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Family Characteristics

Characteristics of Children’s Families

Last Updated: May 2024
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In 2022, some 42 percent of children lived in households in which no related adult had attained a college degree, 26 percent lived with a related female householder (no spouse present), and 8 percent lived with a related male householder (no spouse present). In 2022, some 16 percent were in families living in poverty.
Characteristics of children’s families are associated with children’s educational experiences and their academic achievement.1, 2, 3 Prior research has found that living in a household with lower parental educational attainment, living in a single-parent household, and living in poverty are associated with poor educational outcomes. For more information on the relationship between family socioeconomic status and later postsecondary and employment outcomes, see the Condition of Education 2019 Spotlight indicator Young Adult Educational and Employment Outcomes by Family Socioeconomic Status. This indicator focuses on children living with a related householder.4 These are children under the age of 18 who live in a household and are related to the householder by birth, marriage, or adoption; children married to the householder are excluded.

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All available findings Parental education Parental living arrangement/structure Race/ethnicity Socioeconomic status (SES) State/jurisdiction Time series
Figure 1. Percentage distribution of children under age 18 living with a related householder, by highest level of education attained by any related adult in the household: 2012 and 2022
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A confidence interval is a range of values that describes the uncertainty surrounding an estimate. Throughout the Condition of Education, confidence intervals are calculated as the estimate +/- the margin of error, based on a 95 percent level of confidence. This means that there is 95 percent certainty that the range includes the true or actual value of the statistic.
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1 Includes related adults who completed a high school diploma or an equivalency credential such as a GED.

2 Includes related adults who attained professional degrees.

NOTE: To estimate the margin of error, the standard error is scaled based on the desired level of confidence in the estimate. Throughout the Condition of Education, margins of error are produced based on a 95 percent level of confidence. Margin of error is calculated as 1.96*standard error. Data are based on sample surveys of the entire population residing within the United States, including the 50 states and the District of Columbia. This figure includes only children under the age of 18 who live in a household and are related to the householder by birth, marriage, or adoption. Children married to the householder are excluded. A householder is the person (or one of the people) who owns or rents (maintains) the housing unit. Related adults include adults who were related to the child and the householder or were themselves the householder. Related adults exclude adults who were related to the child but not to the householder. Educational attainment of the related householder was considered even if the householder was under age 18. Figures are plotted based on unrounded data. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding in the data labels.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS), 1-Year Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) data, 2012 and 2022. See Digest of Education Statistics 2023, table 104.70.

Educational attainment refers to the highest level of education an individual has completed. In this indicator, educational attainment is examined for adults in the household who were related to the child (collectively referred to as “related adults”).5 In 2022, some 58 percent of children under age 18 lived in households in which at least one related adult had attained a college degree (an associate’s or higher degree). Specifically,
  • 11 percent lived in households in which the highest level of education attained by any related adult was an associate’s degree;
  • 24 percent lived in households in which the highest level of education attained by any related adult was a bachelor’s degree;
  • 16 percent lived in households in which the highest level of education attained by any related adult was a master’s degree; and
  • 7 percent lived in households in which the highest level of education attained by any related adult was a doctor’s degree.6
Conversely, 42 percent of children lived in households in which no related adult had attained a college degree. Specifically,
  • 6 percent lived in households in which no related adult had completed high school;
  • 18 percent lived in households in which the highest level of education attained by any related adult was high school;7 and
  • 19 percent lived in households in which the highest level of education attained by any related adult was some college but they did not receive a degree.
[Parental education]
The percentage of children who lived in households in which at least one related adult had completed a bachelor’s or higher degree was higher in 2022 than in 2012 (47 vs. 37 percent). This was true at all degree levels from bachelor’s through doctor’s. For example, in 2022, some 24 percent of children lived in households in which the highest level of education attained by any related adult was a bachelor’s degree, compared with 21 percent in 2012. [Time series ] [Parental education]
Figure 2. Percentage distribution of children under age 18 living with a related householder, by child’s race/ethnicity and highest level of education attained by any related adult in the household: 2022
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A confidence interval is a range of values that describes the uncertainty surrounding an estimate. Throughout the Condition of Education, confidence intervals are calculated as the estimate +/- the margin of error, based on a 95 percent level of confidence. This means that there is 95 percent certainty that the range includes the true or actual value of the statistic.
Confidence Interval
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1 Consists of respondents who wrote in some other race that was not included as an option on the questionnaire.

