Thursday, September 14, 2017

Household Growth Slowed to a Crawl Again in 2017

Average annual household growth in 2017 retreated to the sluggish pace recorded in the aftermath of the Great Recession, according to the Census Bureau's Current Population Survey. The estimated 126.2 million households of 2017 are just 0.3 percent more than the number in 2016—a lowly rate of growth last seen in 2009 and 2010.

Number of households (and % increase from previous year), 2008 to 2017
2017: 126,224,000 (0.3%)
2016: 125,819,000 (1.0%)
2015: 124,587,000 (0.5%)
2014: 123,931,000 (1.2%)
2013: 122,459,000 (1.1%)
2012: 121,084,000 (2.0%)
2011: 118,682,000 (1.0%)
2010: 117,538,000 (0.3%)
2009: 117,181,000 (0.3%)
2008: 116,783,000 (0.7%)

One factor behind the slow growth is the hesitancy of the Millennial generation to establish households. Since 2007, the number of households headed by 25-to-34-year-olds has increased by just 3.5 percent versus an 8.8 percent overall gain. Another factor behind the slow growth is stagnation in households headed by non-Hispanic Whites, the number falling slightly between 2016 and 2017. In contrast, the number of households headed by Asians, Blacks, and Hispanics grew by at least 1 percent.

Source: Demo Memo analysis of the 2017 Current Population Survey

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