Parents are your adult children living at home? Adult children are living at your parents home?

[RaySharpton]

52% of young adults in the US are living with their parents. That's the highest share since the Great Depression - Catherine E. Shoichet, CNN - September 4, 2020

The number of American young adults living with their parents is at or near an all-time high, and the coronavirus pandemic is likely the reason, according to a new analysis.

A new report by the Pew Research Center found that a majority of young adults -- 52% -- lived with one or both of their parents in July. Pew's analysis of monthly Census Bureau data notes that this is higher than any previous measurement.

"Before 2020, the highest measured value was in the 1940 census at the end of the Great Depression, when 48% of young adults lived with their parents," says the report, published Friday. "The peak may have been higher during the worst of the Great Depression in the 1930s, but there is no data for that period."

Pew defines young adults as 18- to 29-year-olds. The number of young adults living with parents grew to 26.6 million in July, an increase of 2.6 million from February, Pew said.

Young adults have been hit especially hard by the recent economic downturn and have been more likely to move than other age groups, according to Pew research.

Growth in the number of young adults living with their parents was the sharpest for the youngest adults, ages 18-24, according to the analysis.

"The number and share of young adults living with their parents grew across the board for all major racial and ethnic groups, men and women, and metropolitan and rural residents, as well as in all four main census regions," Pew says.

One notable change, according to Pew's experts: When it comes to the share of young adults living with their parents, the racial and ethnic differences appear to be narrowing.

 

[godisney14]

Where would many of these young kids gather enough money for a down payment?
At least in CA, either rent a room college style, live with parents and save up, or rent an apartment and not save up. For all of these young adults, it makes almost no difference that interest rates are again at historical lows.

 

[RaySharpton]

Where would many of these young kids gather enough money for a down payment?
At least in CA, either rent a room college style, live with parents and save up, or rent an apartment and not save up.

That is the issue.

No jobs or low-paying parttime jobs with no insurance or no guaranteed hours.

 

[disneychrista]

Both my daughters (29 & 27) are living at home. They both work full time and pay all their own bills, food, etc and pay me rent but neither can afford (or even qualify) to rent even a studio apartment on their own. Heck, if I had to rent an apartment right now I would likely not qualify either. Rent is too high for the wages that are paid here.

 

[AllyReggie]

My husband, Daughter and I moved in to my parents home (where my younger bro, age 30 never left). Are situation is planned to be temporary, save up to buy a house for our family, but it has been longer than planned due to medical emergencies and the pandemic.

My parents love the "multi-generational house" with kids and grandkids (and occasions for great grandma to visit) but we certainly want our own home. Its just hard right now with there being so few starter homes on the market and new home or available homes in our area starting over $300,000 and we are about 45 minutes from the closes urban center (Portland, Ore).

We could rent, but we'd never get out from under it, which is why my parents and I discussed us moving in. 3 people living in one bedroom of my parents small house isn't ideal, especially since my husband and I both have to work from home on occasion, but its a privilege that we can pay a little rent to my parents and share of utilities and such so that we can climb out of medical debt and eventually get a house of our own.

I feel for the young adults of today, they are finding out that living with mom and dad, like in so many other countries, is really the only way to be solvent in turbulent markets.

 

[punkin]

DD just graduated college. There are no jobs to be had. All her friends are unemployed and living in roommate situations where rent is paid for by parents. We are not that well off. I was willing to have her home, but she found something part time with awful pay, but walking distance from her sister's house, where she can live rent free and save up some money until something better comes along.

 

[happily single]

My adult Daughter never left. We were talking and she acknowledged she couldn’t afford rent on a studio/one bedroom in our area (average $1750).

My son never left, but will likely live with me forever due to disabilities.

my almost 16 ds informs me he would love to move out. But he has no job and nowhere to go.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Mine are living at home. They would be crazy not to. They have a good situation here, and we live in a very high cost of living area, with exorbitant rents and home values. They are just finishing college (DD graduated in May and just started her first job; DS has two college classes left but is working full time). Both would rather save a downpayment for their own place than pay rent to someone else, so they’ll be saving for a bit and paying off their small amount of college debt, then trying to get in to something even if it’s a condo or townhouse for a while. We’re used to living in a multigenerational household, as my mother lived with us for 25 years. As long as everyone remains respectful we don’t mind staying the course. I think we will probably be seeing more of this for a while until things stabilize after the pandemic. And who knows when that will be.

