The Empty Nest Is on Hold: 1 in 3 Adults Under 35 Lives With Their Parents, Realtor.com® Finds

Rhea-AI Summary

Realtor.com (NWS) reports that a record 25.2 million adults under 35 lived with their parents in 2025, about 33% of the age group. Most are employed, pointing to housing affordability rather than jobs.

Median listing prices reached $430,000 (34.4% above 2019) and median rent $1,673 (17.9% above 2019). The US faces an estimated 4 million-home supply deficit, creating delayed household formation and significant latent housing demand.

News Market Reaction – NWS

-2.87%

-2.87% Session close to close

In the Jun 18 session, NWS declined 2.87%, reflecting a moderate negative market reaction.

Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.

Market Context

This announcement highlights that 25.2 million young adults live with parents amid a $430,000 median...

Analysis

This announcement highlights that 25.2 million young adults live with parents amid a $430,000 median listing price, extending Realtor.com’s data-led positioning for NWS. Persistent affordability strain is a risk; watch how often such structural themes recur in future releases.

Key Figures

Adults under 35 at home: 25.2 million Co-residence rate: 33.0% Median home listing price: $430,000 +5 more

8 metrics

Adults under 35 at home 25.2 million US adults under 35 living with parents in 2025

Co-residence rate 33.0% Share of adults under 35 living with parents in 2025

Median home listing price $430,000 US national median listing price, 2025

Median asking rent $1,673 US national median asking rent, 2025

Home price change 34.4% above 2019 National median home listing price vs 2019

Rent change 17.9% above 2019 National median asking rent vs 2019

Employed 25–34 at home ≈70% Employment rate among 25–34 living with parents in 2025

Typical first-time buyer age 40 Reported age of typical first-time homebuyer

Historical Context

5 past events · Latest: Jun 16 (Neutral)

Pattern 5 events

Date	Event	Sentiment	24h Move	Catalyst
Jun 16	Rental trends report	Neutral	+1.0%	Realtor.com released May 2026 national rental and cross‑market demand trends.
Jun 15	State report cards	Neutral	-0.0%	Realtor.com published 2026 state grades on homebuilding and affordability.
Jun 11	Pricing dynamics study	Neutral	-2.5%	Realtor.com analyzed how listing duration affects achieved home sale prices.
Jun 10	Luxury market review	Neutral	-0.5%	Realtor.com assessed post‑pandemic luxury housing performance across major metros.
Jun 09	Product upgrade launch	Neutral	+0.3%	Realtor.com upgraded its My Home dashboard for roughly 87 million homeowners.

24h Move is the share-price change in the day after each event; other market factors may also have contributed.

Pattern Detected

Recent Realtor.com data and product releases have produced small, mixed price moves for NWS, with a slight tilt toward downside reactions.

Key Terms

co-residence, counterfactual analysis, current population survey (cps), annual social and economic supplement (asec), +1 more

5 terms

co-residence technical

"Co-residence data in this report are drawn from the IPUMS Current Population Survey"

Co-residence means two or more people, business units, or operations sharing the same physical location or premises—like roommates in an apartment but for offices, factories or data centers. For investors it matters because sharing space usually changes costs, speeds collaboration, concentrates operational risk and can trigger different regulatory or tax rules; those effects can influence profitability, growth prospects and the value of an investment.

counterfactual analysis technical

"The counterfactual analysis in the Trends section applies the average co-residence rate"

Counterfactual analysis examines what would have happened if a key event, decision, or condition had been different by comparing the actual outcome to a plausible alternative scenario. Like replaying a game with a different strategy to see which moves changed the result, it helps investors judge causality, evaluate management choices, estimate how different actions might affect future returns, and assess risks that aren’t visible from historical data alone.

current population survey (cps) technical

"drawn from the IPUMS Current Population Survey (CPS) Annual Social and Economic Supplement"

The Current Population Survey (CPS) is a monthly government survey of households that measures employment, unemployment, and labor force participation in the United States, acting like a regular snapshot of who is working and who is looking for work. Investors watch CPS data because changes in jobs and unemployment affect consumer spending, corporate profits and interest-rate expectations—similar to checking traffic before a trip to gauge how smoothly the economy will move.

annual social and economic supplement (asec) technical

"Current Population Survey (CPS) Annual Social and Economic Supplement (ASEC), covering survey years"

An annual social and economic supplement (ASEC) is a yearly survey add-on that collects detailed household information on income, poverty, health insurance and work patterns. Think of it as a wide-angle snapshot of how much people earn and how they’re faring economically; investors use those insights to judge consumer spending power, demand for goods and services, and potential shifts in policy or credit risk that can affect company revenues and market outlooks.

person-level weights technical

"All population estimates use CPS person-level weights (ASECWT) to produce nationally"

Person-level weights are numbers assigned to each individual in a study, survey, or dataset so that that person’s information counts more or less when producing results. Think of giving some people larger or smaller shopping bags so the final tally reflects the whole population rather than just the sampled group. For investors, these weights matter because they change reported rates, averages and trends used to judge product performance, market size, clinical outcomes or regulatory risk, and can materially affect forecasts and valuations.

