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The Family: Data Presentation

Average Number of People per U. S. Household in the 20th Century

Year Ave. Size of Household Households (000) Family Households (000) Total Population (000)
1900 4.76 15,964 - 75,989
1910 4.54 20,256 - 91,962
1920 4.34 24,352 - 105,688
1930 4.11 29,905 - 122,910
1940 3.67 34,949 31,491 128,263
1950 3.37 43,554 38,838 146,777
1960 3.33 52,799 44,905 175,821
1970 3.14 63,401 51,456 199,079
1980 2.76 80,776 59,550 222,942
1990 2.63 93,347 66,090 245,503
2000 2.62 104,705 72,025 274,327
Source: Data for the chart are from four reports all published by the U.S. Bureau of the Census. Current Population Reports, Series P20-537, America s Families and Living Arrangement: March 2000. An historical compilation table entitled Households by Type: 1940 to Present, Internet release date June 29, 2001, available at http://www.census.gov/population/socdemo/hh-fam/tabHH-1.txt. Historical Statistics of the United States -Colonial Times to 1970, p. 15. Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2001, pp. 14 and 15.

Family Households with Their Own Children Under 18, 1970 to 2000 by Decade

Year Percent of Households % of Population 19 or Younger
With Own Children With Two Parents With Single Parent
1970 47 41 6 37.9
1980 40 31 9 31.8
1990 37 27 10 28.8
2000 36 25 11 28.4
Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census, All Parent Child Situations by Type, Race, and Hispanic Origin of Householder or Reference Person, 1970 to Present, Internet release date June 29, 2001, data based on the Current Population Survey. U.S. Census Bureau, America's Families and Living Arrangements 2000, a Current Population Report issued in June 2001.

Family Households with Children, 1970 to 2000, by Decade

Year % of Families w/Children
Married Couples Single Parent Households
1970 87.2 12.8
1980 78.5 21.5
1990 71.9 28.1
2000 68.7 31.3
Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census, All Parent Child Situations by Type, Race, and Hispanic Origin of Householder or Reference Person, 1970 to Present, Internet release date June 29, 2001, data based on the Current Population Survey. U.S. Census Bureau, America's Families and Living Arrangements 2000, a Current Population Report issued in June 2001.

Number of Children, Under the Age of 18, by Living Arrangement in 2000

Married Couples Households (000) Single-Parent Households (000) Single-Parent Households as % of Total
1 child family 9,682 6,539 40.3
2 child family 20,904 6,994 25.1
3 child family 12,228 3,477 22.1
4 or more children 6,868 2,332 25.3
Total Children (000) 49,682 19,342 -
Percent of Children 72.0 28.0 -
Source: U. S. Census Bureau, America s Families and Living Arrangements 2000, Current Population Report issued June 2001.

Poverty Rates -Children and Families with Children

Year Percent Below Poverty Line
All Children Under 18 Married Couple Families Female-Headed Single-Parent Families
1980 18.3 7.7 42.9
1985 20.7 8.9 45.4
1990 20.6 7.8 44.5
1995 20.8 7.5 41.5
2000 16.1 6.0 32.5
Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census, Poverty in the U.S. 2000, Current Population Reports, September 2001, accessible at http://www.census.gov/hhes/poverty/histpov/hstpov3.html.

