Significant Drop in Share of Young Adults Achieving Four Milestones: Moving Out of Parental Home, Marriage, Work and Hav

Moving out of the parental home, getting a job, tying the knot and having kids used to be the most common pathway to adulthood, with almost half of 25- to 34-year-olds having experienced all four milestones in 1975.

Nearly 50 years later, less than a quarter of U.S. adults this age had done the same.

Findings suggest that young adults today prioritize economic security over starting a family, reflecting the rising burden of housing, food, gas and other costs.

A newly released U.S. Census Bureau working paper explores changes in the shares of young adults who reached markers of adulthood.

Using 2005 and 2023 American Community Survey data, the paper examines societal and economic shifts — including higher education levels, more women in the workplace, higher living costs and more varied family structures — that may explain why fewer young adults are meeting these benchmarks.

Findings suggest that young adults today prioritize economic security over starting a family, reflecting the rising burden of housing, food, gas and other costs.

Experiencing key milestones tied to economic independence and family formation can influence how young men and women develop their identity as adults. Over 80% of people surveyed said moving out of their parental home and over 90% said having a full-time job were key to becoming an adult, according to an analysis of General Social Survey questions in a 2017 Census Bureau report.

The Census Bureau updated this report, based on the Current Population Survey, with 2024 data, revealing different patterns in milestones of adulthood.

<div id="titlecore-0da33b2556"

Where this page came from

This page was imported from U.S. Census Bureau. Published by the U.S. Census Bureau and, as a work of the United States government, in the public domain; material credited to others is left out.

Nobody has written it yet — it is the source material at a new address, which is why search engines are asked to skip it and why no one earns from it. It is up for grabs: take it on, and it is yours to rewrite and to earn from.