Special Report
States Where the Most People Still Live With Their Parents
June 26, 2019 4:02 pm
Last Updated: February 17, 2020 3:48 pm
In the United States, people are legally considered adults after turning 18. This is the age when people are expected to head out on their own, either by joining the workforce or continuing their education in college.
Of course, no one expects all young people to leave their parents’ home the day after their 18th birthday, but more and more young adults remain at home long after they have completed high school. In 2006, 29.0% of Americans aged 18 to 34 lived at their parents’ home. In 2017, this share increased to 34.6%.
The rate of younger adults living with their parents varies widely from state to state. In a few states, less than 20% of residents 18 to 34 live with their parents. In others, more than 40% of the same age group have remained at home.
24/7 Wall St. reviewed data from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey to determine the states where the largest share of 18 to 34 year olds still live with their parents.
Of course, some 18-year-olds are still in high school. Other young adults live at home while attending college to save money. Many students face very different economic realities based on where they live. Young adults are more likely to continue living at home in the states where a dollar is worth less.
Young people may not be completely at fault for their living situation. Economists agree that millennials face much tougher economic realities than their parents. Home prices and rent are much more expensive today, even adjusting for inflation, than in the 1960s and 70s. The cost of a college degree at a state school has also more than tripled in the last 30 years. Most college graduates finish school with debt, averaging over $28,000. Many states in which many young people live with their parents also rank highly among the states where students graduate with the most debt.
Click here to see where the most people still live with their parents
Click here to read our methodology
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