 

[xjillianpaige]

I graduated from undergrad in 2012 during a recession. No jobs in my field. Worked 3 part times jobs until I went to grad school (more debt! yay!) and in the nonprofit world... I'm never gonna make the big bucks. I've lived at home and finally bought my own place and moved out this year at 30 years old. I have a decent cushion right now, but there is a chance that I may get to a point down the line where I'll have to stop buying groceries and drive to my parents for meals. I'm lucky I have a safety net. Little brother is still at home at 27.

 

[RaySharpton]

Real folks...real lives...real experiences.

The stock market TV folks say profits are doing great...not in my life and millions of others.

But folks are pushing ahead...trying so hard to improve their life.

I can't imagine the family members that have lost their jobs, that have lost their insurance, that struggle just to feed their children, that have lost their homes, yet they try to strive to makes things better for their families.

 

[disykat]

Judgemental mom post coming. (Figured I'd let you know I'm letting it all out here lest you try to shame me for it!) I'm going to talk about pre-pandemic and hopefully post-pandemic, because right now we're in kind of an "all bets are off" situation with everyone (ALL AGES) struggling if their livelihood has been affected by the pandemic.

A lot of young people I know are choosing to live at home with mom and dad because it's just plain easier than living in a rental with multiple roommates. I had roommates up until I married at age 29 and bought my first "starter home" with my husband in my 30's. In college I never had my own bedroom. (2 bdm,1 bath - 4 girls) Having less was almost a point of pride and hand me downs were the norm. As a college grad I moonlit at Toy's R Us, etc. in addition to my day job to afford life at times. Sometimes I didn't even have the day job. It wasn't all easy. I don't know why so many of the young people that I know seem to think they have to be able to afford to live alone in a nice place with nice furniture in order to be on their own while at the same time thinking we had it easier. If they could look back and see how I lived (perfectly happily) they'd be shocked. We (and I include myself in that) require so much to live now. Where I had a shared telephone and hoped one of my roommates had a tv, we all now have (and need) computers, cell phones etc. and the plans to sustain them. Things really started to change in the 90's and beyond with technology.

Admittedly, those young people who chose to live at home ended up in a much safer situation when the pandemic hit.

It's funny because I read and watch vlogs about minimalists, van lifers, etc. but I don't know any of them. I know people who want fully furnished "adult" homes with nice finishes. (Including my own kids - who can fortunately have good full time jobs and can afford it, but I have to bite my tongue to keep from asking how they're saving to buy homes etc.)

I remember my parents and grandparents talking about how spoiled MY generation was with our fancy brick and boards bookshelves and 13 in tvs. Makes me wonder where this is going to go? Will the pandemic cause a big turn around in expectations of what life is "supposed" to look like?

 

[crazylady]

I realize this probably varies by region etc but I think 52% sounds very high. I know lots of young people. Very few live with their parents. One is waiting for his job to start, it was delayed due to Covid. One is that it's just easier to live with his parents, not to mention he also doesn't have to work hard to figure out what he wants to do in life and work for it.

I agree with Disykat in that it does seem like this generation does seem to like the finer things (don't we all?) and hasn't had to rough it too much. My nieces in particular love to spend money and travel alot. Good for them, but it makes me laugh a little to remember when I was their age and didn't have cable or a washer and dryer because my roommate and I couldn't afford it. (And incidentally, they do all have their own places)

 

[Mrs. Ciz]

My DS graduated from college in 2019. He has a really good job that pays twice what I make. He rents a house with 3 other fraternity brothers in a city about 2 hours North of us. When the pandemic hit, his area was a hotspot. Everything shut down; food and supplies became hard to find; jobs went remote. Over a couple of weeks, all his roommates left and went home to stay with their families. I really think they were scared about what was happening and felt safer with their parents. DS didn’t want to come home, but he wanted to be stuck in a house for months all by himself even less. So he came home in mid March right around the time our college DD got sent home by her school. He still pays rent and utilities on his rental house each month. It’s been fun having both kids home. DD went back to college in mid August. A couple of DS’s roommates have returned to the rental house, so I think DS will be going back soon. The big thing keeping him here is our family golf club membership. He is a huge golfer, and it’s been the only fun thing he’s been able to do during the lockdown. He’s having a hard time giving that up

