The U.S. Census Bureau released new data today, providing a deeper look at the region’s shifting demographics. Figures further illustrate the changing face of local families and include additional housing figures.

Here’s a summary with a few highlights:

Multigenerational families
More grandchildren and grandparents are now moving in with families.

Nearly 175,000 Pennsylvania families of three or more generations were counted in 2010, about a 19 percent jump from 2000, according to census data.

These families accounted for 3.5 percent of all households in the state.

In Erie County, 3,469 households (3.1 percent of the total) consisted of three or more generations. Comparable local numbers from the 2000 census have not been released.

Housing
The new data also includes further breakdowns of home ownership in the region.

For Erie County’s 110,413 occupied housing units: 42.3 percent were owned with a mortgage or loan; 24.6 percent owned units had been paid off; and 33.1 percent were rentals. In 2000, 69.2 percent of housing units in the county were owner-occupied.

Same-sex couples
Thursday’s release provided the first look at the local population of same-sex couples.

Data showed 652 same-sex couples lived together in Erie County in 2010. This number only includes those identifying themselves as unmarried partners living in the same household.

The same-sex total represents 0.6 percent of all households in the county, the 28th highest rate of the state’s 67 counties, according to our analysis of census data.

The U.S. Census Bureau will release additional same-sex population data in November.

I’ll have more posts on the new figures in the coming weeks. To view census data for your area, be sure to visit our census page.