The media is spinning its usual doomerism with headlines like this:
But historically, multi-generational living was common. Further, how it is defined matters – it can mean sharing a home, or shared property (multiple homes on a farm), or elders and adult children living in the same neighborhood, or even the same city.
My Mom’s mother, who passed away at age 93, lived in house next door to my Mom’s sister.
My Dad’s parents shared a home with my Dad’s sister.
An elderly friend of mine (since passed away) lived in a home on the same street as one of his sons, who checked in on them each day.
My wife’s Mom, moved in to the home of my wife’s sister and her husband, one year ago. She has the bottom floor of a split level home and her sister and husband have the upstairs. Since it’s split level, each has a separate entrance – even separate garages.
While media coverage often frames multigenerational living as a modern phenomenon driven by rising housing costs or student debt, historical data shows it was the norm for much of American history before a mid-20th-century dip.
Liing with or near extended family was the standard economic and social arrangement, not an exception.
The data shows:
- Pre-1900 (The Norm): In the 19th century, the vast majority of elderly Americans lived with an adult child. This was driven by an agrarian economy where labor was essential, and property was often passed down to the child who stayed on the farm.
- The Decline (1900–1980): As the economy industrialized, urbanization made large households difficult, and the introduction of Social Security (1935) and Medicare (1965) gave the elderly financial independence to live alon. The post-WWII era saw the lowest point in history, with only 12% of the U.S. population living in multigenerational households by 1980
- The Resurgence (1980–Present): Since 1980, the trend has reversed. By 2016, one in five Americans (20%) lived in a multigenerational household, rising to roughly 59.7 million people by 2021 (https://www.statista.com/statistics/879101/people-living-multigenerational-households-usa/ https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2022/03/24/the-demographics-of-multigenerational-households/). In 2020, multigenerational households made up 7.2% of all family households (https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2023/06/several-generations-under-one-roof.htm).
Why It Feels “New” vs. Why It Was “Normal”
The mid-20th-century shift to separate living was an anomaly in human history, driven by unique economic prosperity and government policy.
- Proximity vs. Co-residence: The definition of multigenerational living has shifted. Historically, it often meant “same house” or “same farm.” Today, it frequently means “same neighborhood” or “same town” to maintain independence while retaining support, though co-residence is rising again due to housing costs.
- Cultural Consistency: For many immigrant communities and cultures (such as Latino, Asian, and Black families), the decline was never as steep, and the “return” is simply a continuation of cultural norms that never disappeared
Is the NAR Report “New”?
The National Association of Realtors (NAR) report highlighting that 35% of Gen X buyers live with a parent is likely measuring a specific subset of households or buyers in a specific context, which might skew higher than the national average of roughly 20% of the total population. However, the trend it describes is a continuation of the return to the historical baseline.
Multigenerational living is not new. It is a return to the historical standard that was interrupted by the unique economic and policy conditions of the mid-20th century.
The current “surge” is a correction back to how Americans lived for most of the country’s history.