 

[mousefan73]

Judgemental mom post coming. (Figured I'd let you know I'm letting it all out here lest you try to shame me for it!) I'm going to talk about pre-pandemic and hopefully post-pandemic, because right now we're in kind of an "all bets are off" situation with everyone (ALL AGES) struggling if their livelihood has been affected by the pandemic.

A lot of young people I know are choosing to live at home with mom and dad because it's just plain easier than living in a rental with multiple roommates. I had roommates up until I married at age 29 and bought my first "starter home" with my husband in my 30's. In college I never had my own bedroom. (2 bdm,1 bath - 4 girls) Having less was almost a point of pride and hand me downs were the norm. As a college grad I moonlit at Toy's R Us, etc. in addition to my day job to afford life at times. Sometimes I didn't even have the day job. It wasn't all easy. I don't know why so many of the young people that I know seem to think they have to be able to afford to live alone in a nice place with nice furniture in order to be on their own while at the same time thinking we had it easier. If they could look back and see how I lived (perfectly happily) they'd be shocked. We (and I include myself in that) require so much to live now. Where I had a shared telephone and hoped one of my roommates had a tv, we all now have (and need) computers, cell phones etc. and the plans to sustain them. Things really started to change in the 90's and beyond with technology.

Admittedly, those young people who chose to live at home ended up in a much safer situation when the pandemic hit.

It's funny because I read and watch vlogs about minimalists, van lifers, etc. but I don't know any of them. I know people who want fully furnished "adult" homes with nice finishes. (Including my own kids - who can fortunately have good full time jobs and can afford it, but I have to bite my tongue to keep from asking how they're saving to buy homes etc.)

I remember my parents and grandparents talking about how spoiled my generation was. Makes me wonder where this is going to go? Will the pandemic cause a big turn around in expectations of what life is "supposed" to look like?

Agree somewhat.. Back in the my 20s. most people had roommates in Chicago.. Shock! but you would find a place to live with total strangers by reading the Chicago Reader ads for roommates. I think most parents would freak out today letting their adult children move in with strangers.. my BF and I made great life long friends from roommates we met via the Reader. I remember not being able to afford cabler and was stuck with the national stations via an Attenna that never worked.. or havingt fans as AC was too too expensive.. Or how about this... using laundry mat! One roommate use to go "dumpster diving" usually Oct. I believe when most leases renewed and you had tons of people moving in and out.. One would only have to drive in the alleys to find some good stuff to recycle. Furniture, lamps etc... appliances.

Granted today there are many who cannot afford to eat and HAVE to move back home.. Or have no jobs.. or part-time. BAck in my day we were all working full-time. Not everybody made tons of money.. But a livable wage if you shared a place and did go out every weekend or have a car. Health care costs a major issue.. etc... but 1000% standard of living and expectations has totally gone up.

 

[amcnj]

When I took my first full time job after college, I had roommates and we rented the first floor of a house. I usually had a second job, or more, as well, trying to save as much as I could to be able to buy a home. Back then we did not have cellphones, cable tv, or internet service, health insurance premiums were paid in full by most employers, and yes, went to a laundromat. And none of the rentals places I lived in had air conditioning.

Fortunately my children both were employed in their fields of choice right out of college, and were able to afford apartments of their own, as their jobs were in one case about an hour and a half away, and the other across the country. Neither has purchased a house yet, one wants to, the other is content with apartment life.

I wouldn’t have had a problem with them living home if their circumstances allowed it. Between the two of them they are spending quite a bit of money a month on housing. They could have saved up quite a bit more by now.