Marriages, Divorces, and Marriage and Divorce Rates, 1900 to 2000

Year Number of Marriages Number of Divorces Marriage Rate Per 1,000 Population Divorce Rate Per 1,000 Population Prime Marriage Age Popul. As % of Total
1900 709,000 56,000 9.3 0.7 25.6
1901 742,000 61,000 9.6 0.8 -
1902 776,000 61,000 9.8 0.8 -
1903 818,000 65,000 10.1 0.8 -
1904 815,000 66,000 9.9 0.8 -
1905 842,000 68,000 10.0 0.8 -
1906 895,000 72,000 10.5 0.8 -
1907 937,000 77,000 10.8 0.9 -
1908 857,000 77,000 9.7 0.9 -
1909 897,000 80,000 9.9 0.9 -
1910 948,000 83,000 10.3 0.9 26.3
1911 955,000 89,000 10.2 1.0 -
1912 1,005,000 94,000 10.5 1.0 -
1913 1,021,000 91,000 10.5 0.9 -
1914 1,025,000 101,000 10.3 1.0 -
1915 1,008,000 104,000 10.0 1.0 -
1916 1,076,000 114,000 10.6 1.1 -
1917 1,144,000 122,000 11.1 1.2 -
1918 1,000,000 116,000 9.7 1.1 -
1919 1,150,000 142,000 11.0 1.3 -
1920 1,274,000 171,000 12.0 1.6 25.0
1921 1,164,000 160,000 10.7 1.5 -
1922 1,134,000 149,000 10.3 1.4 -

[Continued]

Marriages, Divorces, and Marriage and Divorce Rates, 1900 to 2000 [Continued]

Year Number of Marriages Number of Divorces Marriage Rate Per 1,000 Population Divorce Rate Per 1,000 Population Prime Marriage Age Popul. As % of Total
1923 1,230,000 165,000 11.0 1.5 -
1924 1,185,000 171,000 10.4 1.5 -
1925 1,188,000 175,000 10.3 1.5 -
1926 1,203,000 185,000 10.2 1.6 -
1927 1,201,000 196,000 10.1 1.6 -
1928 1,182,000 200,000 9.8 1.7 -
1929 1,233,000 206,000 10.1 1.7 -
1930 1,127,000 196,000 9.2 1.6 24.3
1931 1,061,000 188,000 8.6 1.5 -
1932 982,000 164,000 7.9 1.3 -
1933 1,098,000 165,000 8.7 1.3 -
1934 1,302,000 204,000 10.3 1.6 -
1935 1,327,000 218,000 10.4 1.7 -
1936 1,369,000 236,000 10.7 1.8 -
1937 1,451,000 249,000 11.3 1.9 -
1938 1,331,000 244,000 10.3 1.9 -
1939 1,404,000 251,000 10.7 1.9 -
1940 1,596,000 264,000 12.1 2.0 25.0
1941 1,696,000 293,000 12.7 2.2 -
1942 1,772,000 321,000 13.2 2.4 -
1943 1,577,000 359,000 11.7 2.6 -
1944 1,452,000 400,000 10.9 2.9 -
1945 1,613,000 485,000 12.2 3.5 -
1946 2,291,000 610,000 16.4 4.3 -
1947 1,992,000 483,000 13.9 3.4 -
1948 1,811,000 408,000 12.4 2.8 -
1949 1,580,000 397,000 10.6 2.7 -
1950 1,667,000 385,000 11.1 2.6 23.4
1951 1,595,000 381,000 10.4 2.5 -
1952 1,539,000 392,000 9.9 2.5 -
1953 1,546,000 390,000 9.8 2.5 -
1954 1,490,000 379,000 9.2 2.4 -
1955 1,531,000 377,000 9.3 2.3 -
1956 1,585,000 382,000 9.5 2.3 -
1957 1,518,000 381,000 8.9 2.2 -
1958 1,451,000 368,000 8.4 2.1 -
1959 1,494,000 395,000 8.5 2.2 -
1960 1,523,000 393,000 8.5 2.2 18.7
1961 1,548,000 414,000 8.5 2.3 -
1962 1,577,000 413,000 8.5 2.2 -
1963 1,654,000 428,000 8.8 2.3 -
1964 1,725,000 450,000 9.0 2.4 -

[Continued]

Marriages, Divorces, and Marriage and Divorce Rates, 1900 to 2000 [Continued]

