New data from the U.S. Census Bureau show that married couples now make up less than half of all U.S. households, continuing a trend seen over the past five decades. According to estimates from the America’s Families and Living Arrangements tables, only 47% of households in 2025 consisted of married couples, down from 66% in 1975.
The share of married-couple households with their own children has also declined. In 1975, more than half (54%) of these households included children under age 18; by 2025, this figure dropped to about 37%.
One-person households have increased significantly, reaching 39.7 million in 2025 and accounting for 29% of all households compared to just 20% in 1975. The proportion of householders aged 65 and older rose as well, moving from one in five in 1975 to over one in four by 2025.
The percentage of families with their own children under age 18 decreased from 54% in 1975 to 39% in 2025. The median age at first marriage has risen, with men marrying at an average age of 30.8 and women at an average age of 28.4—up from ages 23.5 and 21.1 respectively in 1975.
Living arrangements among young adults have shifted too: In 2025, more than half (58%) of adults aged 18 to 24 lived with their parents, while only about one-sixth (16%) of those aged 25 to 34 did so.
“These statistics come from the Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement (CPS ASEC), years 2025 and 1975. CPS ASEC has collected statistics on families for more than 60 years.”
The Census Bureau’s release provides detailed information on household characteristics, living arrangements, couple types, and children. More details can be found on the Families and Living Arrangements section at census.gov.
Technical documentation explaining definitions, confidentiality protections, methodology, and sampling error is available through the Census Bureau’s website (https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/cps/techdocs/cpsmar25.pdf). The Source and Accuracy Statement outlines methods for calculating standard errors for these estimates.
“All comparative statements have undergone statistical testing, and, unless otherwise noted, all comparisons are statistically significant at the 10 percent significance level.”
