Introduction
The idea of the American family has greatly changed over the last hundred years. While the traditional two-parent household still seems to be an ideal in America, a growing majority of American families include single parents, cohabiting-unmarried parents, and two parents with one or both remarried. This cultural change has resulted in different family sizes than the United States has previously seen.
The National Center for Biotechnology Information has identified major demographic changes in the American family including marriage, cohabitation, nonfamily households, remarriage, teen pregnancy, and female employment. These changes resulted in four major trends: 1) single parent households as a result of divorce or childbirth outside of marriage have increased; 2) more adults are living in nontraditional arrangements; 3) more women are participating in the workforce; and 4) there are fewer children and more elderly persons in the total population.
Learn for yourself how the average household size differs by state by looking at the data in the charts.
| # | State | Average Household Size | Median Household Income |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Utah | 3.09 | $87,649 |
| 2 | California | 2.94 | $81,575 |
| 3 | Hawaii | 2.94 | $82,199 |
| 4 | Texas | 2.83 | $67,404 |
| 5 | Alaska | 2.78 | $81,133 |
| 6 | Georgia | 2.68 | $61,497 |
| 7 | Idaho | 2.66 | $76,918 |
| 8 | New Jersey | 2.66 | $88,559 |
| 9 | Arizona | 2.65 | $70,821 |
| 10 | Nevada | 2.65 | $64,340 |
| 11 | Maryland | 2.64 | $97,332 |
| 12 | Florida | 2.62 | $59,734 |
| 13 | Colorado | 2.6 | $84,954 |
| 14 | Virginia | 2.6 | $80,268 |
| 15 | Louisiana | 2.59 | $57,206 |
| 16 | Mississippi | 2.59 | $46,637 |
| 17 | New Mexico | 2.59 | $53,463 |
| 18 | Oklahoma | 2.57 | $60,096 |
| 19 | New York | 2.55 | $72,920 |
| 20 | Delaware | 2.54 | $68,687 |
| 21 | Illinois | 2.54 | $79,253 |
| 22 | Alabama | 2.53 | $56,929 |
| 23 | South Carolina | 2.53 | $62,542 |
| 24 | Washington | 2.53 | $87,648 |
| 25 | North Carolina | 2.51 | $62,891 |
| 26 | Tennessee | 2.51 | $62,166 |
| 27 | Arkansas | 2.5 | $50,784 |
| 28 | Connecticut | 2.5 | $80,958 |
| 29 | Indiana | 2.5 | $70,190 |
| 30 | Massachusetts | 2.5 | $86,566 |
| 31 | Oregon | 2.49 | $81,855 |
| 32 | Kansas | 2.48 | $75,979 |
| 33 | Kentucky | 2.48 | $55,629 |
| 34 | Minnesota | 2.48 | $80,441 |
| 35 | Michigan | 2.45 | $64,488 |
| 36 | Rhode Island | 2.45 | $74,982 |
| 37 | Missouri | 2.44 | $63,594 |
| 38 | Nebraska | 2.44 | $78,109 |
| 39 | New Hampshire | 2.44 | $88,841 |
| 40 | South Dakota | 2.43 | $73,893 |
| 41 | Wyoming | 2.43 | $71,052 |
| 42 | Pennsylvania | 2.42 | $72,627 |
| 43 | Ohio | 2.41 | $62,689 |
| 44 | Iowa | 2.4 | $72,429 |
| 45 | West Virginia | 2.4 | $46,836 |
| 46 | Wisconsin | 2.38 | $69,943 |
| 47 | Montana | 2.37 | $64,999 |
| 48 | District of Columbia | 2.3 | $90,640 |
| 49 | Maine | 2.29 | $71,139 |
| 50 | North Dakota | 2.29 | $68,882 |
| 51 | Vermont | 2.28 | $76,079 |
Average Household Size by State
Alabama
Average Household Size
2.53
Ranked in the US
#22
$56,929
Ranked in the US
#46
Alaska
Average Household Size
2.78
Ranked in the US
#5
$81,133
Ranked in the US
#12
Arizona
Average Household Size
2.65
Ranked in the US
#9
$70,821
Ranked in the US
#28
Arkansas
Average Household Size
2.5
Ranked in the US
#27
$50,784
Ranked in the US
#49
California
Average Household Size
2.94
Ranked in the US
#2
$81,575
Ranked in the US
#11
Colorado
Average Household Size
2.6
Ranked in the US
#13
$84,954
Ranked in the US
#8
Connecticut
Average Household Size
2.5
Ranked in the US
#28
$80,958
Ranked in the US
#13
Delaware
Average Household Size
2.54
Ranked in the US
#20
$68,687
Ranked in the US
#32
District of Columbia
