A recently released U.S. Census Bureau report entitled, “ America’s Families and Living Arrangements: 2012
,” provides an updated picture of the composition of families and households in the United States, describing trends in family life & living arrangements. In addition, the report focuses on the economic well-being of families with children before and after the 2007-2009 recession. Below are some findings from the report.
- Sixty-six percent of households in 2012 were family households, down from 81 percent in 1970.
- Over the last 40 years, there has been a noticeable decline in the percentage of married-couple households with children: 40 percent in 1970 vs. 20 percent in 2012.
- In households with children under 18, 67 percent were married-couple households, 26 percent were one-parent households, and 7 percent were unmarried cohabitating couples.
- As can be seen in the map below, Maine has a significantly higher percentage of households with children living in unmarried cohabitating households than the nation (11 percent vs. 7 percent).
- Children living with two married parents resided in the most economically advantaged households, compared with children living in other family arrangements.
- Between 2005 and 2011, homeownership among households with children fell by 15 percent nationally.
- During that same time period, the number of households with children under 18 that had at least one unemployed parent increased by 33 percent.