Millennials living at home into 30s signal a Europe-like shift
Millennials and Gen Z adults are increasingly living with their parents into their thirties, as housing costs and weak entry-level jobs keep independence out of reach. Experts say about 22% now stay home—up from roughly 15% in 1980—and call it a lasting cultural shift toward European-style multigenerational living.
Key Takeaways
- About 22.4% of Gen Z and millennial adults live with family, up from roughly 15% in 1980, per Zelman research cited by Fortune.
- Only 44% of 20- to 39-year-olds can afford median local rent, while older generations hold far more housing wealth.
- RBC estimates a 2-point drop in living-at-home rates could unlock about 675,000 housing units, mostly rentals.
- Analysts say stigma is fading as the U.S. trends toward European-style multigenerational living.
Why are so many millennials still living at home?
Rising rates and stretched affordability have pushed multigenerational living higher, Ivy Zelman of housing research firm Zelman told Fortune. She called the change a “secular shift” that should hold through the second half of the decade.
Young adults face a cost-of-living squeeze: Zelman found only 44% of 20- to 39-year-olds could afford their median local rent. Essential payments now consume 54.3% of income, and the savings rate hit 2.8% in the second quarter of 2026—its lowest since 2007.
How does this compare with Europe and older generations?
Zelman argued Americans are adopting a pattern long familiar overseas. “We are going to start looking a lot more like Europe: multigenerational living,” she said, noting many young adults now feel “content” living with parents as stigma fades.
Wealth gaps reinforce the stall. Zelman data show Americans 70 and up average nearly $1.4 million in net worth, ages 55 to 69 about $1.175 million, while Gen Zers and millennials under 40 hold only about $100,000. Baby boomers and Gen Xers are up to 20 times more likely to own a second home than thirtysomethings.
For more on how household finances are shifting, see BlasterPost’s Net Worth & Wealth coverage.
Could young adults leaving home unlock housing demand?
RBC Economics estimates about 22% of adults aged 25–35 lived with a parent or similar relative in 2025—roughly 10 million people. A 2-percentage-point drop in that share could add about 675,000 units of demand, skewed roughly 66/34 toward renting versus owning.
Affordability and labor, not lifestyle alone, are the main brakes. Mortgage rates climbed from a 2.96% average in 2021 to more than 7% briefly in late 2023, and unemployment for recent college graduates has run above 5% through 2026 versus 4.1% for the overall workforce.
Local commentary on the Roggin Report at NBC Palm Springs echoed the same bind: staying home can help young adults save—if they have a plan to eventually launch independently.