A Nation Of Singles: The U.S. Census Bureau’s newest numbers show that married-couple households have slipped from nearly 80% in the ‘50s to just 50.7% today. That means that the U.S.’s 86 million single adults could soon define the new majority. Already, unmarrieds make up 42% of the workforce, 40% of homebuyers, 35% of voters, and one of the most potent consumer groups on record. What many once thought of as the fringe is becoming the new norm. Families consisting of breadwinner dads and stay-at-home moms now account for just 10% of all households. Married couples with kids, which made up nearly every residence a century ago, now total just 25%--with the number projected to drop to 20% by ‘10, says the Census Bureau. By then, someone who lives alone will inhabit nearly 30% of homes. This unprecedented demographic shift holds vast implications for everything from corporate America to the culture wars; from government institutions to the legal system and the church. (Business Week 10/20/03)
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