The Crushing Costs Keeping Millennials and Gen Z Stuck with Mom and Dad

2024-07-07

More millennials and Gen Z-ers are opting to wait to leave the nest. Find out why they aren’t moving on as quickly as older generations.

Study Finds Adults Staying With Family in High Numbers

Image Credit: Shutterstock / fizkes

One recent study showed that an unusually high percentage of millennial and Generation Z adults are still living with family, and the trend is consistent across the country.

68% of Gen Z Still Lives at Home

Image Credit: Shutterstock / Monkey Business Images

Based on data presented by RentCafe.com, 68% of adults from Generation Z are still living at home with family. By comparison, 20% of millennials still live at home.

Some Jobs More Likely to Lead to Cohabitating With Family

Image Credit: Shutterstock / Robert Kneschke

The study found that people who worked in certain occupations had the highest likelihood of living with family into adulthood, including food service, retail, and construction workers. Teachers were also high on the list.

Trends Result From “Financial or Health-Related Circumstances”

Image Credit: Shutterstock / New Africa

“It mainly boils down to either financial or health-related circumstances,” the study read. Many young adults are staying put to save money, while others act as live-in caregivers for aging relatives.

The Impact of the Cost of Living

Image Credit: Shutterstock / Rosie Apples

Cost of living was a significant factor, according to the study. As one of the most expensive cities in the country, Los Angeles reported the highest percentage (35%) of adults from the millennial generation living in multi-generational homes.

Raleigh, NC, a Hot Spot for Gen Z Staying With Family

Image Credit: Shutterstock / ESB Professional

On the Gen Z side, 87% were still living at home in Raleigh, NC – more than any other city.

Adults Priced Out of Many Housing Markets

Image Credit: Shutterstock / Andrii Yalanskyi

As the cost of living soars throughout the country, it makes financial sense that families are choosing to reside together. Housing prices have continued to rise, and in most states, it’s impossible to rent an average apartment on minimum wage.

Senior Care a Significant Motivator 

Image Credit: Shutterstock / didesign021

The cost of adequate senior care homes and in-home care has also increased drastically, which means it’s more feasible for many elderly Americans to have younger family members move in to take care of them.

Some Saving Money for Home-Buying Plans

Image Credit: Shutterstock / Krakenimages.com

The study also showed that many of those still living at home were doing so in hopes of saving money for a down payment on a future home purchase.

Nearly Half of Young Adults Live at Home

Image Credit: Shutterstock / MintImages

A different study from Bloomberg showed that 45% of adults under 30 are still living with family. Researchers pointed out that the figure was similar to the number of adults living at home in the 1940s. 

Historical Figures Resulting from the Great Depression

Image Credit: Shutterstock / IHX

At that time, the effects of the Great Depression were still being felt across America, and families remained intact for longer periods because of the nation’s economic devastation during and following World War II. 

A Difficult Landscape

Image Credit: Shutterstock / PopTika

The fact that today’s numbers rival those of the ‘40s points to an economic disaster that millennials and Gen Z-ers are struggling to navigate. 

More People Okay With Living at Home

Image Credit: Shutterstock / SpeedKingz

The bright side is that the perception of living at home long-term has changed. 87% of people believe that living with family isn’t shameful, understanding that there are many complex factors that contribute to the decision.

Homeownership Dreams Slashed By High Costs

Image Credit: Shutterstock / Deemerwha studio

In a Redfin survey last year, it was reported that a significant number of young adults believe they will never be homeowners. 18% of the millennials surveyed and 12% of the Gen Z respondents said they didn’t believe they would ever be able to afford to purchase a home.

Rental Market Unaffordable in Much of the Country

Image Credit: Shutterstock / Good Mood

Add that to the fact that the rental market is highly competitive and unaffordable in many U.S. cities, and it’s easy to understand why young adults would choose to stay in their parents’ homes long after turning 18.

Many Millennials Still Able to Own Homes

Image Credit: Shutterstock / Prostock-studio

However, the same study showed that over half of millennials were homeowners in 2023, and those numbers have increased year over year. 

87% Increase In Young Adults Living With Parents Since 2000

Image Credit: Shutterstock / Shift Drive

Per the U.S. census, the number of young adults between 25 and 34 who still live in multi-generational households has rocketed up 87% since roughly 2000. For context, the median rent in the U.S. in 2000 was $602, while today, it is $1747.

Other Reasons for Cohabitation

Image Credit: Shutterstock / William Perugini

For some Americans, the choice to stay home is more about family togetherness and less about finances. Those families are reaping the benefits of sharing expenses while maintaining close relationships between generations.

Less People Live at Home in Affordable Cities

Image Credit: Shutterstock / aceshot1

The RentCafe.com study noted that some cities, including Cincinnati, OH, and Milwaukee, WI, experienced a decrease in millennials and Gen Z-ers residing with family when judged against the numbers pre-COVID.

Those cities are among the most affordable metropolitan areas in the United States.

23 Steep Taxes Adding to California Residents’ Burden

Image Credit: Shutterstock / Alex Millauer

California: a place of sunshine, innovation, and, unfortunately, some of the nation’s highest taxes. From LA’s beaches to Silicon Valley’s tech hubs, residents grapple with a maze of state taxes. Here’s a glance at 23 taxes that might surprise both Californians and outsiders. 23 Steep Taxes Adding to California Residents’ Burden

Cash in on Nostalgia: 21 Toys Now Worth a Fortune

Image Credit: Shutterstock / Kostikova Natalia

Time to dust off the boxes and find that once-cherished toy from your childhood. For collectors and enthusiasts, these items have become valued objects, and they can be worth big bucks – are there any of these in your attic? Cash in on Nostalgia: 21 Toys Now Worth a Fortune

Millennials Don’t Buy These 19 Products Anymore

Image Credit: Shutterstock / mariakray

Millennials are changing consumer habits, quietly replacing once-staple products and traditions. Often criticized for their disruptive preferences, this generation is reshaping the marketplace with digital expertise, ethical buying, and a taste for the unconventional. Millennials Don’t Buy These 19 Products Anymore

The post The Crushing Costs Keeping Millennials and Gen Z Stuck with Mom and Dad first appeared on Thrift My Life. 

Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock / BearFotos.

The content of this article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute or replace professional financial advice.