More adult children live at home now than during the pandemic
One woman in her mid-thirties says her income of $60,000 wasn't enough to cover all her bills after a breakup, leading her to move back home.
A recent study reveals that more U.S. adults under 35 are living with their parents than during the COVID-19 pandemic, with 25.2 million adults in this age group residing at home in 2025. According to Realtor.com, the share of adults living with their parents exceeded the level during the pandemic. While many of these adults are employed, their wages are struggling to keep up with inflation.
Among 25- to 34-year-olds living at home, around 70% have jobs. Karleigh Gaudreau, a 34-year-old business coach and content creator, is one of the many who recently returned home. Gaudreau, who earns around $60,000 annually, could afford to split rent but struggled to cover the entire cost alone, especially with student loans and car payments.
She emphasizes the difficulty of functioning on less than $85,000. Homeownership dreams are becoming increasingly unattainable for many Americans due to rising home prices and higher mortgage rates. Only fewer than 40% of non-homeowner households can afford a typical starter home, according to a LendingTree analysis. Experts like Susan Wachter, a professor of real estate at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business, highlight the need for society to address affordability across the board, not just the price of homes and mortgages.
Gaudreau's decision to save money by living with her parents has paid off, and she plans to move into a place of her own in November.
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