2 Includes related adults who completed a high school diploma or an equivalency credential such as a GED.

NOTE: To estimate the margin of error, the standard error is scaled based on the desired level of confidence in the estimate. Throughout the Condition of Education, margins of error are produced based on a 95 percent level of confidence. Margin of error is calculated as 1.96*standard error. Data are based on sample surveys of the entire population residing within the United States, including the 50 states and the District of Columbia. This figure includes only children under the age of 18 who live in a household and are related to the householder by birth, marriage, or adoption. Children married to the householder are excluded. A householder is the person (or one of the people) who owns or rents (maintains) the housing unit. Related adults include adults who were related to the child and the householder or were themselves the householder. Related adults exclude adults who were related to the child but not to the householder. Educational attainment of the related householder was considered even if the householder was under age 18. Race categories exclude persons of Hispanic ethnicity. Figures are plotted based on unrounded data. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding in the data labels.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS), 1-Year Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) data, 2022. See Digest of Education Statistics 2023, table 104.70.

The highest level of education attained by any related adult varied across racial/ethnic groups in 2022. The percentage of children under age 18 who lived in households in which no related adult had completed high school was
  • highest for Hispanic children (13 percent); and
  • lowest for White children (2 percent).8
In 2022, the percentage of children who lived in households in which the highest level of education attained by any related adult was a bachelor’s or higher degree was
  • highest for Asian children (74 percent); and
  • lowest for American Indian/Alaska Native children (26 percent).
[Race/ethnicity ] [Parental education]
Figure 3. Percentage distribution of children under age 18, by child’s race/ethnicity and living arrangement: 2022
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A confidence interval is a range of values that describes the uncertainty surrounding an estimate. Throughout the Condition of Education, confidence intervals are calculated as the estimate +/- the margin of error, based on a 95 percent level of confidence. This means that there is 95 percent certainty that the range includes the true or actual value of the statistic.
Confidence Interval
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1 Consists of respondents who wrote in some other race that was not included as an option on the questionnaire.

NOTE: To estimate the margin of error, the standard error is scaled based on the desired level of confidence in the estimate. Throughout the Condition of Education, margins of error are produced based on a 95 percent level of confidence. Margin of error is calculated as 1.96*standard error. Data are based on sample surveys of the entire population residing within the United States, including the 50 states and the District of Columbia. This figure includes only children under the age of 18 who live in a household and are related to the householder by birth, marriage, or adoption. Children married to the householder are excluded. Children are classified by the marital status of their parents who are present in the household or, if no parents are present in the household, by the marital status of the householder who is related to the child. Living arrangements with only a “female householder” or “male householder” are those in which the parent or the householder who is related to the child does not have a spouse living in the household. A householder is the person (or one of the people) who owns or rents (maintains) the housing unit. Foster children, children in unrelated subfamilies, children living in group quarters, and children who were reported as the householder or spouse of the householder are not included in this analysis. These children accounted for 2 percent of all children under age 18. Race categories exclude persons of Hispanic ethnicity. Figures are plotted based on unrounded data. Data do not sum to 100 percent because children with other living arrangements are not reported in the figure.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS), 1-Year Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) data, 2022. See Digest of Education Statistics 2023, table 102.20.

In 2022, the living arrangements9 of children under age 18 varied overall and by race/ethnicity. Overall,
  • 64 percent of children lived with related married-couple householders;
  • 26 percent of children lived with a related female householder; and
  • 8 percent of children lived with a related male householder.
A majority of children in each racial/ethnic group lived in married-couple households, except for children who were American Indian/Alaska Native or Black. Among Black children, a larger percentage of children lived with a female householder (54 percent) than with married-couple householders (35 percent). [Race/ethnicity ] [Parental living arrangement/structure]
Figure 4. Among children under age 18 living with a related householder, percentage in families living in poverty, by child’s race/ethnicity: 2012 and 2022
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Users can select any combination of available years and categories in any figure format (i.e., bar or table). The initial selection of years and categories may not be optimal in different views.
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A confidence interval is a range of values that describes the uncertainty surrounding an estimate. Throughout the Condition of Education, confidence intervals are calculated as the estimate +/- the margin of error, based on a 95 percent level of confidence. This means that there is 95 percent certainty that the range includes the true or actual value of the statistic.
Confidence Interval
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Users can select years at irregular intervals. However, as a result, the distance between the data points will not be proportional to the number of years between them.
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1 Consists of respondents who wrote in some other race that was not included as an option on the questionnaire.

