Читать книгу My House Our House - Karen M. Bush - Страница 11

After the dust of our move settled, we started researching contemporary housing and shared living trends in the United States, and we discovered what we suburbanites somehow hadn’t noticed: demographic housing trends in the United States are changing significantly. For the current statistics and in-depth analysis, we went to Going Solo: The Extraordinary Rise and Surprising Appeal of Living Alone by Eric Klinenberg (2012), and to the 2010 U. S. Census.

Demographic trends show changing patterns of household composition. The percentage of married couples is shrinking. As of 2010, childless couples and singletons (single people living alone) comprised 56% of American households. Baby Boomers are in transition and living longer. Multiple causal factors associated with changes in household composition include new employment/work patterns, cultural shifts (most women are employed and financially independent, for one) and the impact of rising energy and transportation costs on housing choices.

The 2008 bursting housing bubble and the economic recession altered the incomes, lifestyle options and priorities of many Americans. Nonetheless, single-person households continue to be on the rise – 28% nationally, 41% in our nearby city and 33% in our own traditional “family community” – despite the financial crunch.