Overview
- Realtor.com’s analysis of CPS ASEC data shows 25.2 million adults under 35 lived with a parent in 2025, equal to about one in three in that age group and a new absolute high.
- The report attributes the rise mainly to sustained underproduction of entry-level housing and sharp price and rent gains rather than broad youth unemployment.
- National median listing prices rose roughly 34% since 2019 to about $430,000 and median asking rents climbed nearly 18% to about $1,673, making independent living less affordable for many young adults.
- About 70% of 25-to-34-year-olds living at home are employed and most are never-married, while a growing share hold four-year degrees, illustrating delayed household formation among working adults.
- Realtor.com estimates a roughly 4 million-home shortfall and warns that persistent latent demand has reduced starter-home turnover and shifted the typical first-time buyer into their 40s, with long-term consequences for wealth building.