Young Adults Are More Mobile Than Previous Generations

Young adults who were able live move out of their parents’ home and live on their own are changing addresses more often compared with previous generations.

A Zillow Economic Research analysis of U.S. Census Bureau numbers found that the share of 25 to 34 year olds who lived in their home less than two years grew to 45.3% in 2017 compared with 33.8% in 1960. A majority of young adults moved within the same metro, yet a growing number moved to a different city in the same state.

Shorter tenures are related to changes in workplace norms. The typical career trajectory has fundamentally changed since the 1960s. Rather than climb a corporate ladder, many young adults hop from one role or job function to the next, often requiring a move to a new location for each step. The typical employed millennial has been with their current employer for 2.8 years, while the median tenure is more than 10 years for those 55 and older.

In addition, demographic changes have made it easier for today’s young adults to get up and move. Millennials have gained a reputation as the generation that delays life’s major milestones, like getting married and having children, which often prompt settling into a more stable or permanent housing situation. Instead of starting a family in their early to mid-twenties as was the norm in past decades, many are waiting until they are established in their careers. Ultimately, this analysis highlights the activities of young adults who have just started their careers as well as those who are moving into a bigger home when they marry or have children, or simply into a home of their own as they progress in their lives and careers.

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