Year Number of Marriages Number of Divorces Marriage Rate Per 1,000 Population Divorce Rate Per 1,000 Population Prime Marriage Age Popul. As % of Total
1965 1,800,000 479,000 9.3 2.5 -
1966 1,857,000 499,000 9.5 2.5 -
1967 1,927,000 523,000 9.7 2.6 -
1968 2,069,000 584,000 10.3 2.9 -
1969 2,145,000 639,000 10.6 3.2 -
1970 2,159,000 708,000 10.6 3.5 20.3
1971 2,190,000 773,000 10.6 3.7 -
1972 2,282,000 845,000 10.9 4.0 -
1973 2,284,000 915,000 10.8 4.3 -
1974 2,230,000 977,000 10.5 4.6 -
1975 2,153,000 1,036,000 10.0 4.8 -
1976 2,155,000 1,083,000 9.9 5.0 -
1977 2,178,000 1,091,000 9.9 5.0 -
1978 2,282,000 1,130,000 10.3 5.1 -
1979 2,331,000 1,181,000 10.4 5.3 -
1980 2,390,000 1,189,000 10.6 5.2 25.7
1981 2,422,000 1,213,000 10.6 5.3 -
1982 2,456,000 1,171,000 10.6 5.1 -
1983 2,446,000 1,158,000 10.5 5.0 -
1984 2,477,000 1,169,000 10.5 5.0 -
1985 2,413,000 1,190,000 10.1 5.0 -
1986 2,407,000 1,178,000 10.0 4.9 -
1987 2,403,000 1,166,000 9.9 4.8 -
1988 2,396,000 1,167,000 9.8 4.8 -
1989 2,403,000 1,157,000 9.7 4.7 -
1990 2,443,000 1,182,000 9.8 4.7 25.0
1991 2,371,000 1,187,000 9.4 4.7 -
1992 2,362,000 1,215,000 9.3 4.8 -
1993 2,334,000 1,187,000 9.0 4.6 -
1994 2,362,000 1,191,000 9.1 4.6 -
1995 2,336,000 973,000 7.6 4.1 -
1996 2,344,000 1,150,000 8.8 4.3 -
1997 2,384,000 1,163,000 8.9 4.3 -
1998 2,244,000 1,135,000 8.3 4.2 -
1999 2,251,000 1,146,369 8.3 4.2 -
2000 2,376,000 1,129,025 8.7 4.1 20.2
Source: U.S. Center for Disease Control, National Center for Health Statistics, Fast Stats A to Z Marriage, available online at http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/marriage.htm. U.S. Center for Disease Control, National Vital Statistics Report from August 22, 2001, Births, Marriages, Divorces, and Deaths: Provisional Data for January-December 2000. U.S. Center for Disease Control, National Vital Statistics Report from July 6, 1999, Births, Marriages, Divorces, and Deaths: Provisional Data for 1998. U.S. Bureau of the Census, Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2001, p.59, Table 68. U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare, Public Health Service, Vital and Health Statistics Series 21, number 24 from December 1973, Marriages, divorces, and rates: United States, 1867-1967.

Median Age of First Marriage, 1890 to 2000 by Decades

Year Median Year of Marriage % of Women in Labor Force
Men Women 20 & Older Married
1890 26.1 22.0 NA NA
1900 25.9 21.9 NA 6.0
1910 25.1 21.6 NA NA
1920 24.6 21.2 NA NA
1930 24.3 21.3 NA 12.0
1940 24.3 21.5 27.0 17.0
1950 22.8 20.3 33.3 25.0
1960 22.8 20.3 37.6 32.0
1970 23.2 20.8 43.3 NA
1980 24.7 22.0 51.3 NA
1990 26.1 23.9 58.0 NA
2000 26.8 25.1 60.9 NA
Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census, Estimated Age at First Marriage: by Sex, 1890 to Present, released online in January 1999, available at http://www.census.gov/population/socdemo/ms-la/tabms2.txt.

Cohabiting Couples, 1960 to 2000, by Decades

Year Cohabiting Couples (Number) Cohabiting Couples as % of all Married Coupes Cohabiting Couples as % of all Households
1960 439,000 1.0 0.8
1970 523,000 1.1 0.8
1980 1,589,000 3.0 2.0
1990 2,856,000 5.0 3.1
2000 5,283,000 8.7 5.0
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, America's Families and Living Arrangements 2000, Current Population Report, issued June 2001. U.S. Census Bureau. Estimated Age at First Marriage: by Sex, 1890 to Present, released online in January 1999, available online at http://www.census.gov/population/socdemo/ms-la/tabms-2.txt. Kenney, Catherine T., "Marriage Delayed or Marriage Forgone? New Cohort Forecasts of First Marriage for U.S. Women," American Sociological Review, 2001, vol.66, August, pp 506-519.

