Jennifer Lawrence does it. So does Taylor Lautner. And now, a new report says more people in their generation are, too. A new Pew Research Center analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data shows that 36 percent of the nation’s young adults ages 18 to 31 were living in their parents’ home in 2012. That’s the highest share in at least four decades.
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MTV reported as late as April 2013 that millennials Lawrence, Lautner and Demi Lovato are among the celebrities still living with their parents. The MTV piece quotes the stars as liking the emotional support network of family as one reason. Clearly, money probably isn’t an issue for these movie stars, but it is a primary factor for the millennials who are crashing their parents’ digs. The Pew analysis cites three driving factors for the higher share of Gen Y’ers living at home:
Declining employment. The percentage of 18- to 31-year-olds with jobs dropped from 70 percent in 2007 to 63 percent in 2012.
Rising college enrollment. The percentage of 18- to 24-year-olds enrolled in college rose from 35 percent in March 2007 to 39 percent in March 2012.
Declining marriage. The percentage of 18- to 31-year-olds who were married dropped from 30 percent in 2007 to 25 percent in 2012.
So how long is too long to live at home? A Coldwell Banker Real Estate survey of 2,000 Americans showed that Americans disagree. Respondents to the survey ages 55 and older think it’s just fine for adults to live at home with parents for as long as three years, but 18- to 34-year-olds answered it’s OK for five years, according to CNNMoney’s report on the survey. This Coldwell Banker infographic shows more opinions and a psychotherapist’s tips for parents and adult children living together.
Analysis by online salary database PayScale revealed that millennials should pursue math and science if they want to earn the big bucks (and avoid living at home as adults.) These Gen Y Job Stats provide insight into other top-paying jobs for this generation. Or check out these “20 Job Rules for Millennials” by Forbes.com.
Tell Us What You Think
How old is too old to live at home with your parents? Share your opinion or experience on Twitter or in the comments section below.
What can be done when the wife countermands every attempt by the Father to get an adult Parasite child (Aged 42) to vacate the parents domicile, find her own place and for once and all move all of her belongings (Property, Furniture ,etc) out? The argument by the Parasite child is “I do not have enough money to afford my own place”….! My answer is so what? You have been an Adult for the past 22 plus years! Get on… Read more »
i worked with a millenial who had terrible work ethic, demands for a huge salary, the expectation of martini lunches and international travel. he lied about his work history, work accomplishments and even his education. then, being unqualified but able to “talk” his way into the position, i ended up having to take on a lot of his workload.this seems to be a trend with millenials who were told from the start that they were all “special”. what we have… Read more »
Wake up people, I have yet to meet one of these kids that didn’t have pot pipe glued to their lips. As an employer not in a million years.
I think this question could only be asked in the West and only in recent generations. Extended families are common throughout much of the world and no one questions them, and such extended families have historical roots. I live alone, but I would love the support of my family, and I can see the benefit of living as a family group on many levels. The stigma should be done away with. It should always be okay for extended families to… Read more »
While I do agree that some of the issues James Igoe raises (above) are indeed true, I fear that most folks in general refuse to “Just Say No” to credit cards. Furthermore, there is plenty of financial aid available for those individuals who choose to go to school to better their lives. The problem I see is that many choose to buy into the sales pitch from the private College Recruiter “Learn anything you like, study for your dream job,… Read more »
My opinion only, middle aged thirty year old so called kids living at home because they are irresponsible, half addiction problems, taking advantage of parents generous gift of love. These kids have no plans to support their parents financially or emotionally. Check the situations today’s of how any kids care about their family members in nursing homes abandoned!!!!
In any case, who says the nuclear family is all that great? Mother and Father live alone in one state or nursing home, kids scattered to the 4 winds chasing jobs. Many of us parents who are empty nesters are now wishing we had built that mother-in-law studio apartment when we had the chance – we would probably have one of our very great kids staying with us a bit longer . This your home vs my home idea is… Read more »
I am offended by your sentiment. I am not a millennial, and I think that income inequality is significantly impacting peoples’ ability to become independent. Additionally, the credit economy harms the less-than-affluent, creating booms and busts. The political calls for governmental austerity, the lack of social mobility, and the lack of concern for the lesser in society has created an environment harmful for most below the top quintile. Blaming individuals, although there might be some traits common to… Read more »
Confession: I am a Millennial. I lived at home with my parents after college. And I am grateful that I did. I think there is a misconception about Millennials living with their parents for a bit of time. Yes, this is different than generations before; we were very rarely told by our parents at age 18, “I love you, you’re great, now leave!” The thing is – many of us recognize this advantage that we have. Millennials living with their… Read more »