By Kota Suzuki, Data team intern
Dec 16, 2024
https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/smaller-households-housing-demand-19971446.php
Rental units are increasingly becoming the new norm as Bay Area residents are living with fewer people. Brontë Wittpenn/The Chronicle
The average Bay Area household is getting smaller. According to experts, that means more housing is required to accommodate a stagnating Bay Area population.
The shrinkage in household size can largely be attributed to young people living solo as well as older empty-nesters. The trend isn’t unique to the Bay Area — both ends of the age spectrum are increasingly opting to live with fewer people, a shift that is undoubtedly impacting the housing market.