The public health and economic toll the coronavirus pandemic caused are well documented. Perhaps less understood are the social impacts. According to a report from Pew Research Center, young adults in the United States were more likely to be living with at least one parent in July 2020 than at any time since the Great Depression.
The historic numbers of young adults either moving back home or choosing to remain there during the pandemic appears to have been a continuation of a broader trend. According to data from the U.S. Census Bureau, 34.4% of Americans between the ages of 18 and 34 lived with at least one parent, grandparent, or former guardian in 2019 — compared to 31.5% in 2010.
The likelihood of young adults residing with their parents varies considerably from state to state.
Over 181,600 of the 474,070 18 to 34 year olds in New Mexico live with at least one parent or grandparent — making the state one of only eight nationwide where more than 38% of young adults live with their parents.
A strong job market can make it easier for young adults to achieve financial independence and afford their own place to live. In New Mexico, however, the monthly unemployment rate of 8.0% is the fifth highest in the country and well above the 6.2% national jobless rate.
To determine the states where the most young adults live with their parents, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed data on family and household type from the Public Use Microdata Sample summary files of the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2019 American Community Survey. States were ranked on the percentage of adults 18 to 34 years old who live with their biological parents, adoptive parents, steparents, foster parents, or grandparents in 2019. Supplemental data on the median age at first marriage of the 15 to 54 year-old cohort came from the Census Bureau’s 2019 ACS. Data on regional price parity used to calculate cost of living came from the Bureau of Economic Analysis and is for 2019.
| Rank | State | 18-34 year-olds living with parents (%) | Median age at first marriage (years) | March 2021 unemployment (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Jersey | 45.1 | 30.3 | 7.8 |
| 2 | Florida | 40.5 | 30.3 | 5.3 |
| 3 | California | 40.2 | 30.3 | 8.2 |
| 4 | Mississippi | 39.7 | 27.3 | 6.3 |
| 5 | Connecticut | 39.6 | 31.1 | 8.3 |
| 6 | Maryland | 39.5 | 30.2 | 6.0 |
| 7 | Rhode Island | 38.8 | 31.2 | 7.2 |
| 8 | New Mexico | 38.3 | 30.1 | 8.0 |
| 9 | New York | 37.7 | 30.7 | 8.5 |
| 10 | Hawaii | 37.4 | 29.6 | 8.6 |
| 11 | Georgia | 36.8 | 29.0 | 4.0 |
| 12 | Illinois | 36.2 | 29.9 | 7.1 |
| 13 | South Carolina | 36.0 | 29.2 | 4.8 |
| 14 | Louisiana | 35.7 | 29.2 | 6.6 |
| 15 | Texas | 35.6 | 28.4 | 7.2 |
| 16 | Alabama | 35.4 | 27.9 | 3.4 |
| 17 | Michigan | 35.0 | 29.5 | 5.2 |
| 18 | New Hampshire | 34.9 | 29.6 | 3.2 |
| 19 | Delaware | 34.3 | 30.5 | 6.6 |
| 20 | Arizona | 34.1 | 29.5 | 6.5 |
| 21 | Pennsylvania | 34.1 | 29.8 | 7.3 |
| 22 | Massachusetts | 32.9 | 30.7 | 6.6 |
| 23 | North Carolina | 32.9 | 28.9 | 4.6 |
| 24 | Virginia | 32.7 | 29.2 | 5.1 |
| 25 | West Virginia | 31.7 | 27.5 | 6.1 |
| 26 | Nevada | 31.4 | 29.2 | 7.6 |
| 27 | Tennessee | 31.3 | 27.8 | 5.1 |
| 28 | Alaska | 31.0 | 28.7 | 7.1 |
| 29 | Ohio | 30.4 | 29.1 | 4.9 |
| 30 | Arkansas | 30.4 | 26.4 | 4.8 |
| 31 | Indiana | 29.9 | 28.5 | 4.7 |
| 32 | Kentucky | 29.6 | 27.7 | 5.0 |
| 33 | Utah | 29.5 | 25.8 | 2.9 |
| 34 | Missouri | 28.8 | 28.1 | 4.4 |
| 35 | Maine | 27.8 | 29.2 | 5.4 |
| 36 | Oklahoma | 27.3 | 26.8 | 4.1 |
| 37 | Oregon | 26.7 | 29.6 | 6.5 |
| 38 | Wisconsin | 26.4 | 28.8 | 4.8 |
| 39 | Minnesota | 26.3 | 29.0 | 4.5 |
| 40 | Washington | 26.1 | 28.8 | 6.1 |
| 41 | Idaho | 26.0 | 26.7 | 4.0 |
| 42 | Vermont | 25.9 | 30.0 | 3.3 |
| 43 | Montana | 25.2 | 28.3 | 4.4 |
| 44 | Kansas | 25.2 | 27.4 | 3.8 |
| 45 | Colorado | 24.6 | 28.9 | 6.5 |
| 46 | South Dakota | 21.5 | 26.8 | 3.3 |
| 47 | Nebraska | 21.4 | 27.3 | 2.8 |
| 48 | Iowa | 21.1 | 27.8 | 4.4 |
| 49 | Wyoming | 20.3 | 26.0 | 5.9 |
| 50 | North Dakota | 14.3 | 27.4 | 4.8 |
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