According to the 2010 US Census, what is the most common family structure?

• A. Nuclear family
• B. Single-parent family
• C. Extended family
• D. Blended family

Answer: (A)

Understanding how the census groups households helps explain why the nuclear family is the answer. The census looks at who lives in a home and how they’re related. The two adults in a married couple living together with their own children at home form what demographers call a nuclear family. This arrangement is the most frequently recorded pattern in the 2010 census data, more common than single-parent households, extended families (multiple generations living together), or blended families (two adults with children from previous relationships). So the best choice is the nuclear family because it represents the largest share of family households in that census year.