NOTE: To estimate the margin of error, the standard error is scaled based on the desired level of confidence in the estimate. Throughout the Condition of Education, margins of error are produced based on a 95 percent level of confidence. Margin of error is calculated as 1.96*standard error. Data are based on sample surveys of the entire population residing within the United States, including the 50 states and the District of Columbia. This figure includes only children under the age of 18 who live in a household and are related to the householder by birth, marriage, or adoption. Children married to the householder are excluded. A householder is the person (or one of the people) who owns or rents (maintains) the housing unit. This figure excludes unrelated children and householders who are themselves under the age of 18. Respondents were interviewed throughout the given year and reported the income they received during the previous 12 months. Poverty status is determined by the Census Bureau using a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition. For additional information about poverty status, see https://www.census.gov/topics/income-poverty/poverty/guidance/poverty-measures.html. Race categories exclude persons of Hispanic ethnicity. Figures are plotted based on unrounded data.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS), 1-Year Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) data, 2012 and 2022. See Digest of Education Statistics 2023, table 102.60.

Approximately 11 million children under age 18 related to a householder were in families living in poverty in 2022.10 The poverty rate for children living with a related householder in 2022 (16 percent) was lower than in 2012 (22 percent).With the exception of Pacific Islander children, for whom the poverty rate was not measurably different between the 2 years, this pattern was observed for children living with a related householder across racial/ethnic groups. For example, the poverty rate for Hispanic children was 22 percent in 2022, compared with 33 percent in 2012. Similarly, the poverty rate for Black children was 30 percent in 2022, compared with 39 percent in 2012. [Time series ] [Race/ethnicity ] [Socioeconomic status (SES) ]
The poverty rate for children living with a related householder varied across racial/ethnic groups in 2022. Poverty rates were higher than the U.S. average (16 percent) for children living with a related householder who were
  • American Indian/Alaska Native (30 percent);
  • Black (30 percent); and
  • Hispanic (22 percent).
Meanwhile, the poverty rates for children who were of Two or more races (15 percent), White (10 percent), and Asian (9 percent) were lower than the U.S. average. The poverty rates for Pacific Islander children and children of Some other race11 were not measurably different from the U.S. average. [Race/ethnicity ] [Socioeconomic status (SES) ]
Figure 5. Among children under age 18 living with a related householder, percentage in families living in poverty, by child’s race/ethnicity and highest level of education attained by any related adult in the household: 2022
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A confidence interval is a range of values that describes the uncertainty surrounding an estimate. Throughout the Condition of Education, confidence intervals are calculated as the estimate +/- the margin of error, based on a 95 percent level of confidence. This means that there is 95 percent certainty that the range includes the true or actual value of the statistic.
Confidence Interval
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!Interpret data with caution. The coefficient of variation (CV) for this estimate is between 30 and 50 percent.

1 Consists of respondents who wrote in some other race that was not included as an option on the questionnaire.

2 Includes related adults who completed a high school diploma or an equivalency credential such as a GED.

NOTE: To estimate the margin of error, the standard error is scaled based on the desired level of confidence in the estimate. Throughout the Condition of Education, margins of error are produced based on a 95 percent level of confidence. Margin of error is calculated as 1.96*standard error. Data are based on sample surveys of the entire population residing within the United States, including the 50 states and the District of Columbia. This figure includes only children under the age of 18 who live in a household and are related to the householder by birth, marriage, or adoption. Children married to the householder are excluded. A householder is the person (or one of the people) who owns or rents (maintains) the housing unit. Related adults include adults who were related to the child and the householder or were themselves the householder. Related adults exclude adults who were related to the child but not to the householder. Educational attainment of the related householder was considered even if the householder was under age 18. Respondents were interviewed throughout the given year and reported the income they received during the previous 12 months. Poverty status is determined by the Census Bureau using a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition. For additional information about poverty status, see https://www.census.gov/topics/income-poverty/poverty/guidance/poverty-measures.html. Race categories exclude persons of Hispanic ethnicity. Figures are plotted based on unrounded data.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS), 1-Year Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) data, 2022. See Digest of Education Statistics 2023, table 102.62.

