US Household Types, 1970-2012 [CHART]

Chart - US Household Types

Marketers often look at household groups, whether they be TV households or high-income households. But what does the typical American household look like? A new study [PDF] from the Census Bureau analyzing a couple of its broader population surveys shows that the constitution of the American household has evolved considerably in the past 4 decades or so, such that there really is no typical household type anymore. For example, as of last year, so-called “nuclear families” accounted for just 19.6% of US households, down from 40.3% in 1970.

While the percentage of households made up of married couples with children has seen a marked decline, other household types have grown more common. Men living alone now represent 12.3% of all households, up from 8.6% in 1980 and just 5.6% in 1970. Additionally, women living alone account for 15.2% of all households, up from 11.5% in 1970. Read the rest at MarketingCharts.