The U.S. Census Bureau recently visited population data of the living arrangements of adults over the last half of the century. While one can infer that more adults today are living alone today than they were in the 1970s, the statistics found bring to surface the changing aspects of adult living arrangements. In 1970, the percentage of adults living with a spouse was a high 69.4%. Today, this number is at a low 51.7%. If this pattern continues, one can expect this number to keep dropping, and in a few years, dip below the 50% line. But why is this so? Experts state that married couples are choosing to buy a home before they get married, an unspoken rule that many people used to abide by years ago. Furthermore, there has been a shift in American culture that is providing the message that it's not just okay to live with a partner before marriage, but it's nationwide accepted. With the percentage of adults who live alone also increasing, it will be interesting to track if this number keeps augmenting in the future. See the data below for more statistics:
1970:
Adults Who Live with a Spouse - 69.4 percent
Adults Who Live Alone - 8.6 percent
Adults Who Live with Other Relatives - 9.3 percent
Adults Who Live in the Parental Home - 10.8 percent
Adults Who Live with a Partner* - 0.5 percent
Adults Who Live with Non-Relatives - 1.4 percent
2014:
Adults Who Live with a Spouse - 51.7 percent
Adults Who Live Alone - 14.3 percent
Adults Who Live with Other Relatives - 12.2 percent
Adults Who Live in the Parental Home - 11.0 percent
Adults Who Live with a Partner* - 7.3 percent
Adults Who Live with Non-Relatives - 3.6 percent