20 cities where sandwich generation households are on the rise

An increasing number of American households consist of two or more generations living under one roof, according to a study by online real estate company Trulia.

Households that include children, parents and grandparents — the sandwich generation — represent 4.3 percent of households today, up from 3.6 percent in 2006, according to U.S. Census data. 

Trulia attributes the trend to two primary factors. Many families are choosing to share homes and expenses due to economic factors in the wake of the 2008 recession. And the country’s demographics are shifting toward populations that traditionally have embraced multigenerational households, including Asian and Hispanic families, two of the fastest growing U.S. populations.

In addition, large concentrations of multigenerational households also occur in high-rent areas, such as Chicago, New York and Philadelphia.

Trulia studied Census data to determine the markets with the largest percentage of households with three or more generations living under one roof as well as the percentage of multigeneration households made up of non-Hispanic white, African American, Hispanic and Asian families. Continue reading to find out where multigenerational families are choosing to share a household most frequently:

In Salt Lake City, nearly 59 percent of all households with three or more generations are non-Hispanic white families.(Photo: iStock)

20. (tie) Salt Lake City

3+ generation households 2014: 4.8 percent.

3+ generation households 2006: 3.3 percent.

Percentage point change 2006-2014: 1.5.

20. (tie) Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights, Illinois

3+ generation households 2014: 4.8 percent.

3+ generation households 2006: 4.2 percent.

Percentage point change 2006-2014: 0.5.

In Jersey City, New Jersey, three-generation households are fairly balanced among non-Hispanic white, black, Hispanic and Asian families. (Photo: iStock)

19. New York-Jersey City-White Plains, New York/New Jersey

3+ generation households 2014: 4.9 percent.

3+ generation households 2006: 4.5 percent.

Percentage point change 2006-2014: 0.4.

18. Philadelphia

3+ generation households 2014: 5 percent.

3+ generation households 2006: 4.8 percent.

Percentage point change 2006-2014: 0.2.

Hispanic families account for nearly 40 percent of three-generation households in Dallas. (Photo: iStock)

17. Dallas-Plano-Irving, Texas

3+ generation households 2014: 5.1 percent.

3+ generation households 2006: 4.1 percent.

Percentage point change 2006-2014: 1.

16. San Diego-Carlsbad, California

3+ generation households 2014: 5.1 percent.

3+ generation households 2006: 4.2 percent.

Percentage point change 2006-2014: 0.9.

In Memphis, nearly 60 percent of multigeneration households are African American families. (Photo: iStock)

15. Memphis

3+ generation households 2014: 5.2 percent.

3+ generation households 2006: 5 percent.

Percentage point change 2006-2014: 0.2.

14. Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, Texas

3+ generation households 2014: 5.3 percent.

3+ generation households 2006: 4.5 percent.

Percentage point change 2006-2014: 0.8.

Sixty-six percent of three-generation households in San Antonio, Texas, are Hispanic families. (Photo: iStock)

13. San Antonio-New Braunfels, Texas

3+ generation households 2014: 5.6 percent.

3+ generation households 2006: 4.3 percent.

Percentage point change 2006-2014: 1.2.

12. San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, California

3+ generation households 2014: 5.6 percent.

3+ generation households 2006: 4.4 percent.

Percentage point change 2006-2014: 1.3.

In the Ventura area of California, 61 percent of three-generation households are families households. (Photo: iStock)

11. Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, California

3+ generation households 2014: 5.7 percent.

3+ generation households 2006: 4.5 percent.

Percentage point change 2006-2014: 1.2.