22.9 million young Americans live with their parents. Only 19.9 live with a spouce

There are now more Americans in the 18-to-34 age bracket living with their parents than in any other arrangement, like alone or with a spouse, the latest study made by the U.S. Census Bureau shows.

22.9 million 18-to-34 year olds (31 percent) reside without a spouse in their parents’ home, compared to the 19.9 million (27 percent) who are married and live with their spouse.

In 2016, 15.6 million lived in an “other” arrangement. 9.2 million (12 percent) cohabited with an unmarried partner, and 5.9 million (8 percent) lived alone.

”Almost 9 in 10 young people who were living in their parents’ home a year ago are still living there today, making it the most stable living arrangement.” the study says.

The situation has changed considerably since 1975, when 31.9 million Americans in the 18-to-34 age bracket (57 percent) were married and lived with their spouse, the most common living arrangement for that age bracket at that time.

Also in 1975, 14.7 million in the 18-to-34 age bracket lived in their parents’ home; 6.1 million lived in an “other” arrangement (including with siblings, grandparents, other relatives, or unrelated roommates); 3.1 million lived alone, and 0.7 million cohabited with an unmarried partner.

According to the study, the higher number of young adults living with their parents can be linked with a decline in the economic status of young men.

”More young men are falling to the bottom of the income ladder. In 1975, only 25 percent of men, aged 25 to 34, had incomes of less than $30,000 per year. By 2016, that share rose to 41 percent of young men (incomes for both years are in 2015 dollars),” the study says.

Dramatic change within a decade

The study shows that the change in the living arrangements of young Americans occurred especially within the last decade, with some differences between states and regions of the U.S.

”Within the last 10 years, the breadth and speed of change in living arrangements have been tremendous. In 2005, the majority of young people lived independently in their own household (either alone, with a spouse, or an unmarried partner), which was the predominant living arrangement in 35 states. By 2015—just a decade later—only six states had a majority of young people living independently,” the study says.

The states with the highest percentages of 18-to-34 year olds living with their parents were:

• New Jersey (46.9%),
• Connecticut (41.6%),
• New York (40.6%)
• Maryland (38.5%),
• Florida (38.3%),
• California (38.1%),
• Rhode Island (37.1%),
• Pennsylvania (37.1%),
• Massachusetts (37.0%)
• Mississippi (36.8%).

The states with the lowest percentages of 18-to-34 year olds living with their parents were:

• North Dakota (14.1%),
• South Dakota (19.9%),
• Wyoming (20.9%),
• Nebraska (22.7%),
• Iowa (22.8%),
• Montana (24.1%),
• Colorado (24.6%),
• Kansas (26.0%),
• Washington (26.6%)
• Oklahoma (26.7%),
• Oregon (26.7%).

According to the Census study, ”local labor and housing markets shape the ability of young people to find good jobs and affordable housing, which in turn affects whether and when they form their own households.”