Multigenerational Households

Abstract

Multigenerational households have been increasing in prevalence in the United States over the past several decades. These households vary in terms of the catalysts of their formation, gender composition, race and ethnicity, social class, and even geographical location. Most multigenerational households consist of parents and adult children (and often grandchildren) or grandparent‐headed households (with or without a middle generation). Although multigenerational coresidence has always existed, widespread unemployment during the Great Recession of the 2000s pressured many families to coreside and share resources. The economic benefits of multigenerational household arrangements help unemployed people and their families in times of crisis. Further, they may have an additional benefit for Hispanics, blacks, and immigrants, whose multigenerational households tend to have higher household incomes than those among other groups.