It’s been said that a family is what you make it, and families certainly do come in all types and varieties. Here are some facts and statistics regarding the structure of family life today.

Statistic #1:
More children are born into non-traditional family structures

In 1960, only 5% of children were born to unmarried mothers. As of 2010, this number had hit 41% and continues to steadily climb. (Mundy, 2012) When you further factor in divorce rates, this means that the overwhelming majority of kids today will spend at least a part of their childhood with a single parent or in a broken home.

Statistic #2:
Divorce & remarriage rates

Anywhere from 52% to 62% of all first marriages will end in divorce, according to the National Step-Family Resource Center. Around 75% of these divorcees will remarry, and around 65% of remarriages will involve kids from the previous marriage. In addition, around 60% of all remarriages will end in divorce. (Krantz, 2011)

Statistic #3:
Multigenerational households

Around 1 in 5 Americans ages 25 to 34 are living in multigenerational households, which is roughly double the rate of 1980. (Ford, 4-9-2012) The number of children living with a grandparent has increased 64% over the past 2 decades. Based on 2009 U.S. Census data, 7.8 million out of the 74.1 million kids in the USA (or around 10.6%) lived with at least one grandparent, up from 4.7 million in 1991. (Jayson, 6-30-2011)

Statistic #4:
U.S. Households by family type

As of 2007, the U.S. households by type were as follows:

1. Married couples with no kids at home: 31.4 million

2. Married couples with kids under age 18: 24.2 million

3. Unmarried with kids under 18: 11 million

4. Unmarried, no children: 8 million

5. Non-family households (person living alone or with unrelated people) :37 million (Gibbs, 2007)

Statistic #5:
Step-relatives

More than 40% of American adults have at least one step-relative, such as a son or daughter form a spouse’s previous marriage or relationship. (Krants, 2011)

Statistic #6:
Out of wedlock births by race, demographic

The number of children born out of wedlock can vary by demographic. Around 80% of first children born to black women are born outside of marriage; 18% of these to cohabiting parents. Among Hispanics, 53% of firstborns entered the world outside of marriage, 30% to cohabiting parents. Among whites, the rate of firstborns outside marriage was 34%, with 20% of these to cohabiters. Asians had the lowest rate of out-of-wedlock first births at 13%, with 7% of these to cohabiting women. (N=12,279; face-to-face interviews) The study also found that the average age when their first child was born was 23 for women, 25 for men. (Jayson, 4-12-2012)