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Most Young Adults Living With Parents Are Employed: Data Points to Housing Affordability, Not Jobs

AUSTIN, Texas, June 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- A record 25.2 million adults under 35 lived with their parents in 2025, surpassing even the pandemic peak, as housing costs continue to price young adults out of independent living, according to a new Realtor.com^® report released today. One in 3 adults under 35 now shares a roof with a parent, a rate that has held near its 2020 record high with little sign of easing.

The numbers reflect the accumulated weight of more than a decade of housing underproduction, which has kept persistent upward pressure on housing costs. Had early-2000s co-residence patterns held, 4.86 million fewer young adults would be living with their parents today. Instead, a national median home listing price of $430,000 — 34.4% above 2019 levels — and a median asking rent of $1,673 — 17.9% above 2019 levels — have made independent living financially out of reach for millions. The United States currently faces a deficit of approximately 4 million homes, a gap that has widened since the construction slowdown following the 2008 financial crisis.

"The adults living with their parents today are largely employed, and many hold college degrees. What's holding them back isn't a lack of qualifications, but rather, at least in part, a lack of housing they can actually afford," said Hannah Jones, Senior Economist at Realtor.com^®. "This is a supply story, not an employment story."

A Record High That Keeps Climbing
The 33.0% co-residence rate among adults under 35 in 2025 sits just below the 2020 all-time high of 33.6%, and the absolute count of 25.2 million has now surpassed it. The share has held at or near its pandemic peak since 2022. The pattern across the last two decades follows the same arc: crisis, spike, partial retreat, and a new, higher floor.

The first major increase came during the Great Recession, when co-residence rates rose sharply and did not recover when the economy did. The second came with COVID, as the overall share jumped to 33.6% in 2020. A brief retreat in 2022 reflected a narrow cohort that caught historically low mortgage rates before the window closed. Everyone behind them faced elevated rates, limited inventory, and elevated rents, and by 2025 the count had climbed to a new record.

Excess Co-Residence: Actual vs. Expected, 2000–2025

Year	Actual 18-34 Year- Olds at Home	If early-2000s rates held	Excess
2000	17.8M	17.7M	+0.1M
2007	19.2M	18.7M	+0.5M
2010	20.8M	19.4M	+1.5M
2015	23.0M	19.6M	+3.4M
2019	23.5M	19.4M	+4.0M
2021	24.3M	19.5M	+4.9M
2025	25.2M	20.3M	+4.86M

Who Is Living at Home
The adults living with their parents in 2025 do not fit the stereotype. Among those aged 25 to 34, approximately 70% are employed. In 2000, roughly 1 in 9 adults in their late 20s were both employed and living at home; by 2025, that ratio had grown to nearly 1 in 7, even as employment rates within the group held steady. The divergence points directly at housing costs, not labor market conditions.

Roughly 9 in 10 adults aged 25 to 34 living with parents have never been married, up from 79% in 2000, and about 1 in 3 aged 25 to 29 holds a four-year degree, up from fewer than 1 in 4 at the start of the century. The growth in co-residence is a story of delayed household formation.

Adults Living With Parents, by Age Group, 2025

Age Group	Total at Home  (Millions)	Employed  (%)	Never- Married (%)	BA or Higher (%)	Male (%)
18–24	17.67M	51.9 %	98.1 %	9.6 %	51.5 %
25–29	4.53M	71.1 %	93.6 %	31.5 %	57.4 %
30–34	3.00M	68.4 %	88.8 %	26.8 %	60.6 %

Men make up the majority of at-home adults at every age, though the gap is narrowing at younger ages. Among 18 to 24-year-olds the split is now nearly even at 51.5% male, compared to 55/45 in 2000.

The Generational Divide Within the Data
The data splits differently depending on cohort. Among adults aged 25 to 29, co-residence has seen a modest retreat from recent highs, driven by adults now 28 to 29 who were in their early 20s during the 2020 to 2021 low-rate window and found footing before conditions tightened. The 25 to 26-year-olds behind them hit peak renting age just as rates and prices surged in 2022 to 2023, and show no such improvement.

