Young Adults Are Once Again Moving Back Home
The share of young adults living with their parents increased in 2024, interrupting the post-pandemic trend of individuals ages 18-34 moving out of parental homes.
Nearly a third (32.5%) of adults in this age range lived with their parents according to the most recent American Community Survey (ACS), which is an increase from 31.8% in 2023, but remains below the pre-pandemic peak of 34.5% in 2017.
Overall, southern and northeastern states (and California) have some of the highest shares of young adults living in parental homes.
Some of the states with the highest shares are:
- New Jersey (44%)
- Connecticut (41%)
- California (39%)
- Maryland (38%)
On the other hand, the states with the lowest share of young adults living with parents are:
- North Dakota (12%)
- South Dakota (18%)
- Washington, D.C. (less than 13%)
The elevated shares of young adults living with parents in high-cost coastal areas and booming southern markets underscore the role of housing affordability in driving this trend. Statistical analysis confirms a clear link between prohibitively expensive housing, especially rentals, and the high prevalence of young adults residing with their parents. The states with higher shares of renters paying 30% or more of their income on housing, and therefore considered cost-burdened, tend to register higher shares of young adults living with parents.
It is important to note ACS data does not separate college-age adults from older young adults. Once this microdata is available, it will be worth understanding whether the younger and older subgroups experienced divergent trends over the last year.
For more economic insight on this topic, read this Eye on Housing post.