After 50 years of decline, household size is growing

[phantom power]

A half-century slide in the number of people living under one roof has ended and has even reversed in some places, according to 2010 Census data released today.

...

A family that lost its home to foreclosure may either rent or live with friends or relatives.

"The economy played a large role," says Zhenchao Qian, sociology professor at Ohio State University who is doing research for the US 2010 Census Project, which studies trends in American society.

That's why an increasing number of young adults are living with their parents — including "boomerang kids" who return after college. The percentage of young adults ages 19 to 29 who are living with their parents rose from 25% in 1980 to 34% in the late 2000s, Qian's research shows.

"Young adults have poor job prospects when the economy is bad," he says.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/census/2011-05-04-Census-Households-Demographics_n.htm?csp=34news

[Hell Hath No Fury]

1. Here in SF --

where rents are too high we have houses filled with roommates, sometimes taking up the bedroosm plus living and dining rooms. :( I had a friend who slept in a laundry room on a loft bed above the w/d because it was all she could afford.

[phantom power]

2. I have mixed feelings about this trend.

The concept of a single person or nuclear family per dwelling is pretty new, and arguably unsustainable (and has had plenty of exceptions even at its peak). I've been expecting this trend to reverse for a while now, and I don't think it will be all bad.

Still, it's upsetting to think about how many people are doing this out of desperation.

[rfranklin]

4. convenient when you have to wash the bed linens...

I lived in a walk in closet during my teenage years. I thought it was cool!

[CoffeeCat]

3. This is very telling...

At first, I thought this meant that people were having more children, thus increasing family size.

Not true.

Oh boy. More people are living under the same roof because the economy is so terrible. I know so many
parents with adult kids in their 20's, who live at home. The economy is terrible and the jobs they're
getting don't pay enough to allow them to be independent.

I'm can only imagine how college students and very-recent college grads are coping in college towns.
I bet people are violating rent agreements and taking up more roommates in order to make the rent more
affordable for everyone--while they're in college or recently graduated and looking for a job.

The trends are certainly not showing economic growth--despite the sparkly statistics that the govt
issues.

[kestrel91316]

5. I am all for this trend, but on the downside, when 4 people pile into

a two-BR apartment that only has 1 or 2 parking spaces and the occupants all have cars, it makes for serious problems trying to find anyplace to park here in Los Angeles.

I use my otherwise empty assigned space as guest parking, and it frequently has unknown vehicles in it in spite of the sign I posted saying to stay the hell out if you don't have permission to use the space. And street parking is ALWAYS completely full, 24/7.

Situation is getting horrible.