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Most Americans live in a family household: 154 million out of 314 million Americans lived in family households in 2009, and 114 million Americans lived in a married couple family household. An important part of family life in the USA is children. About 50 million US children lived in a family with their biological parents both present, 28% lived with only their mother, 31% with only their father, and 18% lived with neither biological parent present.

About two-thirds (68%) of Americans age 25 and older have been married at least once. Also, 40% of Americans age 25 and older have never been married, and about 9% were divorced or separated.

Homosexuality is legal everywhere in the USA and gay marriage is allowed in thirteen states: California, Connecticut, Delaware, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota (effective August 1, 2013), New Jersey (effective September 26, 2013), New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington; as well as Washington D.C.. On June 26, 2015, the Supreme Court of the United States legalized gay marriage throughout all fifty states by allowing gay marriages to continue in Alabama where they were federally prohibited before.

Since the end of World War II, more Families immigrate to the United States than any other country. Approximately 11 million families immigrants live in the United States, accounting for just over one-fifth (20%) of the U.S. population. About 45% of these immigrants have naturalized US Citizens with their children living in households where English is not the primary language spoken.

Household Management

Currently, housing remains the largest budgetary expense of any household, including rent, mortgage, property taxes, and insurance, at about 60% of the total expenses. Transportation is the second-largest budgetary expense, including public transportation, vehicle purchasing, vehicle-related expenses, and gas. Two of the three consistently increasing expenditures are alcoholic beverages and entertainment segments, showing that Americans still enjoy and value leisure and hospitality.

 The average number of children per family in the U.S. is 1.98 while the number of vehicles per household is 1.88. As of 2019, the average individual income in the U.S. was $48,672, a 4% increase from the previous year. The Consumer Price Index increased in May 2019 by 0.7% compared to April of that year and 1.5% compared to the year before.

Finding A Job

It goes without saying; you have a much better chance of finding a good job if you already have permanent status, preferably a Green Card.
 The common process for getting a job is to apply for it, whether online or face-to-face, using your CV or Resume. The next step is usually arriving at a meeting, for an interview. The larger companies tend to do group interviews, in which they ask the various candidates a series of questions, either one at a time or collectively so they could get a better understanding of the people before them. The bigger the company, the more candidates there are, and most likely, the bigger the job interviews are going to be.

 The most popular industries in the U.S. currently are Aerospace, Consumer goods, Electronics, Food processing, Healthcare, and Motor vehicles. With that said, it seems that 3D Printing, Hydraulic fracking, Healthcare, and Video Games Developers are among the fastest growing industries in the last couple of years.

Family Expenses in the USA

The arrival of a baby in a family is usually seen as a happy event, but it also means the necessity to deal with numerous expenses. Having a child in the United States costs about US$12,000 per year which not only includes everyday expenses but also extra activities and goods that will help the proper development of the child.

Childcare and education

The costs involved in taking care of a baby or a young child are usually shared between both parents. This is considered as one of the main reasons why mothers continue working after giving birth to a child. Childcare services are usually more expensive than having a nanny take care of the baby in the house. For example, if we consider that most women who recently gave birth and stay at home to take care of their child pay about US$500-600 per month for childcare in the United States, paying instead a monthly amount of about US$1,200  means that they would save US$7,200 per year. However, the cost of childcare services varies from state to state and can go up significantly in some areas such as New York City where it is estimated at US$1,500 per month according to a survey done by Care.com.

Another substantial expense that most parents need to deal with is the education of their children. Although there are several options when it comes to public and private schools, not all offer financial aid and grants, and in most cases, parents need to pay for tuition and extra activities such as books, school supplies, and extracurricular activities which can exceed US$10,000 per year. The average annual tuition at a public college is US$9,410 while private colleges charge at least US$32,405.

Food and dining

The expenses related to food are yet another set of costs that most parents need to take into consideration. According to the USDA, in 2013 a family with one child between the ages of 6 and 8 years spends an average of US$23 per week or US$1,100 per year on food for the entire family, while a family with three children spends about US$151. However, this does not take into account other necessary expenses such as diapers and baby formula which can raise the cost to about US$300 per month.

The dining out cost is also something that parents should consider since it can be a big part of their lifestyle if they do not cook at home most of the time. According to the American Express Spending and Saving Tracker, in 2013 about US$1 billion was spent by Americans eating out every day and an average family spends approximately US$2,000 per year on dining.

Home expenses

Another aspect that every parent should consider, especially if they do not own a home, is the cost of housing. According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), in 2013 the national average rent for a two-bedroom apartment was US$925 per month which means that it would represent an annual cost of US$10,800. On the other hand, if a family needs to rent an apartment with one bedroom only, it may be hard to find one at a reasonable price which can go up to US$500 per month in some areas. The average cost of homeownership is about US$16,000 per year for a family with one child.

Health care

The cost of health insurance is yet another expense that most parents take into consideration when becoming parents. In the United States, where medical expenses are very high compared to other countries, it can be quite difficult for a family to take care of their health without adequate coverage which usually costs around US$15,000 per year.

We’re here to help. RelocateLtd is an immigration company that provides all possible services for immigration and relocation. Our goal is simple – we want to make your life easier by taking care of everything for you! You can relax knowing that our team will be there every step of the way, from helping you find a job in America, to getting your application and eventually becoming an American citizen. There are many benefits for families coming to the USA and making the immigration that nobody told you about. We will make sure that you will come fully prepared from day one with full confidence. It’s time for something new – let us take care of it so you don’t have to!

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