Moving back home: Many young adults return to live in their parents’ homes after breakups

Why do most younger adults who move back in with their parents choose to do? Losing a job or maybe to save money?

Surprisingly not. The top reasons younger adults move back in with their parents is due to a breakup, according to a recent Homes.com survey. Twenty percent of adults, including 33 percent of 26 to 30 year-olds, 37 percent of 31 to 35 years old and 24 percent of 36 to 40-year olds, returned to their parents’ home thanks to a split with a partner. The majority of returning adults are 30 and under.

The second most-cited reason is to save money for a home purchase or a similar major investment, especially for 20 to 25 year-olds. Losing a job and debt are the third and fourth most popular reasons for moving home, and student loan debt is typically the type of debt they are struggling with. For those over 40 years old, the main reason they move in with their parents is to take care of them.

Overall, parents are mostly fine with their adult children moving back home, with 87 percent accepting, and 77 percent not putting a limit on how long an adult child can stay home. For the most part, they also get along, according to 58 percent of parents and 68 percent of children living at home again. For some, it may seem like going back into time anyway, 45 percent have returned to their childhood bedrooms, but there hasn’t been any statistics released as to whether the room still has Backstreet Boys posters on the wall. For the rest, they have been moved to a guest bedroom, basement, guest house, living room or garage.

The top issues between families are not surprisingly, privacy, noise issues and space constraints. Money and politics also wage some wars in homes. But 75 percent of returning adults are residing without paying rent, so maybe they should take it easy on Mom and Dad.