A record 25.2 million Americans under age 35 were living with their parents in 2025, according to a Realtor.com analysis released Wednesday. The figure represents roughly 1 in 3 young adults, or 33 percent of the 18-to-34 age group, up 6 percentage points over the past two decades.
The share had ticked down from its pandemic peak but has climbed back as housing costs continued to rise. The median home listing price reached $430,000 in 2025, a 34 percent increase from 2019, while median asking rent hit $1,673, up nearly 18 percent over the same period.
What the Right Is Saying
Conservative economists and policy analysts say the root cause is regulatory barriers that restrict housing supply. They argue that zoning laws, permitting delays, and construction costs driven by government mandates are the primary obstacles preventing young adults from achieving homeownership.
The National Association of Realtors has advocated for policies at the state and local levels to ease zoning restrictions and allow more dense housing development. Industry groups argue that reducing regulatory barriers would increase supply and bring down costs without federal spending.
Some conservative commentators have also emphasized the role of student debt in constraining young adults' ability to afford independent living, arguing that expanded educational choice and reduced higher education costs would help address the underlying financial pressures facing millennials and Gen Z.
Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., and other Republican lawmakers have pushed for policies they say would expand housing supply through regulatory reform rather than federal spending programs.
What the Left Is Saying
Progressive economists and housing advocates point to decades of underinvestment in affordable housing as a primary driver of the trend. They argue that without significant federal intervention, the situation will worsen for younger generations.
The National Low Income Housing Coalition has called for expanding the national supply of affordable rental units through increased funding for programs like Section 8 vouchers and Low-Income Housing Tax Credits. The organization estimates a shortage of millions of affordable rental homes nationwide.
Housing advocates have also pointed to institutional investors purchasing single-family homes, arguing that Wall Street's growing role in the housing market has squeezed out first-time buyers. Organizations including the Private Equity Stakeholder Project have called for policies limiting large-scale corporate purchases of residential properties.
Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, who chaired the Senate Banking Committee before its Republican takeover, previously argued that renters need stronger protections and that the country needs more rent-suppressed housing units built with federal support. Housing advocates have continued pressing for these measures under the current Congress.
What the Numbers Show
The data from Realtor.com shows 25.2 million adults ages 18-34 living with their parents in 2025, a record high. The share reached 33 percent of that age group, up from 27 percent in 2005 and 46 percent pre-pandemic for those who had just turned 22.
Employment does not appear to be the primary factor driving the trend. Roughly 70 percent of adults ages 25-34 living at home are employed, a share that has remained relatively stable over the past 25 years, according to the report.
The median home listing price was $430,000 in 2025, up from $321,000 in 2019. Median asking rent reached $1,673 per month, compared with roughly $1,418 five years earlier. Realtor.com estimates a housing supply gap of approximately 4 million units nationwide.
Among adults ages 30-34, the share living with parents rose to nearly 13 percent in 2025, almost double the level recorded in 2000. By age 22, 49 percent of young adults remain at home, up from 46 percent before the pandemic.
The Bottom Line
The record number of young adults living with their parents reflects a structural shift in how Americans transition to independent adulthood, driven primarily by housing affordability rather than employment challenges, according to Realtor.com senior economist Hannah Jones. She noted that the trend reverses household formation, leaving leases unsigned and starter homes unpurchased.
Both sides of the policy debate point to housing supply as central to any solution, though they differ on approach. Progressives favor increased federal spending and protections against corporate buyers, while conservatives emphasize regulatory reform at state and local levels to allow more construction. The debate is likely to continue as the housing market remains a key economic concern for younger Americans.