The number of married families in every community in Grey, Bruce and most of Simcoe County has dropped in the last five years.
According to the census data from last year — Georgian Bluffs is home to the largest percentage of families — making up 83 per cent of the population.
Owen Sound has the smallest percentage at 65.4 per cent.
The national average is 67 per cent — down from 68.6 per cent five years ago.
There are more common law families in Grey Bruce.
In fact, the percentage of the population that is common law jumped in every single local community.
Owen Sound has the largest percentage of common law families at 15.1 per cent while Georgian Bluffs has the smallest at 10.1 per cent.
The national average is 16.7 per cent.
One in 10 children in Canada lives with a step-family — it’s more common in Quebec and least common in Ontario.
Stats Canada also reports the percentage of people in Grey Bruce who are divorced has jumped — just as it has across the Country.
Only Saugeen Shores, Chatsworth and Grey Highlands saw a drop in the number of single parent homes.
A large number of single parent families are lead by mothers.
The census shows the average number of children living at home in Grey Bruce is two.
There has also been an increase in the number of people living alone at home.
Stepfamilies were counted for the first time in 2011 and they comprised 12.6 per cent of Canada’s 3.7 million couples with children.
New data from Statistics Canada also shows a slight increase in the number of lone-parent households — edging up from 15.7 per cent to 16.3 per cent of families surveyed.
But the number of men who took up child-rearing duties on their own jumped by 16.2 per cent between 2006 and 2011.
Even still, eight-out-of-10 single-parent households were still run by women.
Data from the 2011 census includes Canada’s first-ever national count of foster children.
And it reveals there were 29-thousand, 590 of them under the age of 14 last year.
The data also reveals about 42 per cent of young adults between the ages of 20 and 29 are living with their parents.
That’s down slightly from 2006 levels, but still well above the 26.9 per cent reported in 1981.
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Specifically in Owen Sound — the percentage of people who are divorced is 10.5 — up from 9.1 per cent in 2006.
A total of 1.1 per cent of children under the age of 15 in Owen Sound live with at least one grandparent instead of a parent.
19.6 per cent of families are headed by single parents — 16.1 per cent by single mothers and 3.4 per cent by fathers.
Five per cent of households have adult children aged 25 and over still living at home.
Married couples – those with and without children – make up 65.4 per cent of families in Owen Sound. That’s a decrease from the last census taken in 2006 when 66.8 per cent of couples were married. Common-law couples make up 15.1 per cent of the families, up 13.7 per cent in 2006.
In Saugeen Shores — the number of married couples make 78.3 per cent of the population, down from 79.6 per cent in 2006. Common law couples make up 10.6 per cent of the families, up from 9.2 in 2006.
In South Bruce Peninsula — the number of married couples make 74.5 per cent of the population, down from 77.9 per cent in 2006. Common law couples make up 13.6 per cent of the families, up from 11.2 in 2006.
In Georgian Bluffs — the number of married couples make 83 per cent of the population, down from 84.3 per cent in 2006. Common law couples make up 10.1 per cent of the families, the same as in 2006.
In Hanover — the number of married couples make 71.5 per cent of the population, down from 74.3 per cent in 2006. Common law couples make up 13.8 per cent of the families, up from 11.3 in 2006.
In West Grey — the number of married couples make 77.5 per cent of the population, down from 79.2 per cent in 2006. Common law couples make up 12.1 per cent of the families, up from 11.8 in 2006.
In Chatsworth — the number of married couples make 76.7 per cent of the population, down from 78.1 per cent in 2006. Common law couples make up 13.1 per cent of the families, up from 11.4 in 2006.
In Grey Highlands — the number of married couples make 75.7 per cent of the population, down from 76 per cent in 2006. Common law couples make up 13.1 per cent of the families, up from 12.4 in 2006.
In Meaford — the number of married couples make 75.6 per cent of the population, down from 78.4 per cent in 2006. Common law couples make up 12.6 per cent of the families, up from 11 in 2006.
In Southgate — the number of married couples make 75 per cent of the population, down from 77.8 per cent in 2006. Common law couples make up 15 per cent of the families, up from 12.2 in 2006.
In the Blue Mountains — the number of married couples make 80.3 per cent of the population, down from 81.6 per cent in 2006. Common law couples make up 11 per cent of the families, up from 10.6 in 2006.
In Collingwood — the number of married couples make 67 per cent of the population, down from 69 per cent in 2006. Common law couples make up 14.8 per cent of the families, up from 12.9 in 2006.
For more information on the census, visit the website www.12.statcan.gc.ca