Adult Population Never Married, 1950 to 2000 by Decade

Year Percent Never Married
Black Men White Men Black Women White Women
1950 28.5 26.1 20.7 19.9
1960 32.4 24.5 21.6 18.7
1970 35.6 27.2 27.7 21.3
1980 41.1 28.1 33.6 21.0
1990 43.4 28.0 36.9 20.6
2000 44.9 29.1 42.4 22.1
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Marital Status of the Population 15 Years Old and Over by Sex and Race: 1950 to Present, Internet release date, June 29, 2001. U.S. Census Bureau, United States Census 2000, Race and Hispanic or Latino Origin by Age and Sex for the United States: 2000, available online at http://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs.html.

Gender Distribution of Whites and Blacks Aged 20 to 54, 1950 and 2000

White Males White Females Black Males Black Females
1950 49.4 50.6 47.1 52.9
2000 50.3 49.7 47.3 52.7
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, United States Census 2000, Race and Hispanic or Latino Origin by Age and Sex for the United States: 2000, available online at http://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs.html. 1950 data from Historical Statistics of the United States, U.S. Census Bureau.

Interracial Married Couples, 1960 to 2000 by Decades

Year Interracial as % of All Married Couples Black and White Couples (Number) White and Non-black Couples (Number) Black and Non-white Couples (Number)
1960 0.4 51,000 NA NA
1970 0.6 65,000 233,000 12,000
1980 1.3 167,000 450,000 34,000
1990 1.8 211,000 720,000 33,000
2000 2.6 363,000 1,051,000 50,000
Source: Data are from the U.S. Census Bureau, Race of Wife by Race of Husband: 1960, 1970, 1980, 1991 and 1992, detail table available online at http://www.census.gov/population/socdemo/race/interracttab1.txt. For figures on the year 2000, U.S. Census Bureau, America s Families and Living Arrangements 2000, Current Population Report, issued June 2001.

Children in Single Parent Households and Marital Status of Parent, 1960, 1968 to 2000

Year Children Living with One Parent (Thousands) % of Children in Single-Parent Household
Total Parent Never Married Parent Divorced Married, Spouse Absent Widowed
1960 5,829 243 1,339 2,711 1,540 9.1
1968 8,332 504 2,231 3,732 1,865 -
1969 8,509 469 2,274 3,977 1,784 -
1970 8,438 597 2,506 3,652 1,683 11.9
1971 9,478 810 2,780 4,176 1,706 -
1972 9,634 644 3,017 4,205 1,769 -
1973 10,093 916 3,376 4,007 1,785 -
1974 10,489 986 3,591 4,033 1,873 -
1975 11,243 1,198 4,032 4,238 1,777 -
1976 11,121 1,157 4,407 4,026 1,531 -
1977 11,311 1,368 4,583 3,832 1,527 -
1978 11,711 1,705 4,752 3,794 1,461 -
1979 11,529 1,607 4,752 3,792 1,377 -
1980 12,466 1,820 5,281 3,898 1,469 19.7
1981 12,619 1,919 5,526 3,836 1,339 -
1982 13,702 2,882 5,761 3,791 1,267 -
1983 14,006 3,366 5,881 3,640 1,120 -
1984 14,025 3,360 5,883 3,712 1,069 -
1985 14,635 3,756 6,030 3,750 1,101 -
1986 14,759 3,924 6,146 3,643 1,047 -
1987 15,071 4,295 6,139 3,720 916 -
1988 15,329 4,673 5,871 3,814 970 -
1989 15,493 4,791 6,030 3,687 985 -
1990 15,867 4,853 6,122 3,767 1,125 24.7
1991 16,624 5,568 6,122 4,045 890 -
1992 17,578 6,004 6,439 4,281 853 -
1993 17,872 6,258 6,637 4,214 763 -
1994 18,590 6,655 6,876 4,249 809 -
1995 18,938 6,558 7,201 4,348 830 -
1996 19,752 7,202 7,315 4,453 782 -
1997 19,799 7,553 7,204 4,347 693 -
1998 19,777 7,746 7,101 4,136 794 -
1999 19,899 7,701 7,228 4,144 826 27.8
2000 19,220 7,597 6,985 3,794 845 26.7
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Unmarried-Couple Households, by Presence of Children, 1960 to Present, Internet release date: January 7, 1999, available online at http://www.census.gov/population/socdemo/msla/tabad-2.txt. For figures on the year 2000, U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000 Supplementary Survey Profile, Table 1, available on-line at http://www.census.gov/c2ss/www/Profiles/2000/Tabular/010/01000US1.htm.

