The changing pattern of living arrangements differs significantly by gender. Among men ages 18 to 34, living in a parent’s household became the dominant living arrangement in 2009. In 2014, 35 percent of young men were living with their parents, compared with 28 percent who were living with a romantic partner.
Young women, on the other hand, are still more likely to be living with a significant other. In 2014, 35 percent lived with a spouse or a romantic partner, compared with 29 percent who were living with their parents. The proportion of young women living with a romantic partner peaked at 68 percent in 1960.
Women are also now more likely to be a single head of household, according to Pew’s analysis. More women, 16 percent, than men, 13 percent, were living alone. Men, however, were more likely to have an alternative living arrangement like living in the home of another family member, a non-relative, or in some type of group space.
There are potential economic explanations for the evolution of living arrangements among young people, according to Pew. A marked decrease in employment and earnings among young men might be keeping them in their parents’ home for longer, while women’s increase in employment and wages might be causing them to postpone or eschew marriage.
Yet the shift towards living longer with a parent began before the global financial crisis and Great Recession, according to the analysis.
Less educated adults, regardless of gender, were also more likely to live in a parent’s home, according to Pew. More than one-third, or 36 percent, of non-college educated Americans aged 18 to 34 were living in their parents’ home, versus 27 percent who were married or cohabitating with a partner. On the other hand, 46 percent of college-educated young adults were married or living with a partner, versus 19 percent who were living in a parent’s home.
Race and ethnicity were also predictive of living arrangements, according to the research. In 2014, record highs of black and Hispanic Americans between the ages of 18 and 34 were living with their parents, 36 percent for each group, while 30 percent of white young adults lived in a parent’s home. Only 17 percent of black young adults were living with a spouse or partner. White young adults were more likely to live with a spouse or a partner.
For Pew’s report, the authors analyzed decennial censuses from 1880 to 2000, and the American Community Survey results from 2006 to 2014.