--- title: "6 facts about grandparents in the U.S." description: "Two-thirds of U.S. adults ages 65 and older were grandparents in 2024." date: "2026-09-09" authors: - name: "Jenn Hatfield" job_title: "Writer/Editor" link: "https://www.pewresearch.org/staff/jenn-hatfield/" - name: "Shifra Dayak" job_title: "Editorial Specialist" link: "https://www.pewresearch.org/staff/shifra-dayak/" url: "https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2026/09/09/6-facts-about-grandparents-in-the-us/" categories: - "Family & Relationships" - "Older Adults & Aging" --- # 6 facts about grandparents in the U.S. ![(ingwervanille via Getty Images)](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/09/SR_26.09.08_grandparents-feature.jpg?w=640) Grandparents Day is celebrated in the United States on the first Sunday after Labor Day, which falls on Sept. 13 this year. Grandparenthood is a common life experience for older Americans: Two-thirds of U.S. adults ages 65 and older were grandparents in 2024, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2025 [Survey of Income and Program Participation](https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/sipp.html) (SIPP). Here are six facts about grandparents in the U.S., based on the SIPP and other sources. **About this research** Ahead of Grandparents Day, Pew Research Center explored what grandparenthood looks like in the United States, including what share of adults are grandparents and how often they care for their grandchildren. #### Why did we do this? Pew Research Center does research to inform the public, journalists and decision-makers. We often study many aspects of [family relationships](https://www.pewresearch.org/topic/family-relationships/), including [how Americans feel about their siblings](https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2026/04/07/about-half-of-americans-with-siblings-are-close-to-at-least-one-of-them/) ahead of National Siblings Day. #### How did we do this? The data for this analysis comes from Pew Research Center surveys, the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), and U.S. Census Bureau surveys. Follow the links in the text for more information about each data source. The HRS is sponsored by the National Institute on Aging (grant number NIA U01AG009740) and is conducted by the University of Michigan. Our analysis of the HRS was limited primarily to respondents born in 1965 or earlier, who joined the study before 2022 and had been assigned weights as of August 2026. We excluded newer respondents for whom weighting information has not been released, including those born between 1966 and 1971. The HRS primarily surveys people ages 50 and older, but it is a household-level survey, meaning some people under 50 are included if they are part of the same household financial unit as a respondent who is age 50 or older. **Not surprisingly, the likelihood of being a grandparent rises with age,** according to the SIPP. As of 2024, fewer than 1% of U.S. adults in their 30s were grandparents, but that share rose to 27% of those in their 50s and 51% of those in their 60s. Grandparenthood was most common at older ages: 74% of those ages 80 to 90 were grandparents. On average, U.S. grandparents were 68 years old in 2024. ### About three-quarters of Americans ages 80 to 90 are grandparents *% of U.S. adults who were grandparents in 2024, by age group* | Age group | Share of adults who are grandparents | | --- | --- | | 30-39 | <1% | | 40-49 | 8% | | 50-59 | 27% | | 60-69 | 51% | | 70-79 | 68% | | 80-90 | 74% | Note: Participants under age 30 were not asked whether they were grandparents. Participants older than 30 were only asked whether they were grandparents if they said they had at least one biological child. The oldest adults in the survey were 90 years old when the survey was fielded. Source: Pew Research Center analysis of U.S. Census Bureau’s Survey of Income and Program Participation. **Grandparents have six grandchildren on average,** according to the University of Michigan’s most recent [Health and Retirement Study](https://hrs.isr.umich.edu/) (HRS), which mainly surveys people ages 50 and older. About a quarter of grandparents (24%) had one or two grandchildren during the 2022-2023 study period, while 43% had three to six. Another 19% had seven to 10 grandchildren, and 14% had more than 10. ### Most grandparents have 6 or fewer grandkids *% of grandparents who had __ grandchildren, as of 2022-23* | Number of grandchildren | Share | | --- | --- | | 1 to 2 | 24% | | 3 to 6 | 43% | | 7 to 10 | 19% | | More than 10 | 14% | Note: The survey was conducted from March 2022 to December 2023. It primarily surveyed people ages 50 and older. Source: Pew Research Center analysis of University of Michigan's 2022 Health and Retirement Study. **Some grandparents are regular caregivers for their grandchildren.** As of 2022 and 2023, 21% of grandparents said they and/or their spouse had spent 100 hours or more taking care of a grandchild or great-grandchild over the previous two years, according to the HRS. On average, 100 hours over two years is about one hour a week. The other 79% who responded to that question said they and/or their spouse spent less than 100 hours doing so. (Grandparents were not included in these calculations if they indicated they cared for their grandchildren but did not specify how many hours.) It’s important to note that the HRS was last conducted from March 2022 to December 2023. That means that part of the period that the HRS asked people about caregiving was during the coronavirus pandemic, when many Americans limited in-person contact with other people. As a result, the survey findings may not reflect the amount of time that grandparents spend caring for their grandchildren today. **Some Americans grow up in the same home as their grandparents.** Overall, 8% of children lived with a grandparent who was the head of household in 2024, according to the Census Bureau’s [American Community Survey](https://data.census.gov/table/ACSST1Y2024.S0901). Most commonly, those children were living with two married grandparents. Nearly half of all children living with a grandparent (48%) had this household structure. Another 43% were living with a grandmother who didn’t have a spouse present, and 9% were living with a grandfather who didn’t have a spouse present. **Most grandparents ages 65 and older are in touch with their grandchildren at least monthly,** according to a [Pew Research Center survey](https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2025/11/06/aging-well-how-income-and-health-shape-the-experiences-of-older-americans/#how-older-adults-spend-their-time) from September 2025. This includes seeing grandkids in person, talking to them on the phone or texting them. ### 7 in 10 grandparents 65 and older communicate with their grandchildren at least a few times a month *% of U.S. grandparents ages 65 and older who are in touch with their grandchildren …* | Frequency | Share | | --- | --- | | At least once a day | 15% | | A few times a week | 27% | | A few times a month | 28% | | Once a month | 10% | | Less than once a month | 20% | Note: Full question wording included “seeing them in person, talking on the phone or texting” as examples of being in touch. Source: Pew Research Center survey of U.S. adults conducted Sept. 2-8, 2025. Seven-in-ten grandparents ages 65 and older say they do this at least a few times a month, including 41% who are in touch at least a few times a week and 15% who keep in touch daily or more often. In the same survey, we asked *all* adults ages 65 and older how excited they feel about what their life will be like in their 70s and beyond. Among those who said they feel at least somewhat excited, many cited spending time with their grandkids in an open-ended question asking why they feel that way. **Many adults say they are close to their grandparents,** according to a [Center survey](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/04/SR_26.04.07_siblings_topline.pdf#page=5) from June 2025. Among U.S. adults who have one or more grandparents, 36% say they are extremely or very close to them, and 27% say they’re somewhat close. Another 38% say they’re not too or not at all close to them. Black Americans are particularly likely to say they’re close with their grandparents. About half of Black Americans who have at least one grandparent (49%) say they’re extremely or very close to them, compared with roughly a third of Hispanic (36%), Asian (34%) and White adults (32%). There are no significant differences by gender, age or household income in the shares of people who are extremely or very close to their grandparents. *Note:* *Research associate Jake Hays contributed to this analysis.*