Taking Aim at the Nation’s ‘Fullest’ Houses

A report by Lombardo Homes has found that the number of families in America has been on the decline for 20 years, and in the last decade alone, the number of households where parents live with children under the age of 18 has declined by more than three million. Now approximately a year into the pandemic, has that trend shifted? Are people less likely to grow their families due to COVID-19, which, in turn, impacts population growth and the need for larger, sustainable living spaces.

Of the 800 polled by Lombardo Homes–both parents and non-parents alike–on the whole, a majority of people’s family planning has not been impacted by the pandemic. Of those polled 27% of parents said they would likely have fewer children due to the pandemic, while 36% of non-parents said they were less enthused about having children due to the pandemic. Forty-five percent of current couples without children said the pandemic will likely delay them starting a family. That could mean only a matter of months, but it’s a significant number that may continue to push the trend of fewer families in America over the coming years. A larger share of 58% of parents stated that the pandemic disrupted their savings plan for their children.

The West Coast was found to have more people per household than any other region of the country. Five of the top 10 cities with the fullest houses were found in California alone, and just six of the top 20 cities are east of the Mississippi River. Regionally, the “fullest houses” in America by city, defined as an average household with two-plus people were as follows:

• Fresno, California with an average of 3.57 residents
• Los Angeles with an average of 3.41 residents
• Las Vegas with an average of 3.33 residents
• Houston with an average of 3.30 residents
• San Jose with an average of 3.29 residents
• El Paso, Texas with an average of 3.29 residents
• Phoenix with an average of 3.28 residents
• Dallas with an average of 3.28 residents
• San Diego with an average of 3.18 residents

Also examined were the cities having the highest percentage of families, and while large urban environments aren’t generally family-friendly, the top 10 households with children under the age of 18 included:

• Fresno, California at 35.8%
• Houston at 33.8%
• El Paso, Texas at 32.6%
• Dallas at 32.5%
• San Jose at 30.8%
• Omaha, Nebraska at 29.9%
• Colorado Springs, Colorado at 29.4%
• Atlanta at 29.3%
• Austin, Texas at 29.3%
• San Antonio, Texas at 29.2%

Click here for more information on Lombardo Home’s findings.