Why It's Harder for Young Adults to Move Out of Their Parental Homes in Some States

While data show that young adults ages 25 to 34 have continued the post-pandemic trend of moving out of their parental homes—the share of young adults living with parents or parents-in-law dropped to 19.1% in 2022—analysis of U.S. Census Bureau  2022 American Community Survey (ACS) data by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) shows noticeable differences across states. Some of the highest shares of young adults remaining in their parents' homes are evident in Southern and Northeastern states, according to NAHB's Eye On Housing. 

While elevated shares of young adults living with parents in Southern states may be attributed to those areas' higher shares of Hispanic households in which multigenerational living is more prevalent, a key reason why many young adults are remaining in their parental homes in many parts of the nation is because of prohibitively expensive housing costs. 

While the national average share declined to 19.2%, more than a quarter of young adults ages 25-34 remain in parental homes in Hawaii (28.1%), California (26.2%) and New Jersey (25.9%). New York and New Hampshire register the nation’s fourth and fifth highest shares of 23.4% and 22.9%, respectively. At the opposite end of the spectrum are states with less than one in ten young adults living with parents. The fast-growing North Dakota records the nation’s lowest share of 4.6%, while the neighboring South Dakotas registers 9.1%. In the District of Columbia, known for its relatively stable job market, less than 8% of young adults live with their parents. The cluster of central US states completes the nation’s list with the lowest percentages of young adults remaining in parental homes – Iowa (9.9%), Nebraska (10.3%), Kansas (10.9%), Wyoming (11%), and Colorado (11.6%).

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