Household Structure

What does this measure?

This section uses 2016 Census Data and definitions from Statistics Canada. Family type refers to the following categories: couple without children, couple with children, lone parent with children. The kind of couple (married or common-law) and the number of children in the home can further describe the family type. Family size refers to the number of persons in the family. Household type is defined as one of the following categories: one-census-family households, non-census family households, and multiple-census-family households. Household size refers to the number of persons in the dwelling. For more definitions, see the definitions section below the graphs.

Why is this important?

The family provides the most significant influence on a child’s development. Families provide physically for children – with food, shelter and clothing. They teach children skills, values and attitudes to help them participate in society, and through nurturing and support, foster their self-esteem. They protect them from harm. By providing these developmental foundations, families enable children and youth to be independent, healthy members of society. Family structure can have an impact on the children and youth.

How are Hastings and Prince Edward Counties doing?

The 2016 Canadian census reported 67,745 households in Hastings and Prince Edward Counties (HPEC).  The majority of people lived in family households (70%) which is the same as all of Ontario. The structure of families in HPEC is diverse. About one-third (35%) of families now consist of two parents with children, which is lower than Ontario (45%). The most common form of family in HPEC is couples without children at home at 49% which is lower than 38% at the provincial level. These differences in the number of families with and without children is likely related the increased proportion of people over 60 in HPEC compared to Ontario.  About 1 in 6 families (15%) are lone parent families.  The majority of lone parent families have a female lone parent (77%) which is comparable to Ontario. On average, HPEC has smaller household and family sizes than Ontario.

Definitions

A census family is defined as a married couple (with or without children); a common-law couple (with or without children); or a lone parent of any marital status and at least one child living in the same home. All members of a particular census family live in the same dwelling. A couple may be of opposite or same-sex. Children include children by birth, marriage, common-law union or adoption that live in the same home as at least one parent. Grandchildren living with their grandparent(s) but with no parents present also constitute a census family.

Household refers to a person or group of persons who live in the same dwelling and do not have a usual place of residence elsewhere in Canada or abroad. The dwelling may be either a collective dwelling or a private dwelling. The household may consist of a family group such as a census family, two or more families sharing a home, a group of unrelated persons, or a person living alone. Every person is a member of one and only one household.

Marital status is defined as being legally married, living common-law, never married, separated, divorced, or widowed when the census is completed.