In some parts of the world, living at home with parents into your 30s is common. But in the United States it often comes with embarrassment or shame. Nevertheless, a third of adults under age 35 are living with their parents, according to a recent report by Realtor.com.
In 2020, the share of young adults living with their parents peaked at about 34%, the disruption of the pandemic largely to blame. By 2022, it dropped back down to between 31 and 32%, roughly where it had hovered since 2012. The lull did not last, and by 2025, 33% of young adults were living back at home, nearly matching the pandemic-era level.
The data is not surprising. Renting or buying feels increasingly unattainable for many. A grim job market, inflation and lagging wages and public benefits can make moving out of a childhood home daunting.
Yet most young adults living at home are working, and a growing percentage are college educated. “The employment rate for this demographic has remained relatively stable,” said Hannah Jones, the senior economist at Realtor.com, who wrote the report, “but the share of adults living at home has still increased.” This suggests the trend is more about housing affordability and supply than about jobs.
Spending time together
Even if moving back home wasn’t the plan, some young adults are leaning into its advantages.
After a close friend died, Evan Walsh, 30, moved back in with parents earlier this year. “Spending time with my family has been so healing for me during this process of loss and transition. And because I’ve been able to do that I’m finally in a place where I’m able to focus on my career, without having to worry about money as much.”
His mother, Wendy Walsh, 61, did not expect her son to return, but saw the bright side. “I worked so much when he was little so it’s been nice to spend more time together,” she said.
Also making the best of her situation is Francesca Gullo, 28, who grew up in Brooklyn and moved out at 17. After 10 years on her own in New York, she decided to move back in with her parents, who had relocated to Tennessee, and go back to school.
“I was working two jobs and I still could not keep up financially. I realised that I did not want to wake up at 35 and have no money saved,” said Gullo. “It is a very sucky feeling to know that I may never be able to afford to live where I grew up, but I’m grateful that I have this option and that my parents are supportive.”
And while a lot of parents welcome their children back, some also believe there has to be a good enough reason for their return. “If something tragic happens, of course you’re going to open your doors,” said Wendy. “But if you’re just living at home at 35 because it’s expensive, I personally don’t find that acceptable.” – ©2026 The New York Times Company
The article originally appeared in The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/08/realestate/a-third-of-young-adults-still-live-with-their-parents.html
