Multigenerational households are on the rise; finances and medical care are the top reasons why

Map by Alice Feng, Axios, from U.S. Census data

More people are choosing to live in multigenerational households to cope with financial stress and medical care, reports Brianna Crane of Axios. Multigenerational housing -- defined as three or more generations under one roof -- is concentrated in certain areas but is gaining in popularity. South Dakota is home to "half of the top 10 counties with the highest share of multigenerational households. . . .North Dakota and Nebraska have some of the lowest shares."

In 2020, there were "6 million multigenerational households in the United States in 2020, up from 5.1 million in 2010, according to census data," Crane adds. While the two biggest reasons people cited for cohabitating families were financial concerns and caregiving needs, there are also mental and physical benefits to living closer to family or friends.

Chart by Baidi Wang, Axios, from Pew Research Center data

No matter the reason, multigenerational homes are predicted to keep increasing. The number of such households has "quadrupled from 1971 to 2021," reports Nathan Bomey of Axios. "Population growth among people of color is a big reason for the increase as they are more likely than white Americans to live with extended family," according to a Pew Research Center study. D’Vera Cohn, one of the report's authors, told Bomey, "This is not a phenomenon that has peaked."