Fewer than half of U.S. households in 2025 consisted of married couples, according to new estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau’s America’s Families and Living Arrangements tables. The data show a significant change compared to 1975, when nearly two-thirds of households were made up of married couples.
The report highlights that among married-couple households, the share with their own children under age 18 has declined over the past five decades. In 1975, more than half (54%) of these households included their own children; by 2025, this had dropped to about 37%.
One-person households have also increased in prevalence. 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 householders aged 65 and older: their share rose from one in five in 1975 to over one in four by 2025. The percentage of families with their own children under age 18 living at home fell from 54% to 39% during the same period.
The estimated median age at first marriage reached new highs—30.8 for men and 28.4 for women—up from ages 23.5 and 21.1 respectively in 1975.
Living arrangements for young adults have also shifted: more than half (58%) of adults ages 18 to 24 lived with their parents in 2025, while only about one-sixth (16%) of those ages 25 to 34 did so.
These statistics are based on data from the Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement (CPS ASEC) for the years 2025 and 1975. CPS ASEC has been collecting information on families for over six decades.
According to the Census Bureau, “All comparative statements have undergone statistical testing, and, unless otherwise noted, all comparisons are statistically significant at the 10 percent significance level.”
For further details on definitions, methodology, confidentiality protection or error margins related to these estimates, technical documentation is available online at census.gov.