Average Household Size
2.3
Ranked in the US
#48
$90,640
Ranked in the US
#2
Florida
Average Household Size
2.62
Ranked in the US
#12
$59,734
Ranked in the US
#44
Georgia
Average Household Size
2.68
Ranked in the US
#6
$61,497
Ranked in the US
#42
Hawaii
Average Household Size
2.94
Ranked in the US
#3
$82,199
Ranked in the US
#9
Idaho
Average Household Size
2.66
Ranked in the US
#7
$76,918
Ranked in the US
#18
Illinois
Average Household Size
2.54
Ranked in the US
#21
$79,253
Ranked in the US
#16
Indiana
Average Household Size
2.5
Ranked in the US
#29
$70,190
Ranked in the US
#29
Iowa
Average Household Size
2.4
Ranked in the US
#44
$72,429
Ranked in the US
#25
Kansas
Average Household Size
2.48
Ranked in the US
#32
$75,979
Ranked in the US
#20
Kentucky
Average Household Size
2.48
Ranked in the US
#33
$55,629
Ranked in the US
#47
Louisiana
Average Household Size
2.59
Ranked in the US
#15
$57,206
Ranked in the US
#45
Maine
Average Household Size
2.29
Ranked in the US
#49
$71,139
Ranked in the US
#26
Maryland
Average Household Size
2.64
Ranked in the US
#11
$97,332
Ranked in the US
#1
Massachusetts
Average Household Size
2.5
Ranked in the US
#30
$86,566
Ranked in the US
#7
Michigan
Average Household Size
2.45
Ranked in the US
#35
$64,488
Ranked in the US
#35
Minnesota
Average Household Size
2.48
Ranked in the US
#34
$80,441
Ranked in the US
#14
Mississippi
Average Household Size
2.59
Ranked in the US
#16
$46,637
Ranked in the US
#51
Missouri
Average Household Size
2.44
Ranked in the US
#37
$63,594
Ranked in the US
#37
Montana
Average Household Size
2.37
Ranked in the US
#47
$64,999
Ranked in the US
#34
Nebraska
Average Household Size
2.44
Ranked in the US
#38
$78,109
Ranked in the US
#17
Nevada
Average Household Size
2.65
Ranked in the US
#10
$64,340
Ranked in the US
#36
New Hampshire
Average Household Size
2.44
Ranked in the US
#39
$88,841
Ranked in the US
#3
New Jersey
Average Household Size
2.66
Ranked in the US
#8
$88,559
Ranked in the US
#4
New Mexico
Average Household Size
2.59
Ranked in the US
#17
$53,463
Ranked in the US
#48
New York
Average Household Size
2.55
Ranked in the US
#19
$72,920
Ranked in the US
#23
North Carolina
Average Household Size
2.51
Ranked in the US
#25
$62,891
Ranked in the US
#38
North Dakota
Average Household Size
2.29
Ranked in the US
#50
$68,882
Ranked in the US
#31
Ohio
Average Household Size
2.41
Ranked in the US
#43
$62,689
Ranked in the US
#39
Oklahoma
Average Household Size
2.57
Ranked in the US
#18
$60,096
Ranked in the US
#43
Oregon
Average Household Size
2.49
Ranked in the US
#31
$81,855
Ranked in the US
#10
Pennsylvania
Average Household Size
2.42
Ranked in the US
#42
$72,627
Ranked in the US
#24
Rhode Island
Average Household Size
2.45
Ranked in the US
#36
$74,982
Ranked in the US
#21
South Carolina
Average Household Size
2.53
Ranked in the US
#23
$62,542
Ranked in the US
#40
South Dakota
Average Household Size
2.43
Ranked in the US
#40
$73,893
Ranked in the US
#22
Tennessee
Average Household Size
2.51
Ranked in the US
#26
$62,166
Ranked in the US
#41
Texas
Average Household Size
2.83
Ranked in the US
#4
$67,404
Ranked in the US
#33
Utah
Average Household Size
3.09
Ranked in the US
#1
$87,649
Ranked in the US
#5
Vermont
Average Household Size
2.28
Ranked in the US
#51
$76,079
Ranked in the US
#19
Virginia
Average Household Size
2.6
Ranked in the US
#14
$80,268
Ranked in the US
#15
Washington
Average Household Size
2.53
Ranked in the US
#24
$87,648
Ranked in the US
#6
West Virginia
Average Household Size
2.4
Ranked in the US
#45
$46,836
Ranked in the US
#50
Wisconsin
Average Household Size
2.38
Ranked in the US
#46
$69,943
Ranked in the US
#30
Wyoming
Average Household Size
2.43
Ranked in the US
#41
$71,052
Ranked in the US
#27