Changes in the makeup of the country's households typically take place gradually, following predictable demographic shifts. But at the start of the pandemic, the number and composition of households shifted dramatically and quickly, driven by young people leaving behind roommates or solo living and moving in with family.
More than 2.5 million households dissolved and later reappeared in 2020 — an unprecedented contraction and expansion in the country's total number of households, according to an analysis of census data that Apartment List published in July.
The country lost more than 2.5 million households in early 2020, when the total fell to 127.6 million, according to Apartment List. Two percent of households disappeared, negating almost three years of growth.
