated: May 14, 2012 - 11:21:26 AM

Photos: sxc.hu

(FinalCall.com) - A new decade brought about shifts in several family dynamics according to recently released findings from the U.S. Census Bureau. Non-family households, interracial/interethnic married couples, multigenerational and unmarried partner households all saw increases in numbers reported the 2010 Households and Families brief released April 25.

The U.S. population grew by 9.7 percent from 281.4 million in 2000 to 308.7 million in 2010. The number of households grew as well, from 105.5 million to 116.7 million during the same time period. Types of households increased coinciding with the growing population.

The U.S. Census defines a household as including each person that occupies a housing unit. One person per household unit is called the “householder” and is normally the person that owns or rents the dwelling.

Family households rose by eight percent to 77.5 million but this jump was only half the percentage increase of nonfamily households which grew 16 percent from 33.6 million to 39.2 million.

A family is considered the householder and one or more of the other persons living in the household related by birth, marriage or adoption to the householder.

Persons not related to the householder can also be considered part of the household.

Nonfamily households are unrelated people living in the same household as is the case with roommates, unmarried partners or a person living alone.

The traditional husband-wife household still made up the majority, numbering 56.5 million, or 48 percent of all households in 2010. However it is the first time that number has fallen below 50 percent.

There were 15.3 million female headed households meaning no spouse was present and 5.7 million male headed households with no spouse, both an increase over the last 10 years.

According to the report, 29 percent of all Black or African-American alone households were husband-wife households compared to 65 percent for non-Hispanic Whites. Thirty percent of Black or African American alone households were female headed households, a rate three times more than that of White and Asian households. Same-sex unmarried partner households showed a slight increase from 358,000 to 646,000 making up only 0.6 percent of all households.

Interracial and interethnic married couples grew significantly as well, by 28 percent from four million to 5.3 million the most common union being White non-Hispanics with Hispanics (of any race) and White non-Hispanics with Asian non-Hispanics.

Multigenerational families made up of three or more generations of relatives grew as well, from 3.9 million to 5.1 million with Hawaii having the highest percentage with 8.8 percent of households being multigenerational.

Western and Southern states typically were higher in their numbers of multigenerational households including California (6.7 percent), Texas (5.8 percent), Georgia and Nevada (both 5.1 percent).

“Multigenerational households may be more likely to reside in areas where new immigrants live with their relatives, in areas where housing shortages or high costs force families to double up their living arrangements, or in areas that have relatively high percentages of children born to unmarried mothers and where unmarried mothers live with their children in their parents homes,” noted the census report.

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