Number of Millennials living with parents on the rise

According to new Pew Research Center analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data, a record total of 21.6 million Millennials (ages 18-31) lived at home with their parents in 2012, representing 36 percent of the nation’s young adults.

This marks the highest share of young adults living at home in the last four decades. By comparison, 18.5 million Millennials lived at home in 2007. At least one-third of these young adults are college students.

Young adults ages 18 to 24 are more likely than older Millennials to be living with their parents (56 percent vs. 16 percent), and men are more likely than women (40 percent vs. 32 percent) to be living at home.

The steady rise in the share of young adults living with their parents is driven by a combination of factors: declining employment, rising college enrollment and fewer marriages.

Declining employment. In 2012, 63 percent of Millennials had jobs, down from the 70 percent of their same-aged counterparts who had jobs in 2007. In 2012, unemployed Millennials were much more likely than employed Millennials to be living with their parents (45 percent vs. 29 percent).

Rising college enrollment. In March 2012, 39 percent of 18 to 24-year-olds were enrolled in college, up from 35 percent in March 2007. Among 18 to 24 year olds, those enrolled in college were much more likely than those not in college to be living at home (66 percent vs. 50 percent).

Declining marriage. In 2012 just 25 percent of Millennials were married, down from the 30 percent of 18 to 31-year-olds who were married in 2007. Today’s unmarried Millennials are much more likely than married Millennials to be living with their parents (47 percent vs. 3 percent).

The analysis finds that the share of young adults living in their parents’ home was relatively constant from 1968 to 2007, at about 32 percent. However, other household arrangements of young adults changed dramatically during this period. For example, those who were married and living with a spouse fell from 56 percent in 1968 to 27 percent in 2007. The share living with a roommate or child or were cohabiting with a partner increased from 5.5 percent to 26 percent.