Multigenerational Households Increase Across Country

Multigenerational households make up only four percent of all types; however, they grew 38 percent between 1990 and 2000, according to the U.S. Census. Real estate and building industry professionals claim that the trend has accelerated since then. "Architects, developers and others in the industry are responding with home designs and planned communities that offer features suited for the different generations. At builder trade shows this year, model homes with names like Reality House have for the first time specifically catered to multigenerational living."

Multigenerational families are most common in states like California, where the high cost of housing forces families to live together. Cultural factors play a role as well: "Multigenerational living, especially those in which grandparents care for their grandchildren, have long been common in Asian and Hispanic countries, and the arrangement is popular among immigrants from those nations."

In Seattle, a grandmother bought a two-bedroom condo downtown so she could share it with her 36-year-old daughter and 20-month-old granddaughter. The grandmother takes care of the baby part of the week while her daughter works as a teacher. She says, "I absolutely enjoy taking care of her. It's not a sacrifice."

In Dutchess County, New York, a 49-year-old woman moved her multigenerational family into a five-bedroom house in a new development designed to please more than one generation, with amenities including a general store, a pool, a gym and a meeting center.