Why do so many young people in their 20s still live with thier parents in this day and age?

Question

it seems weird to me. when my parents were kids everyone moved out when they were 18, i moved out when i was 20 but all my friends still live at home and we are mid 20's now. i wonder what is going on?

Answer 1

it is mainly related to the economic situation and not the family structure. the fact that young people can no longer afford their own apartment and independent  houses pushes them to stay at home and spend the limited ammount of money they have on other articles. this situation is no longer local it is the same all over the western world. there are of course different levels but the tendency is rising at a global level.

Answer 2

Lack of affordable housing, poor wages, cost of higher education (increase in amount of students going on to college).

Answer 3

Why wonder about something that has been since adam&Eve?

Answer 4

It may seem weird to you, but to most other people it is understandable.

The economic situation is such that it is often easier to live at home and save money to buy a car or put a down payment on a car.  Often times a child staying at home will also contribute to the household bills which helps the parents out as well.

Answer 5

i'm 18 and am semi-moved out for school. but over vacations i live in my parents' house. mostly because i don't really feel old enough to live on my own. but also because i can't afford to live on my own. and i probably won; be able to afford it for a few years.

Answer 6

people want to move out but its expensive..i just moved out at 23, i'm 24 now.also alot of people are lazy they dont want the responsibility..everyone WANTS to move out when they are 18 but it rarely happens.

Answer 7

I think that in my area, young people cannot afford to rent or to buy on the money they are paid. My sons are both on their own, but one lives in a home that I do own. That son has a family with children, so he lives without rent. He works hard everyday and is a professional.  In my area, homes start at about $300,000 and pay scales do not reflect that at all. Our other son is a physcian's assistant, and makes good money for the area. He pays about $600 a month for rent of a small one bedroom apt.. (That is half of what he earns).

Answer 8

If you are wealthy enough to go away to college and pay for it, go for it ;)

Most people live at home for a year or two until they can transfer to another college, this is assuming that they are going to a University...

Answer 9

I moved out of my family's home when I was 19, in 1969.  I have been critical in the past of young people who continued to live with their parents in their 20's.  I tempered my attitude when I became convinced of the following factors:

-Housing is expensive and starting wages are low.

-Young people today have higher material expectations, and would not tolerate the squalor I lived in when I was first on my own.  (Remember poverty chic from that era?)

-Young people today (for the most part) have much closer relationships with their parents.  I moved out partly so I'd have privacy for s*x.  I've known any number of households where young people openly sleep with their boy/girl friends.

Answer 10

It's a good way to save money.

Answer 11

Given that rent and cost of schooling have increased 1,000% and wages increased 6%, it's small wonder.

Most can't afford it.

Answer 12

lots of lazy people out there..  they all want to leech off their parents and continue living their lives without earning money..  they're either living social lives or playing lots of video games..

Answer 13

there is no harm, infact its good.  family values and bonds continue

Answer 14

I moved from home when I was 18 as well. I assume that staying with your parents helps you avoid crippling mortgages, and even if you rent, staying with your parents is the best way to save enough money for a downpayment on your flat. Basically, the world went and got itself a lot more expensive!

That, and there's no solidarity anymore ;)

Answer 15

Most 20+ year olds are unemployed and cannot find work so therefore cannot afford to leave home.They would have to have money for rent and food and bills etc,so their parents have to keep them.I still have a forty year old living at home and cannot find work.He has tried everything but the jobs do not last for long without being made redundant.Parents have a hard job in keeping their adult children and many parents are only living on their state pensions which is not enough to live on let alone keep an adult child.

Answer 16

In this modern age I guess the cost of living is ecpensive and it can be very hard to jouse hunt or find a flat. I am guessing that msot women find supprt and someone to fall back on when living at home. Such as a night out somewhere safe to live. It is easier just to pay their parents the odd rent that paying for their own place.

The fatc that you moved out shows you have responsibilty and maturity try not to compare yourslef to your friends.

Answer 17

Tough job market, lots of college loans to repay and high cost of living.

Answer 18

Price of housing - childhood getting longer as lifespans increase. Different child-rearing practises.

I think of it as pretty weird too but I guess it isn't if that is what is normal for your social circle.

Answer 19

Yeah well childhood is growing longer and longer. People don't allow a child to do anything much until they are 18 and then expect adult decisions out of them - unfortunately they don't get that very often and the kids end up back at home. Also with the economy the way it is many people graduate from college with no job so they have to go home.

We have stopped insisting teens grow up. We try our darnedest to keep them young. Read this site for a while and you will see parents not allowing 17 year olds to date for instance. Or parents who can't or won't leave their 16 year old home for the evening by himself. Then in a year or so they expect the child to make all their own decisions when at home the parents are still choosing who they can be friends with.

The secret is to insist that teens grow up instead of pampering them. Kids on this site are 17 and whining cause Mom didn't do their laundry fast enough or Mom makes them "gasp" do dishes.

If they can't wash their own clothes and wash some dishes without whining and carrying on they can't take care of themselves now can they? So they go home --- and guess what Mom goes right back to doing everything for them.