Brown, Susan L.

Eickmeyer, Kasey J.

English

Bowling Green State University: ScholarWorks@BGSU

Bowling Green State University ScholarWorks@BGSU National Center for Family and Marriage Research Family Profiles Sociology 2019 FP-19-19 Coresidence Among Older Adults and Their Adult Children Kasey J. Eickmeyer Bowling Green State University Susan L. Brown Bowling Green State University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.bgsu.edu/ncfmr_family_profiles Repository Citation Eickmeyer, Kasey J. and Brown, Susan L., "FP-19-19 Coresidence Among Older Adults and Their Adult Children" (2019). National Center for Family and Marriage Research Family Profiles. 202. https://scholarworks.bgsu.edu/ncfmr_family_profiles/202 This Report is brought to you for free and open access by the Sociology at ScholarWorks@BGSU. It has been accepted for inclusion in National Center for Family and Marriage Research Family Profiles by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks@BGSU. National Center for Family & Marriage Research @ Bowling Green State University Family Profile No. 19, 2019 Coresidence Among Older Adults and Their Adult Children Author: Kasey J. Eickmeyer & Susan L. Brown Despite extensive research on young adult coresidence, little is known about coresidence among older adult parents and their midlife adult children. Using the 1988-2018 Current Population Survey (CPS) Annual Social and Economic Supplement, we examine the coresidential status of parents aged 60 and older across three decades. Specifically, we distinguish between households in which parents coreside with an adult child over the age of 40 versus those in which parents do not reside with an adult child. Coresident households provide benefits for both older adults and their adult children and may reflect a coping strategy in the face of economic hardship (Kahn et al., 2013; Moen & Wethington, 1992). In this Family Profile, we explore the varied characteristics of parents in 2018 according to their coresident status. These characteristics include retirement, health, physical and cognitive difficulties, and income. This Family Profile offers insight into the changing living arrangements of older adult parents and their midlife adult children. In 2018, nearly 8% of older adults lived with a midlife adult child. Parent-child coresidence may be a response to health difficulties or financial insecurity.  Coresidence Among Older Adult Parents and Midlife Adult Children, 1988-2018 • The number of parents (aged 60 and up)coresiding with at least one adult child over the age of 40 increased from 1.9 million to 5.4 million over the past 30 years. o The increase was mostpronounced between 1988 and1998, from 5.0% to 7.3% -- almosta 50% rise. In 2018, 7.6% of olderadults lived with a midlife-agedchild.• The average age of older adults whocoresided with an adult child was 75compared to 70 among those who werenot coresiding with an adult child.1988: 5%, 2 million older adults2018: 8%, 5.5 million older adults0%2%4%6%8%10%1988 1998 2008 2018Figure 1. 30-Year Trend in Coresidence Among Older Adult Parents (60+) and Midlife Adult Children (40+)Source: NCFMR analyses of CPS ASEC, 1988-2018$43,605$80,558$25,880$87,472Personal Income Household IncomeNot coresiding CoresidingPersonal & Household Income • Intergenerational coresidence seems to benefit parentsfinancially. o Older parents who were coresiding with an adult childin 2018 had personal incomes that were nearly halfthat of those who were living in a separate residencefrom their children ($25,880 compared to $43,605,respectively).o Household incomes among older parents coresidingwith a child were higher than household incomes ofolder parents living separately in 2018.Figure 2. Average Personal and Household Income of Parents Aged 60+ by Coresidence with Midlife Adult ChildSource: NCFMR analyses of CPS ASEC, 2018 Coresidence According to Retirement, Health Status, and Physical/Cognitive DifficultyRetirement Status • The majority of parents overage 60 were retired.  Theshare retired varied bywhether they were coresidingwith an adult child in 2018.o A majority (75%) of thosecoresiding with an adultchild were retired,compared to less thanhalf (41%) of those notliving with a child.Health • Regardless of residency, mostparents over the age of 60reported being in good, verygood, or excellent health.However, a larger share ofparents coresiding with a childreported fair or poor healththan those not coresiding witha child (36% compared to 25%,respectively).Physical/Cognitive Difficulty • Parents over 60 typically didnot have cognitive or physicaldifficulties.o Among parents coresidingwith an adult child, 36%reported any physical orcognitive difficultycompared to 24% of thosenot coresiding with an adultchild.Figure 3. Retirement, Health Status, and Physical/Cognitive Difficulty of Parents Aged 60+ by Coresidence Status, 2018Source: NCFMR analyses of CPS ASEC, 2018 Data Sources: Flood, S., King, M., Rodgers R., Ruggles, S, and Warren, J. R. (2018). Integrated Public Use Microdata Series, Current Population Survey: Version 6.0. Minneapolis, MN: IPUMS, 1988-2018. https://doi.org/10.18128/D030.V6.0 References:  Kahn, J. R., Goldscheider, F., & García-Manglano, J. (2013). Growing parental economic power in parent–adult child households: Coresidence and financial dependency in the United States, 1960–2010. Demography, 50(4), 1449-1475. Moen, P., & Wethington, E. (1992). The concept of family adaptive strategies. Annual review of sociology, 18(1), 233-251. Suggested Citation: Eickmeyer, K. J. & Brown, S. L. (2019). Coresidence among older adults and their adult children. Family Profiles, FP-19-19. Bowling Green, OH: National Center for Family & Marriage Research. http://doi.org/10.25035/ncfmr/fp-19-19  This project is supported with assistance from Bowling Green State University. From 2007 to 2013, support was also provided by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation. The opinions and conclusions expressed herein are solely those of the author(s) and should not be construed as representing the opinions or policy of any agency of the state or federal government. 41255975Not coresidingwith childCoresiding withchildRetirement StatusNot retired Retired77 6423 36Not coresidingwith childCoresiding withchildHealthFair/poorGood/Very good/Excellent78642236Not coresidingwith childCoresiding withchildPhysical/Cognitive DifficultyNo difficulty Has difficultyhttp://www.bgsu.edu/ncfmr ncfmr@bgsu.edu (419) 372-3119

FP-19-19 Coresidence Among Older Adults and Their Adult Children

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FP-19-19 Coresidence Among Older Adults and Their Adult Children

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