25.2 Million US Young Adults Live With Parents as Rents Stay 18% Above Pre-Pandemic
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Jun 18
25.2 Million US Young Adults Live With Parents as Rents Stay 18% Above Pre-Pandemic
3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Jun 18
Summary
A record 25.2 million Americans ages 25 to 35—about one-third of that group—lived with their parents in 2025, according to new Realtor.com data.
Housing costs drove the shift: median asking rents remain 18% above pre-pandemic levels and median home listing prices are 34% higher, while 70% of those living at home are employed.
The squeeze is worsening as inflation hit 4.2% in May, erasing roughly a year of wage gains and making it even harder for young adults to move out or buy a first home.
Realtor.com said 4.86 million fewer young adults would be living with parents if early-2000s co-residence patterns had held; the typical first-time homebuyer is now 40.
That delay ripples through the housing market and family finances, reducing starter-home turnover and potentially forcing parents to postpone retirement, downsizing or savings plans.
Beyond high costs, is the surge in multigenerational living a permanent cultural shift reshaping the American family?
How is the death of the starter home reshaping the path to financial independence for an entire generation?
What hidden building codes are preventing the construction of affordable housing, and why are they so difficult to change?
Over One-Third of Young Adults Now Live with Parents: Causes, Consequences, and the New Normal in 2026
Overview
The report highlights a dramatic rise in young adults living with their parents, a trend that has grown from less than a quarter in 1960 to over a third by 2020, especially after the 2008 financial crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic. This shift is driven mainly by escalating housing costs, which delay independent living and make moving back home a common, financially smart choice for many. As a result, this pattern is now seen as a lasting societal change, not just a temporary response to economic shocks, and it is reshaping family life and expectations for young adults.