In 2022, the poverty rate for children under age 18 related to a householder was highest for those in households in which no related adult had completed high school (49 percent) and lowest for those in households in which the highest level of education attained by any related adult was a bachelor’s or higher degree (4 percent). This pattern generally held for all racial/ethnic groups except for Pacific Islander children, where the poverty rate was not measurably different between most levels of educational attainment of related adults. [Race/ethnicity ] [Socioeconomic status (SES) ] [Parental education]
Figure 6. Among children under age 18 living with a related householder, percentage in families living in poverty, by child’s race/ethnicity and living arrangement: 2022
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Users can select any combination of available years and categories in any figure format (i.e., bar or table). The initial selection of years and categories may not be optimal in different views.
Bar | Table
A confidence interval is a range of values that describes the uncertainty surrounding an estimate. Throughout the Condition of Education, confidence intervals are calculated as the estimate +/- the margin of error, based on a 95 percent level of confidence. This means that there is 95 percent certainty that the range includes the true or actual value of the statistic.
Confidence Interval
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Users can select years at irregular intervals. However, as a result, the distance between the data points will not be proportional to the number of years between them.
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1 Consists of respondents who wrote in some other race that was not included as an option on the questionnaire.

NOTE: To estimate the margin of error, the standard error is scaled based on the desired level of confidence in the estimate. Throughout the Condition of Education, margins of error are produced based on a 95 percent level of confidence. Margin of error is calculated as 1.96*standard error. Data are based on sample surveys of the entire population residing within the United States, including the 50 states and the District of Columbia. This figure includes only children under the age of 18 who live in a household and are related to the householder by birth, marriage, or adoption. Children married to the householder are excluded. Children are classified by the marital status of their parents who are present in the household or, if no parents are present in the household, by the marital status of a householder who is related to the child. Living arrangements with only a “female householder” or “male householder” are those in which the parent or the householder who is related to the child does not have a spouse living in the household. A householder is the person (or one of the people) who owns or rents (maintains) the housing unit. This figure excludes unrelated children and householders who are themselves under the age of 18. Respondents were interviewed throughout the given year and reported the income they received during the previous 12 months. Poverty status is determined by the Census Bureau using a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition. For additional information about poverty status, see https://www.census.gov/topics/income-poverty/poverty/guidance/poverty-measures.html. Race categories exclude persons of Hispanic ethnicity. Figures are plotted based on unrounded data.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS), 1-Year Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) data, 2022. See Digest of Education Statistics 2023, table 102.60.

In 2022, the poverty rate for children under age 18 related to a householder was highest for those living with a female householder (36 percent), followed by those living with a male householder (19 percent) and those living in married-couple households (7 percent). This pattern—of children living in married-couple households having the lowest poverty rate and those living with a female householder having the highest poverty rate—was observed for most racial/ethnic groups. The exceptions were
  • Asian children and children of Some other race, for whom there was no measurable difference between poverty rates for children living with a female householder and those living with a male householder; and
  • Pacific Islander children, for whom the poverty rate was highest for those living with a female householder (32 percent) but lowest for those living with a male householder (8 percent).
[Race/ethnicity ] [Socioeconomic status (SES) ] [Parental living arrangement/structure]
Figure 7. Among children under age 18 living with a related householder, percentage in families living in poverty, by living arrangement: 2012 and 2022
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Users can select any combination of available years and categories in any figure format (i.e., bar or table). The initial selection of years and categories may not be optimal in different views.
Bar | Table
A confidence interval is a range of values that describes the uncertainty surrounding an estimate. Throughout the Condition of Education, confidence intervals are calculated as the estimate +/- the margin of error, based on a 95 percent level of confidence. This means that there is 95 percent certainty that the range includes the true or actual value of the statistic.
Confidence Interval
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