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Beyond the Nuclear Family: Trends in Children Living in Shared Households

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  • Natasha V. Pilkauskas

    (Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy)

  • Christina Cross

    (Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy)

Abstract

Using data from the 1996–2008 panels of the Survey of Income and Program Participation and the 2009–2016 American Community Survey, we examine trends in U.S. children living in shared households (living with adults beyond their nuclear (parent/parent’s partner/sibling) family). We find that although the share of children who lived in a shared household increased over this period, the rise was nearly entirely driven by an increase in three-generation/multigenerational households (coresident grandparent(s), parent(s), and child). In 1996, 5.7 % of children lived in a three-generation household; by 2016, 9.8 % did likewise—more than a 4 percentage point increase. More economically advantaged groups (older, more educated mothers, married households) experienced the largest percentage increase in three-generation coresidence, although correlates of coresidence remained largely stable. Decomposition analyses suggest that the rise in Social Security receipt and changes in parental relationship status (less marriage, more single parenthood) most strongly explained the increase in three-generation households. Given the dramatic rise in three-generation households, more research is needed to understand the consequences of these living arrangements for children, their parents, and their grandparents.

Suggested Citation

  • Natasha V. Pilkauskas & Christina Cross, 2018. "Beyond the Nuclear Family: Trends in Children Living in Shared Households," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 55(6), pages 2283-2297, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:demogr:v:55:y:2018:i:6:d:10.1007_s13524-018-0719-y
    DOI: 10.1007/s13524-018-0719-y
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    Cited by:

    1. Susan Harkness, 2022. "Single Mothers’ Income in Twelve Rich Nations: Differences in Disadvantage across the Distribution," LIS Working papers 835, LIS Cross-National Data Center in Luxembourg.
    2. Natasha V. Pilkauskas & Mariana Amorim & Rachel E. Dunifon, 2020. "Historical Trends in Children Living in Multigenerational Households in the United States: 1870–2018," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 57(6), pages 2269-2296, December.
    3. Harkness, Susan, 2022. "Single mothers’ income in twelve rich nations: differences in disadvantage across the distribution," ISER Working Paper Series 2022-06, Institute for Social and Economic Research.
    4. R. Kelly Raley & Inbar Weiss & Robert Reynolds & Shannon E. Cavanagh, 2019. "Estimating Children’s Household Instability Between Birth and Age 18 Using Longitudinal Household Roster Data," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 56(5), pages 1957-1973, October.
    5. Susan Harkness, 2022. "Single Mothers’ Income in Twelve Rich Countries: Differences in Disadvantage across the Distribution," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 702(1), pages 164-187, July.
    6. Natasha Pilkauskas & Katherine Michelmore, 2019. "The Effect of the Earned Income Tax Credit on Housing and Living Arrangements," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 56(4), pages 1303-1326, August.
    7. Peter D. Brandon & Danielle George-Lucas & Oleg Ivashchenko, 2022. "How architectural principles can help conceptualize and analyze breakups among intergenerational households," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 9(1), pages 1-10, December.
    8. Guarin, Angela, 2021. "Three-generation households in the U.S.: The first exit after a child’s birth," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 121(C).
    9. Jan E. Mutchler & Nidya Velasco Roldán, 2023. "Economic Resources Shaping Grandparent Responsibility Within Three-Generation Households," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 44(2), pages 461-472, June.
    10. Pasqualini, Marta & di Gessa, Giorgio & Tomassini, Cecilia, 2021. "A Change is (not) Gonna Come: A twenty-year overview of Italian grandparents-grandchildren exchanges," SocArXiv 8wgux, Center for Open Science.
    11. Sophie Moullin & Susan Harkness, 2021. "The Single Motherhood Penalty as a Gender Penalty," LIS Working papers 817, LIS Cross-National Data Center in Luxembourg.
    12. Jingying He & Jia Wang, 2021. "When Does It Matter? The Effect of Three-generational Household Arrangement on Children’s Well-Being across Developmental Stages," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 14(6), pages 2471-2493, December.
    13. Guarin, Angela & Costanzo, Molly, 2020. "Noncustodial fathers’ financial contributions to children in three-generation households," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 119(C).
    14. Higuera, Kimberly & Jiménez, Tomás R., 2023. "Mechanism mapping: A qualitative study of how different forms of instability mediate the relationship between legal status and immigrant mental well-being," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 329(C).
    15. Kwon, Sarah Jiyoon, 2023. "Grandparents and Parental Labor Supply during COVID-19 Pandemic," OSF Preprints jxyvn, Center for Open Science.
    16. Haenim Lee, 2023. "Determinants of Living in a Three-Generation Household among Adolescents of Ethnic Groups in the U.S.: Family Structure, Social–Economic Status, and Cultural Factors," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(13), pages 1-10, July.
    17. Hope Harvey, 2020. "Cumulative Effects of Doubling Up in Childhood on Young Adult Outcomes," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 57(2), pages 501-528, April.

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