Multigenerational Households Increase in U.S. as Living Costs Rise

Families in the United States are increasingly living in multigenerational households that include grandparents, parents, and grandchildren under one roof. Business Insider reported that this arrangement helps families reduce housing and childcare expenses while providing companionship for older relatives.

Inflation has raised the cost of groceries, gas, and electricity. Wages have not kept pace with increases in housing and childcare expenses. One family in Toledo, Ohio, now houses 13 relatives ranging in age from 3 to 69. They share a $700 monthly rent and divide caregiving duties among the adults.

June Boyd, the 90-year-old matriarch, stated that the arrangement reduces living costs with no downsides.

The nuclear-family model shown in 1980s television programs no longer describes many households. Families cite high home prices and the need for elder care as reasons for pooling resources. Business Insider noted that multigenerational living has long been common in many cultures outside the United States.

The outlet presented several reader accounts of parents moving in with adult children or grandparents sharing homes to manage expenses.