Multi Generational & Dual Living House Plans (2024)

FAQs

Are multigenerational homes a good idea? ›

Living in a multigenerational home not only gives you peace of mind knowing your elderly parents are close by but also strengthens family relationships. Families can connect daily, play games, prep dinner, help with homework, or watch their favorite TV program together.

Some of the best multigenerational, or 4500 to 5000 square foot, floor plans keep versatility, privacy, and functionality in mind. Because there are various ages and family members with different special needs living under one roof, a floorplan must consider all the possible scenarios for a large or growing family.

Multigenerational households are defined as including two or more adult generations (with adults mainly ages 25 or older) or a “skipped generation,” which consists of grandparents and their grandchildren younger than 25.

California takes the crown.

Hispanic families tend to form multi-generational households at much higher rates than non-Hispanic whites, and California boasts a large Hispanic population. Together, California and Texas dominated our top 25 list.

Living in close proximity to family members can help strengthen family bonds. Multigenerational living can provide opportunities for more frequent family gatherings, shared experiences, and shared memories. This can lead to stronger relationships and a greater sense of community among family members.

According to a report by Pew Research Center, the number of people who live in multigenerational households quadrupled between 1971 and 2021, now representing 18% of the US population. What's driving this growth?

“A recent National Institutes of Health survey found that healthy members of multigenerational families have lower premature mortality rates and were likely to live longer. In a multigenerational household, there are more adults to provide emotional support for each other.”

Consider how you can configure your floorplan so that each generation has a 'zone' to call their own. That might be a rumpus room for the kids, a master suite with a retreat area for the parents and a ground-floor bedroom and bathroom for the grandparents.

How do you survive multigenerational living? ›

On average, multigenerational homes have four people living together. The age ranges in these households can be quite diverse, with an age gap of almost 40 years between the oldest and youngest family members. Often, as many as four generations live together under one roof.

Multigenerational homes can provide financial advantages and lead to better family connections and a built-in support system. At the same time, some drawbacks could make such an arrangement challenging if they are not dealt with before you make the move.

Benefits of Multigenerational Households

The families also cite many benefits of living together, including: Enhanced bonds or relationships among family members (79%) Making it easier to provide for the care needs of one or more family members (79%) Improved finances for at least one family member (76%)

Multigenerational households — three or more generations under one roof — made up 4.7% of all U.S. households but 7.2% of family households in 2020, an increase from 2010. Family households are those with at least one person related to the householder by birth, marriage or adoption.

These trends continued through 1980 when only 12% of the US population lived in a multigenerational household, the lowest in history. But since 1980, multigenerational living has become consistently more popular, with one-in-five Americans living in a multigenerational household in 2016.

The share of the U.S. population in multigenerational homes more than doubled between 1971 and 2021. Now, about one in five Americans lives in a multigenerational home. As housing costs have risen, more families are pooling resources to afford buying a home or making rent payments in expensive markets.