Poll: Including Yourself, What Is The Size Of Your Current Household?
A recent story on CBS News caught my attention:
“I would argue that the rise of living alone represents the greatest social change of the last 60 years that we have failed to name or identify,” said NYU sociologist Eric Klinenberg. “This is a transformation that has touched all of us, whether we live alone or it’s just someone in our family or friendship circle who does.”
Klinenberg has spent years tracking the seismic spike in “solo dwelling.” He says today there are about 32.7 million Americans living alone. Clearly, if you live alone, you’re NOT alone.
“It’s an incredible number, and it’s a massive increase over where we were in 1950 when it was just four million Americans,” Klinenberg said.
One is no longer the loneliest number. Roughly four out of ten households are single-person homes, in cities like Seattle (42 percent), San Francisco (39.7 percent), Denver (40.4 percent), and Cleveland (39.9 percent). (CBS News — Live alone? You’re not alone)
I’ve lived alone for 21 of the last 24+ years. I have zero desire to live with a significant other or ever have a roommate again. I know others who feel the same way but I know just as many who enjoy living with others.
In 2000, 1-in-4 households consisted of one person living alone, a significant increase over the 7.7 percent in 1940. This type of household increased each decade over the 60-year period from 1940 to 2000 (see graph).
In recent decades, renters have been much more likely than owners to live alone. However this was not the case back in 1940, when one-person occupancy rates for owners and renters were not much different. The one-person occupancy rate for renters climbed rapidly from 1940 (8 percent) to 1980 (36 percent). The greatest disparities between renters and owners occurred between 1960 and 1980, when renters were more than twice as likely as owners to live alone. There was a small drop in the rate of renters living alone between 1980 and 1990, but it rebounded with an increase in 2000. (US Census)
Data source: US Census, click chart to view.
Where does St. Louis rank?
Here’s the full rundown:
- Atlanta: 44.0%
- Washington: 44.0%
- Cincinnati: 43.4%
- Alexandria: 43.4%
- St. Louis: 42.6%
- Pittsburgh: 41.7%
- Arlington: 41.3%
- Seattle: 41.3%
- Cambridge:40.7%
- Denver: 40.6%
(Source: Business Insider)
But the CBS News story at the top that said; “And then there’s Manhattan, an urban island where almost HALF of all households are made up of just one person – where millions of people seek safe harbor tonight in an empty apartment.” I’m not going to resolve the conflict now. Instead, the poll this week asks the size of your household (upper right sidebar). Meanwhile I’ll keep looking for answers, I’ll share what I find when I post the poll results on Wednesday September 12th.
Further reading: The Atlantic — All The Single Ladies
— Steve Patterson
I like the graph showing number of living alone but would like to see how the percentages change as well because of the increase in population. Read an article recently that said that there were a number of cities where renting was cheaper than homeownership – two of those cities are listed in the cbs story – Seattle and San Francisco. Wonder how the percentages compare for people living alone who own vs. rent to those living with other(s) who rent vs. own.
1. If 42% of St Louis households consist of one person, then mathematically speaking, a much lower percentage (no higher than 26% and probably much lower) of individuals live in households of one person. The “32.7 million Americans” number means that nationally about 10.5% of individuals live alone. So you should expect much less than 42% choosing “One” for this poll.
2. Manhattan is not a city, it is part of New York City, and the other parts of the city presumably have a lower rate than Manhattan – resolving the conflict.
3. Manhattan’s population is 1.6 million so “millions of people seek safe harbor tonight in an empty apartment” is an exaggeration.
That was my point Eric…seems my post got lost. And I certainly don’t like the “safe harbor in an empty apartment. 1) Manhattan and hundreds of other cities are not post-doomsday, they are safe, vibrant cities and 2) empty apartments? really? I doubt those living alone would say they are living in an ’empty’ apartment full of loneliness. As Steve said, one can be alone with out being alone (and empty).
You can take up #2 & #3 with CBS News.