60 MILLION US households are now multigenerational
Overburdened families are increasingly choosing to move in with their parents and grandparents so they can pool rent, mortgages and childcare.
It is now believed that around 60 million American households are ‘multigenerational’; that number has quadrupled since the 1970s, according to data compiled by Pew Research.
It’s more than a trend among twenty-somethings. Couples in their 30s and 40s are turning to moving in with their grandparents to help with the rising costs.
The demand for multi-generational housing is so high that developers are designing and marketing properties with that purpose in mind: with multiple kitchens, bathrooms, and renovated basements.
The findings come at a time when skyrocketing inflation, sitting at 6.4 percent, is pouring cold water on young people’s dreams of living independently.
Mom Hannah Cases moved in with her parents Kathy and Reggie Victor about six months ago. In the photo of her with her daughter Georgia, 18 months old.
Hannah and Daniel Cases, both full-time content creators, were paying $1,700 a month for a one-bedroom apartment but didn’t get rent after moving back in with Reggie, a retired graphic designer, and his wife Kathy, who works for architectural studios.
But it’s not all bad news: Families who have made the leap to multigenerational living insist it’s worth it.
Mother Hannah Cases, 31, moved in with her parents about six months ago, along with her 18-month-old daughter, Georgia, and her husband, Daniel Cases, 32.
“People say it takes a village to raise a child and that’s very true in our experience,” he told WhatsNew2Day.com.
‘Life was so expensive when we lived alone. And we had all the pressure of raising a child on our own.
“My husband and I have more date nights now and my parents can spend more time with us.”
The Cases, who are full-time content creators, lived in San Diego, California, where they paid $1,700 a month for a one-bedroom apartment.
Exhausted and fed up, they traded what they call “paradise” to move to Missouri with Hannah’s parents, Kathy and Reggie Victor, who are 69 and 70 years old.
“We tried to offer to pay the rent, but my parents fought with us,” she said.
‘We all contribute with the shopping and everyone helps with cooking and housework.
‘Every night we ask, ‘Who’s cooking dinner tonight?’ ‘
The family insists that “it takes a town to raise a family” as they claim multi-generational housing brought them closer together. Pictured: Kathy with her granddaughter Georgia
Median rent in the US is now $1,942, while the mortgage market is also in turmoil as it adjusts to economic uncertainty. Rates now hover just above six percent.
New parents Hannah and Daniel say living in a multigenerational household takes the pressure off parents
Grandparents Kathy and Reggie enjoy spending quality time with their granddaughter
It means that homes have never been more expensive, with American families forced to dig deep to live independently.
And the problem is compounded by the fact that the United States has one of the most expensive child care systems in the world.
On average, US families spend up to 20 percent of their family income on child care, according to the US Department of Health and Human Services Cost of Care Survey.
Additionally, moving families under one roof can also avoid the need for older caregivers as grandparents age.
HeatherAnne Norbury, 51, moved in with her mother-in-law 15 years ago, and has never looked back.
HeatherAnne and her husband Jason, 50, now live under the same roof as their mother, Sage, 74, and their two teenage children, Jasper, 19, and Risa, 15.
The setup works so well that neither of them have any intention of moving to college.
“We’re a retro multigenerational household because we’ve been doing it for a long time,” says HeatherAnne, a life coach.
“But it feels especially important now with the cost of everything going up.
‘Absolutely everything is so expensive. It only makes sense that they all live under one roof.
‘It means we only have to buy one set of dishes and one set of furniture. Why spend all that extra money? It makes sense.’
The Norburys have been living in a multi-generational household for 15 years. The family is pictured when the children were younger.
(From left to right): HeatherAnne, Sage, Jason, Risa and Jasper
The family photographed several years ago. HeatherAnne describes the unit as a ‘retro multi-generational home’
The matriarch insists that the setup suits everyone, with the family sitting down to dinner every night as a unit.
Sage lives in a converted basement that doubles as her own apartment.
And the family has discussed how they can reorganize the property as she grows.
Meanwhile, Jasper attends a nearby community college and lives at home while doing so. Risa intends to do the same.
HeatherAnne said: “Recently, a friend of my daughter’s asked her, ‘What’s it like living with your grandmother?’ and she simply said, ‘What’s it like not living with your grandmother?’ That’s all she’s ever known.