POPULATION CHARACTERISTICS

HOUSEHOLD COMPOSITION / WOMEN AS CAREGIVERS

In 2003, 50.3 percent of adult women were married and living with a spouse. Over 10 percent of women were the head of a household, meaning that they had children or other relatives living in their household, but no spouse. Another 16.6 percent of adult women lived in the home of a parent or other relative. Almost 15 percent of adult women lived alone, and nearly 7 percent were living with non-relatives.

The households in which women live have a variety of structures. For instance, among women living with a spouse, just over 2 percent lived with their spouse in someone else’s home (such as with parents or roommates). In 2003, almost 5 million women lived in unmarried-partner households. Of these women, 93.5 percent lived with a male partner and the other 6.5 percent lived with a female partner.¹ Many women also live with their adult children or their grandchildren. In 2000 there were 3.7 million women living with their grandchildren, compared to just over 2 million men.²

Women often function as caregivers for the people with whom they live, or for other relatives or friends. One out of every four people is a caregiver for a family member or friend, and, in the absence of an able spouse, a daughter or daughter-in-law is most likely to assume the role of caregiver.³ Approximately 75 percent of caregivers for older family members and friends are female.⁴ Of the 2.4 million grandparents who live with and are responsible for grandchildren, 63 percent are women.

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¹ U.S. Census Bureau. 2003 American Community Survey Summary Tables. American FactFinder, Table PCT008.

² U.S. Census Bureau. Grandparents living with grandchildren: 2000. Census 2000 Brief, October 2003.

³ U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration on Aging. Snapshot: National Family Caregiver Support Program. August 2003.

⁴ Family Caregiver Alliance. Selected caregiver statistics. http://www.caregiver.org