Total Households = 105,480,101

A household includes all of the people who occupy a housing unit. People not living in households are classified as living in group quarters.

68.1% Family Households (members are related by birth, marriage or adoption)
32.8% Of Family Households had their own children under the age of 18
51.7% Of Family Households were married couple families
23.5% Of married couple families had their own children under the age of 18
12.2% Of Family Households were female householders with no husband present
7.2% Of female headed households with no husband present had children under
the age of 18
31.9% Of households were classified as non-family
25.8% Of Non-family households were single householders
9.2% Of single householders were 65 years and over
36% Of all households had individuals under 18 years old
23.4% Of all households had individuals 65 years and over
2.59 Average household size
3.14 Average family size

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There are a number of surprising facts found in the Census 2000 Profile of General Demographic Characteristics. Less than a quarter of families in this country (23.5%) are the kind that has been popularly portrayed in the media---two married parents and their school age children. Single mothers with children under the age of 18 make up 7.2% of the population. This family type is so often addressed in our popular culture that one would assume that it would be a higher percentage. Married couples make up 51.7% of the households in the country. Almost a quarter of all households (23.4%) had individuals who were 65 years and over.

Demographers are watching these kinds of trends. Our population is aging as the largest segment of the population (the Baby Boomers) moves into retirement age. As the life expectancies for both males and females increases this will have an impact on the number of people 65 and over who are living alone. Many wonder what effect the aging of the population will have on the composition of the extended family and their changing household patterns. Will the traditional family continue to represent a smaller percentage of the overall population?

Critical Thinking

Question 1: What effects do you think that advances in health care will have on the composition of the American household in the future?

Question 2: What do you think will happen in the future to the numbers of “non-family households” and the numbers of “married couple with children under 18 households”? Explain your answer.

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