“Waltons’ Effect” Confirmed

 Over the past three years I’ve been talking about the “Waltons’ Effect”—how families will need to pool resources and live together in order to get by in the Era of Less. Last week the Census Bureau confirmed what we can see happening all around us. In fact, young adults have moved back in or are staying in parent homes while more grandparents are moving back in too. And as you would expect in down economic times more non-related adults also are living together.

According to the Census Bureau, the number of adults sharing households with family members or other individuals increased by more than 11% between 2007 and 2010, the latest data available. That amounts to close to 20% of all households and helps account for two million fewer occupied homes in the U.S., according to the Washington Post.