Adult children moving back home in droves
The percentage of adult children living with their parents is at its highest in more than 60 years, according to Pew Research Center. Credit: iStock
Many parents whose adult children have left the family home are learning that the moving van makes round-trips, especially in tough economic times.
The percentage of adult children living with their parents is at its highest in more than 60 years, according to Pew Research Center. Crunching data from the Census Bureau, Pew found that as of April 2010, nearly 22 percent of adult children ages 25-34 were living with their parents. But the number may be even larger now. In a separate study done by Pew at the end of last year and published last month, 29 percent of parents said at least one of their adult children moved back in the past few years because of economic conditions.
Most previous studies of young adults living at home included 18- to 24-year-olds, an age group that historically lives with their parents in large numbers. The Pew study focused on adults ages 25-34, and it's significant that the data shows a sharp rise in the number of them living with their parents.
And how is this forced togetherness working out? Actually, pretty well. According to the Pew survey, 78 percent of these "boomerang children" said they are satisfied with their living arrangements. As for the parents: Those with adult kids who returned home were as satisfied with their family life as those whose kids are living on their own away from home.
Moving back does not have the negative implications it once had, says Susan Newman, a social psychologist and blogger (susannewman phd.com) who has written several books and articles about adult kids living with their parents. "People are realizing that there's nothing wrong with it," she says. "And many of the parents like having their adult children home as essentially different people."
For the grown kids, especially those unemployed or with low-paying jobs, returning home is a compromise, but it's often less onerous than other alternatives. "They grew up in a pretty good economy, so they're used to having a lot of creature comforts," Newman says. "Some of them are going home so they don't have to share living quarters with four other people."
Instead of being a burden, many boomerang kids are helping out. Nearly half pay rent, and more than 90 percent said they do household chores.
