The Today Show recently reported on the record number of young adults moving back in with their parents. Realtor.com reports that there are 25.2 million adults from 18 to 34 living at home. Given skyrocketing inflation and the high cost of living, there’s less stigma for this than in the past. The Today Show profiled a 27-year-old Connecticut woman who moved in with her parents after living on her own for four years. Julia’s expenses included $1,800 in rent plus student loan payments when she made the decision to move back home. While the video segment doesn’t specify, it looks like she works remotely. Julia’s mother and father are supportive and say that they enjoy having her with them. Here are some of the statistics as reported by USA Today and I’ve included the Today Show video below.
A record number of adults under age 35 choose to live with their parents, Census data shows, rather than contemplate the increasingly tricky math of living on their own.
More than 25 million under-35 adults lived with their parents in 2025, according to a June report from Realtor.com that draws from Census figures. That’s the highest number on record, including the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, which sent millions of younger Americans back to the parental nest.
“That means one in three 18-to-34-year-olds is back at home, living with their parents,” said Hannah Jones, senior economist at Realtor.com.
This makes sense given the economy. Rent is crazy expensive, groceries are at an all-time high and that’s not to mention the price of entertainment. Home ownership is almost impossible for most people.
I had to move back in with my parents for a few months during my divorce in the early 2000s. I saved enough money to rent my own place, and they helped a lot with my son when he was little. I have fond memories of that time and am so grateful to my family. Now that my son is in graduate school I’ve let him know that he can move back in at any time. He’s been home this summer and it’s been lovely. Our children grow up so fast. While we want them to strike out on their own and not be freeloaders, sometimes living together is the best option for everyone.
