Profile America Facts: Grandparents Day 2012: Sept. 9
Published 12:01 am Sunday, September 9, 2012
In 1970 Marian McQuade began a campaign to establish a day to honor grandparents. But such a day was not formally established until 1978, when President Jimmy Carter signed a federal proclamation, approving the first Sunday after Labor Day as National Grandparents Day. Since Sept. 9, 1979, it has been celebrated every year in honor of our nation’s grandparents with whom one in 10 of all children in the U.S. live. The Census Bureau presents updates of statistics about their role and responsibilities in our society.
7.0 million
The number of grandparents whose grandchildren younger than 18 were living with them in 2010.
Grandparents as Caregivers
2.7 million
The number of grandparents responsible for the basic needs of one or more grandchildren under 18 living with them in 2010. Of these caregivers, 1.7 million were grandmothers and 1.0 million were grandfathers.
580,000
The number of grandparents responsible for grandchildren under 18 and whose income was below the poverty level in the past 12 months compared with the 2.2 million grandparent caregivers whose income was at or above the poverty level.
$45,000
Median income for families with grandparent householders responsible for grandchildren under 18. Among these families, where a parent of the grandchildren was not present, the median income was $33,000.
1.9 million
The number of married (including separated) grandparents responsible for caring for their grandchildren.
1.7 million
The number of grandparents responsible for grandchildren who were in the labor force, out of the total 2.7 million who were responsible for grandchildren.
670,000
The number of grandparents who had a disability and were responsible for their grandchildren.
1.9 million
The estimate of grandparents responsible for their grandchildren who were living in owner-occupied housing, compared with 840,000 that were living in renter-occupied housing.
490,000
The number of foreign-born grandparents responsible for their own grandchildren younger than 18. This contrasts with 2.2 million native-born grandparent caregivers.
2.1 million
The number of grandparents responsible for their grandchildren, who speak only English. Another 270,000 speak another language, but speak English “very well”; 390,000 speak another language and speak English less than “very well.”
Grandchildren
5.4 million
The number of children under 18 living with a grandparent householder in 2010.
10%
Percentage of children in the U.S. living with a grandparent in 2010, totaling 7.5 million.
3.2 million
The number of children living with both grandmother and grandfather in 2010.
Editor’s note: The preceding data were collected from a variety of sources and may be subject to sampling variability and other sources of error. Questions or comments should be directed to the Census Bureau’s Public Information Office: telephone: 301-763-3030; or e-mail: pio@census.gov
