The table below presents information about household sizes in the US during specific years.
It is evident from the data that the average household size in 1790 was the largest compared to other years, with individuals typically living together in households of seven. However, over time, the trend toward living alone increased, culminating in a significant number of people choosing to live independently by 1990.
In 1790, 35.8% of Americans lived in households of seven, which was the highest proportion among the years surveyed. At that time, the preference for living alone was only 3.7%, but this figure increased as the number of household members grew. In fact, the highest number of households recorded was in 1790, comprising 5.4% of the population.
By 1990, a marked shift occurred, with most individuals opting to live alone, accounting for 24.6% of the population. Additionally, the overall percentage of households in 1990 had dropped to 2.6%, the lowest figure compared to households in 1790 and 1890.
In contrast, in 1890, only 3.6% of individuals chose to live alone, while 23.0% preferred households of seven. This indicates that the interest in living with more people was strong in 1890, which was higher than in 1790 but lower than the living alone preference observed in 1990.