The United States at 250: How the Country Has Changed in the Past 50 Years
Ahead of the nation’s birthday, Pew Research Center identified some prominent trends across key areas of American life: demographics, work, family and economics.
Family & Relationships
Family Caregiving in an Aging America
Family members are increasingly caring for aging parents or spouses as the U.S. population gets older. Caregivers’ experiences differ by gender.
How Parents Use Online Communities
On Reddit’s largest parenting forum, around one-in-five posts mention kids’ tech use. Posts often express negative emotions, but comments are overwhelmingly supportive.
Sign up for our weekly newsletter
Fresh data delivered Saturday mornings
All
Family & Relationships
Publications
-
A half-century after ‘Mister Rogers’ debut, 5 facts about neighbors in U.S.
A majority of Americans say they know only some of their neighbors, but far fewer say they know most of them.
-
Mail-in DNA test results bring surprises about family history for many users
For example, about four-in-ten of those who used mail-in DNA testing say they were surprised by results for where ancestors came from.
-
How often people talk about race with family and friends depends on racial and ethnic group, education, politics
Most black and Asian adults say race or race relations come up in their conversations with family and friends at least sometimes.
-
5 facts about same-sex marriage
The share of Americans who favor same sex marriage has grown in recent years, though there are still demographic and partisan divides.
-
Couples who meet online are more diverse than those who meet in other ways, largely because they’re younger
Couples who meet online are more likely than those who meet offline to be diverse by some measures – but this can be explained by age.
-
8 facts about American dads
The changing role of fathers has introduced new challenges as dads juggle the competing demands of family and work.
-
Majority of Public Favors Same-Sex Marriage, but Divisions Persist
A majority of Americans (61%) favor allowing gays and lesbians to marry legally, while about half as many (31%) oppose same-sex marriage. Republicans and Democrats remain deeply divided over legal marriage for gays and lesbians – though support has increased significantly in both parties over the past 15 years.
-
When should a woman have children if she’s thinking about running for office?
Roughly half of Americans say it’s better for a woman who wants to reach high political office to have children before entering politics. Views are different when it comes to leadership positions in the business world.
-
A Changing World: Global Views on Diversity, Gender Equality, Family Life and the Importance of Religion
People see diversity and gender equality increasing in their countries but say family ties have weakened. Views on the importance of religion vary widely.
-
6 demographic trends shaping the U.S. and the world in 2019
Millennials are the largest adult generation in the United States, and the American family continues to change.
