A poll from August 2022 found that Americans are pretty much united in their classifications of types of relatives.

At least 8 in 10 consider children, parents, siblings, and spouses to be immediate family members. Slightly fewer — though still solid majorities (roughly two-thirds) — consider grandparents and grandchildren immediate family members. Cousins, in-laws, aunts, uncles, nieces, and nephews are more often considered extended rather than immediate family. The most divisive category were children-in-law: 46% consider them extended family members, while 35% consider them immediate family.

Half of people say they live in the same city or town as at least one extended family member (54%), including 29% who say they live in at least the same neighborhood.

One in five (19%) even say they reside in the same household. Only 15% of Americans say their closest extended family member lives in a different state from them and just 2% say they live in a different country. Only 3% say they don't have any extended family.

Family reunions are a regular or at least semi-regular occurrence for many: about half of people say they've attended one within the past decade, with 38% saying they have done so within the past five years, including 21% within the past year. But not everyone has had an opportunity or desire to reunite with extended family: 19% say they've never attended a family reunion.

When asked to compare the closeness of their family to others, roughly equal shares of people feel like theirs is about average (31%), more close-knit (30%), and less close-knit (29%).

To some extent, proximity does mean closeness. People who live in the same neighborhood or household as their closest extended family member are about twice as likely to say they are more close-knit than to say it is less close-knit.

However, race and ethnicity also play a role in the perceived strength of the bonds between extended family relationships: White Americans (33%) are more likely than Black (21%) or Hispanic (25%) Americans to say their family is less close-knit than average.

Most of us really value the moments we share with our closest people. For 58% of respondents, family relationships are the most important type of relationship. (29% believe that they are about as important as others, and 4% think they are less important.)

People who are currently estranged from a family member hold family relationships in slightly lower regard, with 50% saying they are more important than other relationships, 36% saying they are about as important, and 8% saying they are less important. Hopefully, they can still patch things up.