Children's Living Arrangements by Race, March 2000

Hispanics may be of any race. They are included in the other three groups as well.
Living Arrangement Percent of Children
Whites African Americans Asian/Pacific Islanders Hispanic Origin
Living with both parents 75.3 37.6 80.5 65.1
Living with mother only 17.3 49.0 14.0 25.1
Living with father only 4.3 4.2 2.5 4.4
Living with neither parent 3.1 9.2 2.9 5.4
% of children in this group 78.4 15.8 4.2 16.1
Number of children (000) 56,455.0 11,412.0 3,047.0 11,613.0
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Household Relationship and Living Arrangements of Children under 18, March 2000, available online at http://www.census.gov/population/socdemo/hh-fam/p20-537/2000/tabC2.txt.

Black Children's Living Arrangements, 1996 and 2000

Living Arrangement % of Children
1996 2000 Change
Living with both parents 33.6 37.6 4.0
Living with Mother only 53.3 49.0 -4.2
Living with Father only 4.4 4.2 -0.2
Living with neither parent 9.3 9.2 -0.1
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Household Relationship and Living Arrangements of Children under 18, March 2000, available online at http://www.census.gov/population/socdemo/hh-fam/p20-537/2000/tabC2.txt. U.S. Census Bureau, Household Relationship and Presence of Parents for Persons Under 18 Years, March 1996.

Expenditures on a Child to Age 18 by Middle-Income, Husband-Wife Families

Costs are in constant 2000 dollars.
Category Percent of Cost % Change Actual Cost $ Change
1960 2000 1960 2000
Housing 32 33 1 46,970 54,658 7,688
Food 24 18 -6 35,227 29,813 -5,414
Transportation 16 15 -1 23,485 24,845 1,360
Health Care 4 7 3 5,871 11,594 5,723
Clothes 11 6 -5 16,146 9,938 -6,208

[Continued]

Expenditures on a Child to Age 18 by Middle-Income, Husband-Wife Families [Continued]

Category Percent of Cost % Change Actual Cost $ Change
1960 2000 1960 2000
Child Care & Education 1 10 9 1,468 16,563 15,095
Miscellaneous 12 11 -1 17,614 18,219 606
Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, Exependitures on Children by Families, 2000 Annual Report, accessible at http://www/cnpp.usda.gov/cnpp/Crc/Crc2000.pdf.

Gay-Couple Households by Selected States

The table shows the 20 states with the highest number of gay-couple households. States are shown in rank order.
State Number of Gay Couple Households Gay Couple Households as % of all Households
California 92,138 0.80
New York 46,490 0.66
Texas 42,912 0.58
Florida 41,048 0.65
Illinois 22,887 0.50
Pennsylvania 21,166 0.44
Georgia 19,288 0.64
Ohio 18,937 0.43
Massachusetts 17,099 0.70
New Jersey 16,604 0.54
North Carolina 16,198 0.52
Washington 15,900 0.70
Michigan 15,368 0.41
Virginia 13,802 0.51
Arizona 12,332 0.65
Maryland 11,243 0.57
Indiana 10,219 0.44
Tennessee 10,189 0.46
Colorado 10,045 0.61
Missouri 9,428 0.43
Source: U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, Census 2000, Summary File 1 (SF 1) 100-Percent Data.
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