The 30 to 34 group tells the other half of the same story. At 12.7% co-residence in 2025, nearly double the 7.1% recorded in 2000, this group largely consists of adults who were 25 to 29 during the pandemic and never fully launched. The improvement at 25 to 29 and the rise at 30 to 34 are the same cohort at different stages of the same delayed exit.

What This Means for the Housing Market
"Twenty-five million adults living with their parents represents a generation of latent demand the market hasn't absorbed," said Jones. "Every adult still in a childhood bedroom is a household not formed, a lease unsigned, a starter home unpurchased. The typical first-time buyer is now 40 — that's not a coincidence, it's the math of a market that hasn't built enough."

The delay carries a real financial cost. As Realtor.com^® research on generational wealth has shown, each year spent at home rather than building equity is a year of wealth accumulation deferred. Until affordability improves and entry-level supply expands, that latent demand will continue to build.

Methodology
Co-residence data in this report are drawn from the IPUMS Current Population Survey (CPS) Annual Social and Economic Supplement (ASEC), covering survey years 2000–2025. The CPS ASEC is conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau and represents the largest annual household survey in the United States. All population estimates use CPS person-level weights (ASECWT) to produce nationally representative figures. Adults are defined as individuals aged 18 and above. Co-residence is defined as living as "child of head" of household, based on the RELATE variable in the IPUMS extract. The 2014 survey year is excluded from all trend analyses due to a CPS sample expansion that year which creates a discontinuity in absolute population counts; percentage shares are unaffected but the year is omitted for consistency.

The counterfactual analysis in the Trends section applies the average co-residence rate at each single year of age (18–34) from 2000–2003 to the actual adult population in each subsequent year. The resulting figures represent how many adults would be living with parents had early-2000s co-residence patterns persisted, holding age structure and population growth constant.

Employment, marital status, educational attainment, and sex breakdowns are drawn from the same IPUMS CPS extract using EMPSTAT, MARST, EDUC, and SEX variables respectively.

About Realtor.com^®
For over 30 years, Realtor.com^® has connected buyers, sellers, and renters with trusted insights, professional guidance and powerful tools to help them find their perfect home. Recognized as the No. 1 real estate site REALTOR® agents recommend, Realtor.com^® delivers consumer connections and a robust suite of marketing tools to support business growth. Realtor.com^® is operated by News Corp [Nasdaq: NWS, NWSA] [ASX: NWS, NWSLV] subsidiary Move, Inc.

Media contact: Emily Do, press@realtor.com

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-empty-nest-is-on-hold-1-in-3-adults-under-35-lives-with-their-parents-realtorcom-finds-302803408.html

SOURCE Realtor.com

FAQ

What did Realtor.com (NWS) find about young adults living with parents in 2025?

Realtor.com found that 25.2 million adults under 35 lived with their parents in 2025. According to Realtor.com, this equals about 33% of the age group, surpassing the pandemic peak and reflecting ongoing pressures from high housing costs and limited supply.

How many adults under 35 live with their parents and what share is that for NWS-related housing data?

Realtor.com reports 25.2 million adults under 35 living with parents in 2025, about one in three. According to Realtor.com, this co-residence rate of 33.0% is just below the 2020 high but now represents the highest absolute count on record.

What does Realtor.com (NWS) say about housing affordability and employed young adults living at home?

Realtor.com indicates most young adults living with parents are employed, often with college degrees. According to Realtor.com, around 70% of 25–34-year-olds at home work, suggesting high housing costs and limited affordable supply, not weak employment, are key barriers to independent living.

How have US home prices and rents changed since 2019, according to Realtor.com (NWS)?

Realtor.com states the national median home listing price reached $430,000 in 2025, 34.4% above 2019. According to Realtor.com, median asking rent rose to $1,673, up 17.9% since 2019, making independent living harder for many younger adults.

What housing shortage does the 2025 Realtor.com (NWS) report identify in the United States?

Realtor.com estimates the United States faces a deficit of about 4 million homes. According to Realtor.com, this shortage stems from long-term underproduction, widened after the 2008 construction slowdown, and contributes to elevated prices, rents, and delayed household formation among young adults.

How does delayed household formation affect first-time homebuyers, per Realtor.com (NWS)?

Realtor.com links delayed household formation to a higher typical first-time buyer age of 40. According to Realtor.com, years spent living with parents instead of buying delay equity building, so affordability and entry-level supply constraints defer wealth accumulation for many younger households.