 

[mjkacmom]

Dd24 is working remotely and living with her boyfriend and his mom, started out here first week of the pandemic but there were too many of us here working or schooling virtually. Ds22 lease started in May, 2 other roommates (was living with 9 other guys in a house before graduation), but stayed here since March because his roommates weren’t there (still paid rent and utilities). He leased some office space here with several friends from high school who were working at their parents homes, that lease ends in a couple of weeks and he will officially leave the nest. This was a treat, I never expected him to ever come back after college. Dd19 is living out of state in her off campus apartment with 5 roommates, since the leases are year round who knows if she will come home for summers.

 

[hsmamato2]

Judgemental mom post coming. (Figured I'd let you know I'm letting it all out here lest you try to shame me for it!) I'm going to talk about pre-pandemic and hopefully post-pandemic, because right now we're in kind of an "all bets are off" situation with everyone (ALL AGES) struggling if their livelihood has been affected by the pandemic.

A lot of young people I know are choosing to live at home with mom and dad because it's just plain easier than living in a rental with multiple roommates. I had roommates up until I married at age 29 and bought my first "starter home" with my husband in my 30's. In college I never had my own bedroom. (2 bdm,1 bath - 4 girls) Having less was almost a point of pride and hand me downs were the norm. As a college grad I moonlit at Toy's R Us, etc. in addition to my day job to afford life at times. Sometimes I didn't even have the day job. It wasn't all easy. I don't know why so many of the young people that I know seem to think they have to be able to afford to live alone in a nice place with nice furniture in order to be on their own while at the same time thinking we had it easier. If they could look back and see how I lived (perfectly happily) they'd be shocked. We (and I include myself in that) require so much to live now. Where I had a shared telephone and hoped one of my roommates had a tv, we all now have (and need) computers, cell phones etc. and the plans to sustain them. Things really started to change in the 90's and beyond with technology.

Admittedly, those young people who chose to live at home ended up in a much safer situation when the pandemic hit.

It's funny because I read and watch vlogs about minimalists, van lifers, etc. but I don't know any of them. I know people who want fully furnished "adult" homes with nice finishes. (Including my own kids - who can fortunately have good full time jobs and can afford it, but I have to bite my tongue to keep from asking how they're saving to buy homes etc.)

I remember my parents and grandparents talking about how spoiled my generation was. Makes me wonder where this is going to go? Will the pandemic cause a big turn around in expectations of what life is "supposed" to look like?

I agree with this. One DS is 27,been on his own since 22(with roommates) and doing just fine. another ds just turned 21,still finishing trade education (significantly slowed in pandemic times) so still at home. His original plan was to go by 22 also. I'm not rushing him,he's very easy to live with. But he WANTS to be on his own,as soon as he can do it. That's what I appreciate,that 'adult attitude' .... youngest has slowed a bit bc his training had to stop/slow for a while.... it'll happen tho. I would NEVER have wanted to stay in my parents home past 21.....

 

[apirateslifeforme]

I grew up with my mom and grandparents in the same house. Now my DH, our son and I live with my mom in the same house. It's long paid off (thanks, Grandpa) and we have plenty of room. My mother would have had to move when she retired, as it's too much house for her to keep up by herself, so it made sense for us to move in. Plus this allows me the opportunity to be a SAHM and focus on our son. DH and I went down to one car to save money, as I have my mom's car available if I need to run errands (usually she goes with me, though). Our arrangement is working out quite well for us!

(And we're not exactly young...DH and I are rapidly approaching 50...)

 

[mom2rtk]

I think most parents would freak out today letting their adult children move in with strangers..

My son did just that last year. Worked out great. And I'm so glad. He's been able to save more money. And I think he has appreciated having someone else around during the pandemic.

 

[Forevermarypoppins]

My college educated daughter was not able to find a good job within her field of education ( Marketing) and a year and a half after her graduation became pregnant. Her opportunities were then marred further because looking for a job anywhere distant from her father and I ( sole grandson's babysitter) was out of the question. She does have a decent job now ( over 5 years) FT with benefits, pays her car loan, insurance, gas, pays her college loan debt, is able to pay medical bills and support my grandson for all his needs and save some $$ BUT only while living with us. Rent is the one thing that would be virtually impossible for her to pay. She was out of our home for almost 2 years w/ a boyfriend and they split rent and utilities. But doing that on her own-no can do right now.