New, exact estimates indicate that most American grandchildren reside close to at least one grandparent, a finding that carries important implications for family well-being as well as for how time and resources are shared across generations. Cornell researchers report that nearly half of U.S. grandchildren—about 47 per cent—live within ten miles of a grandparent. Many live even closer: 21 per cent within one to five miles, and 13 per cent within a walkable mile, strikingly, as many grandchildren live within one mile of their grandparents as those who are separated by a distance of 500 miles or more.
The analysis also revealed significant socioeconomic differences between families living near their grandparents and those living farther away from them. Families in closer proximity tend to have parents with lower levels of education and income, and they are less likely to be married. In these households, grandparents and parents exchange greater amounts of help in the form of time and support, though not in financial transfers. Proximity fosters interdependence in care and everyday assistance, but the circulation of money is unaffected by distance.
Rachel Dunifon, the Rebecca Q. and James C. Morgan Dean of the College of Human Ecology at Cornell, emphasised the importance of these findings, noting: “Substantial numbers of grandchildren live very close to a grandparent. Additionally, our results reveal that the characteristics of families living very close to grandparents differ from the characteristics of those living just a little farther away.” Dunifon co-authored the study Grandchildren’s Spatial Proximity to Grandparents and Intergenerational Support in the United States, published in Demographic Research on 3 June, with Olivia Healy, now an assistant professor of economics at Elon University.
Earlier research had typically relied on broader measures, treating “close” proximity as within 25 to 30 miles. This approach, however, overlooked essential distinctions among the many families clustered within much smaller distances. The Cornell study, drawing on nearly 2,000 households from the nationally representative Panel Study of Income Dynamics, used detailed census block-level location data to calculate the precise distances between grandparents and grandchildren. This methodological advance provided a clearer view of the diversity of relationships at the closest range, where slight differences in distance can translate into very different family dynamics.
The researchers found that, as might be expected, families living near one another spend more time together. Yet the intensity of contact was especially pronounced among those within a one-mile radius, far surpassing families only slightly farther apart. These patterns suggest that families who share such proximity are deeply integrated into each other’s lives, and that this embeddedness shapes everyday routines, caregiving practices, and social support. Understanding how and why families arrange themselves in such close quarters, and the consequences for family functioning, represents an important area for future study.
Although some might assume that grandparents who live at greater distances compensate through financial contributions, the evidence showed otherwise. Families living farther away, who also tended to have higher incomes and education, were more self-sufficient and did not receive greater monetary support. Instead, the overall flow of resources still favoured grandchildren’s households, with nearby grandparents providing substantial childcare hours and financial assistance. These findings underscore the impact of proximity on intergenerational exchange and, by extension, the well-being of children, parents, and grandparents alike.
More information: Rachel Dunifon et al, Grandchildren’s spatial proximity to grandparents and intergenerational support in the United States, Demographic Research. DOI: 10.4054/DemRes.2025.52.34
Journal information: Demographic Research Provided by Cornell University
