Grandchildren Living in Grandparent-Headed Households, 2019

Family Profile No. 7, 2021
Author: Lisa Carlson

The share of children living in grandparent-headed households has increased since the 1970s, adding to the growing diversity in children’s living arrangements (FP-18-01). Using the American Community Survey, this family profile charts grandchildren residing in grandparent-headed households from the child’s perspective, focusing on both multigenerational grandparent-headed households (parent present) and skipped-generation grandparent-headed households (no parent present). The profile further examines variation in types of grandparent-headed households by minor children’s age, household economic disadvantage, and race/ethnicity. This profile is an update of FP-18-01.

Trend in the Proportion of Children Living in a Grandparent’s Household and Presence of Parent  

Children Living in a Grandparent’s Household by Presence of Parent and Age of Child

• Regardless of age, the majority of minor children who lived in grandparent-headed households also had a parent present in the household (multigenerational).
• The share of minor children who lived in skipped-generation households increased with children’s age and was highest among those aged 13 to 17.
• The percentage of minor children aged 13 to 17 who lived in skipped-generation households was more than double the share of minor children aged 6 and under (39% compared to 17%).

Figure 3. Children Living in Grandparent-Headed Households by Presence of Parent and Age of Child, 2019

Economic Disadvantage Among Children Living in a Grandparent’s Household by Presence of Parent

• Among all children living in grandparent-headed households, the proportion living in skipped-generation households varied by income level, with higher levels at lower incomes.
  • Among children living in grandparent-headed households below the poverty line, about half resided in multigenerational households (55%) and half in skipped-generation households (45%).

Figure 4. Economic Disadvantage Among Children Living in Grandparent-Headed Households by Presence of Parent, 2019

Variation by Race/Ethnicity

• Among minor children residing in grandparent-headed households in 2019, the proportion living in multigenerational households (parent present) was higher than in skipped-generation households across all racial/ethnic groups.
• There was some variation in the proportions of the two types of grandparent-headed households across race/ethnicity.
  • The shares living in multigenerational households were larger for Hispanic and Asian children (83% and 87%, respectively) than for children of all other racial/ethnic groups.
  • The percentage of children in skipped-generation households was largest among Black children (31%), followed by white children (28%), and children of other racial/ethnic groups (27%).
    

Figure 5. Children Living in Grandparent-Headed Households by Presence of Parent and Race/Ethnicity of Child, 2019

Data Source

• Ruggles, S. Flood, S., Goeken, R. Grover, J., Meyer, E. Pacas, J. & Sobek, M. (2020). IPUMS USA: Version 10.0 [dataset]. Minneapolis, MN: IPUMS.
  

Reference

• Wu, H. (2019). Grandchildren living in a grandparent-headed household. Family Profiles, FP-18-01. Bowling Green, OH: National Center for Family & Marriage Research. https://doi.org/10.25035/ncfmr/fp-18-01

Suggested Citation

• Carlson, L. (2021). Grandchildren living in grandparent-headed households, 2019. Family Profiles, FP-21-07. Bowling Green, OH: National Center for Family & Marriage Research. https://doi.org/10.25035/ncfmr/fp-21-07