At the onset of the coronavirus pandemic in the United States, while many Americans sheltered in their homes, millions of young people packed their bags and moved in with their parents.
A recent analysis by Zillow found that around 2.9 million young Americans moved back in with their parents and grandparents in the months of March, April and May. Most of them were 25 or younger; many were college students. Joe Pinsker in The Atlantic reports that with widespread unemployment and financial strain, many young people could no longer cover their expenses, or simply couldn’t justify them. But for young adults and their families, what has this migration looked like, and how is it changing the way Americans conceive of adulthood?
Over the past several decades, a familiar American stereotype has emerged of the twenty- or thirty- something still living with his parents. He tends to be lazy and prone to bouts of infantile rage; in pop culture, the basement is his domain, video games his life’s purpose. But a stereotype, of course, is just that— even before the coronavirus pandemic, many young Americans had to live at home to fulfill financial or familial responsibilities, not to dodge them. This newest influx of fledgling adults might be changing the organization of American households in the long term. Are you or your child a “boomerang kid” that’s moved home since the pandemic? How are you navigating shared space? Tell us in the comments below or give us a call at 866-893-5722.