Why Multigenerational Households Are More Common Than Ever
Living in a multigenerational household in the United States has become more common than ever before, here's why.
While it’s common in many other countries to live in multigenerational households, in the United States, it’s relatively standard to move out of the house after you reach college age. As compounding economic disasters have spiraled throughout 2022, it seems more reasonable than ever for young adults to save money by remaining at home. Since 1971, the amount of young people living with parents or grandparents has nearly tripled, according to data from the Pew Research Center.
The survey was conducted in 2021 and interviewed 10,000 Americans between the ages of 25 to 34. One in four of the people interviewed stated that they were currently living in a multigenerational household. A 25% average is far higher than in decades past, with the percentage almost tripling the 9% average from 1971. But times, financially and socially, have changed drastically since the 1970s. Since the pandemic ravaged the world, young adults have been severely financially crunched. Amongst a devastating economic climate, it’s understandable that young people would want to remain at home.
Most young adults between 25 and 34 living in a multigenerational household live with two parents, which was 47% of people interviewed by the Pew Research center. 39% of young people interviewed lived with one parent, while 14% of people lived in a multigenerational living arrangement headed by a non-parent individual such as a grandparent or roommate. Conversely, 15% of young adults had a parental figure move into their living arrangement.
One of the most prominent driving factors of cohabitation is finances. Economic situations were the leading reason for the multigenerational household increase in 2021. The survey also found a correlation between education status and living with a parent or grandparent. 16% of young adults with bachelor’s degrees are living at home, which is double the amount it was in 1971. 31% of young adults who only finished high school live in multigenerational homes, which is similarly significantly larger than 50 years ago.
Multigenerational households are more common in America for POC and immigrant communities. Housing percentages with two or more generations together were relatively similar for Black, Asian, and Latino people living in the US, which were 26%, 24%, and 26%, respectively. White Americans made up 14% of multigenerational households in the US. A large percentage of young adults living at home was far higher for immigrant families, with a rate of 25% for Americans who were born outside the US. Young people living in a household with members born in the states were only 17%.
The survey showed that young adults living in multigenerational households only made up a small percentage of the entire family income. The data indicated that the young people made only 22% of the living arrangement’s total earnings. This figure also showcases young people’s reliance on their parents’ or grandparents’ income, presumably due to the current precarious economic climate.
Though living in a multigenerational household is common in other countries, it’s not as normalized in the US. In such a frustrating economic situation with COVID-19 still looming, it’s more sensible for young adults to move into a stable housing arrangement with a parent or grandparent.
