In recent years, there has been a trend of young adults choosing to stay living at home with their parents instead of moving out on their own, particularly in California. According to a new Pew Research Center analysis, California has the highest number of 25 to 34-year-olds living at home with their parents. The main reason cited for this trend is the economic climate, with many young adults feeling financially unable to strike out on their own. Specific metropolitan areas in California, such as Vallejo and Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, have the highest concentration of young adults living at home, with percentages as high as 33%.
In addition to California, other metro areas across the country also have a high number of young adults living with their parents. Cities such as El Centro, California, Brownsville-Harlingen, Texas, Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, California, and Merced, California, also have significant percentages of Gen Z and millennials residing with their parents. On the other end of the spectrum, areas like Odessa, Texas, Lincoln, Nebraska, Ithaca, New York, and Bloomington, Indiana, have much lower percentages of young adults living at home.
The trend of young adults living with their parents has been on the rise even before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, but it significantly increased during the lockdowns. This has led to a situation where a large number of adult children are choosing to remain at home with their parents for an extended period of time. When looking at the breakdown by gender, young men are more likely than young women to live at home with their parents. Additionally, there are differences among racial groups, with White young adults being less likely to live with their parents compared to Asian, Hispanic, and Black peers.
Despite the general trends, there are exceptions to the rule when it comes to young adults living with their parents. While White young adults are less likely to reside with their parents, there are instances where this is not the case. For example, the metro areas with the lowest shares of young adults living at home have a higher proportion of White residents. However, the racial breakdown of these areas is diverse, with varying percentages of White, Hispanic, Asian, Black, and other populations. This indicates that the decision to live with parents is influenced by a variety of factors beyond just race.
Overall, the trend of young adults living with their parents instead of moving out on their own is a reflection of the economic challenges many face in today’s society. With rising costs of living, student loan debt, and stagnant wages, many young adults are finding it difficult to establish themselves independently. This has led to a shift in societal norms, with more adult children choosing to stay at home for an extended period of time. The data from Pew Research Center highlights these trends, particularly in California and other metro areas across the country, where significant percentages of young adults are opting to remain living with their parents.
