Data from Wave IV of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health) provide new insights on the living arrangements of young adults (ages 24 to 32). Compared to young men and women of 30 years ago, young adults today are experiencing a longer transition between adolescence and adulthood, and there is considerable diversity in the timing of reaching traditional adult milestones such as family formation and home ownership. Compared to twenty-something young adults, adults in their early 30s and those with greater financial independence tend to fit the traditional profile where they live in and own their home, are married, and have children. However, more than one in ten young adults live with their parents, and one in five without a college education live at home. Cohabitation among non-married couples is common and is observed across all racial/ethnic groups. A detailed report of the study’s findings about the living arrangements of young adults can be found in the Research Brief.
Living Arrangements in Young Adulthood: Results from Wave IV of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. Suzanne P. Hallquist, M.S.P.H., Carmen Cuthbertson, M.C.N., Ley Killeya-Jones, Ph.D., Carolyn Tucker Halpern, Ph.D., and Kathleen Mullan Harris, Ph.D. Carolina Population Center, UNC-Chapel Hill, NC.