By Open Chronicle with agencies
Grandparents remain deeply woven into family life across the United States, with new research showing that grandparenthood is a common experience among older Americans and often involves regular contact, caregiving and, for millions of children, sharing the same home.
A new analysis published by the Pew Research Center ahead of Grandparents Day offers a detailed picture of grandparents in the United States. Drawing on Census Bureau surveys, Pew surveys and the University of Michigan’s Health and Retirement Study, the research examines everything from the age at which grandparenthood becomes common to the amount of contact grandparents maintain with younger generations.
Two thirds of Americans over 65 are grandparents
Grandparenthood becomes increasingly common as Americans grow older. According to Pew’s analysis of 2024 Census Bureau data, two thirds of adults aged 65 and older were grandparents.
Among Americans in their 30s, fewer than 1% were grandparents. The proportion increased to 8% among people aged 40 to 49, 27% among those aged 50 to 59 and 51% among adults in their 60s.
It rose further to 68% among people aged 70 to 79 and 74% among those aged 80 to 90.
The average American grandparent was 68 years old in 2024.
Six grandchildren on average
The research also highlights the size of many extended American families.
Grandparents had an average of six grandchildren, according to the University of Michigan’s Health and Retirement Study covering 2022 and 2023.
About 24% had one or two grandchildren, while 43% had between three and six. Another 19% reported having seven to 10 grandchildren, while 14% had more than 10.
The figures underline how grandparents can occupy an important position across several branches and generations of a family rather than simply within a single parent and child relationship.
Grandparents also provide childcare
For a significant minority, grandparenthood involves substantial practical support.
Around 21% of grandparents reported that they or their spouse had spent at least 100 hours caring for a grandchild or great grandchild during the previous two years. The remaining 79% who answered the question reported spending less than 100 hours providing such care.
Pew cautions that these figures need to be interpreted carefully. The underlying study was conducted between March 2022 and December 2023, meaning part of the period covered was affected by the coronavirus pandemic and changes in face to face family contact. The figures therefore may not fully represent current caregiving patterns.
Millions of children share a home with grandparents
Grandparents are also part of the household itself for a notable share of American children.
In 2024, 8% of children in the United States lived in a household headed by a grandparent.
Among children living in such households, 48% lived with two married grandparents. Another 43% lived with a grandmother without a spouse present, while 9% lived with a grandfather without a spouse present.
These households demonstrate that grandparents can play roles extending well beyond occasional visits or childcare, sometimes becoming central figures in children’s everyday home lives.
Most older grandparents maintain regular contact
Physical distance does not necessarily mean families lose contact.
A Pew survey conducted in September 2025 found that seven in ten grandparents aged 65 and older communicated with their grandchildren at least a few times each month, whether through personal visits, telephone calls or text messages.
Fifteen percent said they were in contact at least once a day, while 27% communicated a few times each week and another 28% a few times each month. Ten percent reported monthly contact and 20% said they communicated less than once a month.
For many older Americans, grandchildren also appear to shape how they think about the future. Pew found that when adults aged 65 and older who were optimistic about their later years were asked why, many mentioned spending time with their grandchildren.
Many Americans describe strong relationships with grandparents
The relationship works in the opposite direction as well.
Among American adults who still have at least one grandparent, 36% said they were extremely or very close to them, according to a Pew survey from June 2025. Another 27% described themselves as somewhat close, while 38% said they were not too close or not close at all.
The survey also found differences among demographic groups. About 49% of Black Americans with at least one living grandparent described the relationship as extremely or very close, compared with 36% of Hispanic adults, 34% of Asian adults and 32% of White adults.
Pew found no statistically significant differences by gender, age or household income in the proportion reporting an extremely or very close relationship with their grandparents.
An enduring intergenerational bond
Taken together, the findings show that grandparents remain an important part of American family structures even as households and patterns of communication continue to change.
Some grandparents provide regular childcare. Others share their homes with grandchildren, while many maintain relationships through frequent visits, calls and messages.
With Grandparents Day falling on September 13 this year, the research provides a statistical portrait of a relationship that, for millions of Americans, remains one of the most enduring connections between generations.