Unit 1 Housing—Human Factors and Infl uences
18
Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.
• Parenting stage. During this stage, the children
are in school. This stage includes the years of
caring for school-age children and teens.
• Launching stage. Children become adults and
leave their parents’ homes during this time. They
may leave to go to college, take a job, or
get married.
• Midyears stage. During this time span, the
children leave home and the parents retire.
When all the children leave home, the couple is
again alone.
• Aging stage. This stage begins with retirement.
Usually, at some point in this stage, one spouse
lives alone after the death of the other. As people
live longer, the length of this stage increases.
In some cases, the family fi ts the description
of two life-cycle stages. For example, when a family
has both a preschool child and a school-age child,
Sociocultural Connections
The Changing American Household
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the composition of U.S. households changed between 1970 and
2012. The most significant changes include
• Reduction of family households. Family households—two or more members related by birth,
marriage, or adoption—accounted for about 66 percent of households instead of 81 percent.
• Reduction of married-couple households. The share of married-couple-with-children households
decreased from 40 percent to 20 percent of households. Additionally, in 1970 married couples with
children outnumbered married couples without children. By 2012, the reverse was true.
• Increase in nonfamily households. The proportion of nonfamily households—mostly people who live
alone—increased 10 percentage points between 1970 and 2012.
The Census Bureau cites many reasons for these changes. For example, the roles of men and women have
changed. More women are working and living on their own. People are marrying and having children later or not
at all. Also, people are living longer due to technological innovations. The baby-boom generation—those born
between 1946 and 1964, who make up more than 25 percent of the adult population—is moving into retirement.
Changes in the composition of U.S. households bring changes in the housing market. For example, after
their children grow up and leave home, many baby boomers choose to downsize into smaller dwellings. Older
adults generally prefer single-level homes or buildings with elevators since climbing stairs can be difficult.
Dig Deeper
Use online or print resources to investigate ways that households have changed in your community
in the last 25 years. How have these changes influenced the type of housing available in your community?
Discuss your findings with the class.
40.3
1970 1980 1990 2000 2009
30.9
26.3 24.1 24.1
21.5
Married couples with children
Households by Type: 1970 to 2012
(percent distribution)
Married couples without children
Other family households
Other nonfamily households
Men living alone
Women living alone
29
16.8
11.7
15.3
28.7
16
10.7
14.8
5.7 5.7
4.6
3.6
1.7
29.8
14.8
9.7
14.9
29.9
12.9
8.6
14
30.3
10.6
11.5
5.6
2012
19.6
29.1
17.8
12.3
15.2
6.1
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, Annual Social and Economic Supplements, selected years 1970 to 2012.