Fewer than half of U.S. households in 2025 consisted of married couples, according to new estimates released by the U.S. Census Bureau. The data, part of the America’s Families and Living Arrangements tables, show a significant decline from 1975, when nearly two-thirds (66%) of households were married couples.
The share of married-couple households with their own children has also dropped over the past fifty years. In 1975, more than half (54%) of these households included their own children under age 18; by 2025, that figure had decreased to about 37%.
Single-person households have increased notably. In 2025, there were 39.7 million one-person households, making up 29% of all households compared to just 20% in 1975.
Other findings include an increase in older householders: those aged 65 and older made up more than one-quarter of householders in 2025, up from one in five in 1975. The percentage of families with their own children under age 18 declined from 54% in 1975 to 39% in 2025.
The median age at first marriage rose as well, reaching an estimated 30.8 for men and 28.4 for women in 2025—up from ages 23.5 and 21.1 respectively in 1975.
Living arrangements among young adults also shifted: “In 2025, more than half (58%) of adults ages 18 to 24 lived in their parental home, compared to 16% of adults ages 25 to 34.”
These statistics are based on the Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement (CPS ASEC) for the years 2025 and earlier. CPS ASEC has been collecting information on families for over sixty years.
The data provide insight into household characteristics, living arrangements, couple types, and children. Definitions and further details about confidentiality protection, methodology, and potential errors can be found within the technical documentation available at https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/cps/techdocs/cpsmar25.pdf.
According to the Census Bureau: “All comparative statements have undergone statistical testing, and unless otherwise noted, all comparisons are statistically significant at the ten percent significance level.”
For additional data on families and living arrangements visit Families and Living Arrangements at census.gov.