Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Record One-Third of Adults Under 35 Live With Parents

Entry-level supply falls far short of demand, leaving many employed young adults unable to afford independent housing.

Overview

  • Realtor.com found that 25.2 million adults under 35 lived with a parent in 2025, about one in three and the largest absolute total on record.
  • Roughly 70% of 25-to-34-year-olds living at home are employed, which Realtor.com’s senior economist Hannah Jones says shows the trend is driven by housing access rather than joblessness.
  • Since 2019 the national median listing price rose about 34.4% to $430,000 and median asking rent climbed about 17.9% to $1,673, squeezing both would-be renters and first-time buyers.
  • The United States faces an estimated shortfall of roughly 4 million homes, and Realtor.com’s counterfactual analysis suggests about 4.86 million fewer young adults would be at home if early-2000s co-residence rates had persisted.
  • Market effects include a later typical first-time buyer age near 40, rising co-residence among 30–34 year-olds, more men remaining at home in older cohorts, and a buildup of latent demand that could reshape starter-home turnover and lifelong wealth accumulation.