Families and living arrangements in the United States have changed over time, just as they have developed distinct regional trends because of factors such as local labor markets and migration patterns. As a result, it is difficult to talk about a single kind of family or one predominant living arrangement in the United States. The goals of this report are to provide an updated picture of the composition of families and households and to describe trends in living arrangements in the United States. 1 The report also describes how families and households have changed in recent years, notably during the latest economic recession, which lasted from 2007–2009. 2

This report uses data from the Annual Social and Economic Supplement (ASEC) to the Current Population Survey (CPS) and the American Community Survey (ACS). 3 It capitalizes on the strengths of both data sets, using CPS detailed information about family structure and characteristics over time, along with ACS