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Places Where Working Adults Still Live With Their Parents

Maggie Davis
Written by Maggie Davis
Dan Shepard
Edited by Dan Shepard
Published on: May 27, 2025 Content was accurate at the time of publication.
We are committed to providing accurate content that helps you make informed money decisions. Our partners have not commissioned or endorsed this content. Read our editorial guidelines here.

Living with your parents while working can offer a great financial advantage, allowing you to save up for a major purchase like a house. 

Across the 50 largest metros, an average of 11.8% of working adults live with their parents, according to a LendingTree study.

Here’s what else we found.

Key findings

  • An average of 11.8% of working adults across the 50 largest metros live with their parents. Riverside, Calif., leads, with over 1 in 5 (21.9%) working adults ages 25 to 40 living with their parents. Los Angeles (20.0%) and Miami (17.8%) follow. Meanwhile, Austin, Texas (5.8%), Raleigh, N.C. (6.7%), and Denver (7.0%) have the lowest rates.
  • The number of working adults living with their parents fell 8.3% across the 50 metros from 2018 to 2023. Only 13 metros saw an increase, led by Las Vegas (22.1%), Cleveland (16.7%) and Sacramento, Calif. (8.1%). Conversely, Oklahoma City (36.7%), Nashville, Tenn. (33.2%), and Minneapolis (27.0%) saw the biggest decreases.
  • Those living at home make 43.5% less on average than their independent peers. Working adults who live with their parents make an average of $39,622 annually across the 50 metros, while those who don’t make an average of $70,137. By metro, Raleigh has the highest disparity (56.0%) and Buffalo, N.Y., has the lowest (28.5%).
  • Working adults living at home would need to allocate 40.2% of their monthly income to rent a one-bedroom apartment. Across the 50 metros, that’s highest in Tampa, Fla., at 54.3%. Dependent adults in just seven metros would be able to adhere to the 30% rule, allocating less than 30% of their income toward rent.
  • Among working adults living at home, nearly 1 in 3 (32.6%) have a bachelor’s degree or higher. In two of the 50 metros, more than half of working adults living at home have a bachelor’s degree or higher: San Jose, Calif. (53.2%), and San Francisco (51.9%). New York (49.0%) follows close behind.

On average, 11.8% of working adults live with parents

On average, 11.8% of working adults live with their parents, according to our analysis of the 50 largest U.S. metros. 

That’s led by Riverside, Calif., where a significant 21.9% of working adults ages 25 to 40 live with their parents. Los Angeles (20.0%) and Miami (17.8%) rank next. According to a Tax Foundation analysis of Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) data, these metros have lower purchasing power than the U.S. average, making it understandable that more working adults live with their parents.

The metros with the highest percentage of working adults living at home are Riverside, CA; Los Angeles, CA; and Miami, FL.

The high cost of living is certainly a significant factor, but Matt Schulz — LendingTree chief consumer finance analyst and author of “Ask Questions, Save Money, Make More: How to Take Control of Your Financial Life” — says it isn’t the only one. 

“Some of it may simply be that there’s much less stigma about being older and living with your parents today,” he says. “People are more practical. Rather than seeing moving in with their parents as a sign of defeat, people see it as an opportunity to stabilize their financial situation. If they’re living with Mom or Dad, they’re able to pay less for rent, groceries and other basic bills, allowing them to stash money away in an emergency fund, save for a car or mortgage down payment, or even get a head start on retirement savings. It may not be the sexiest, but it can make an awful lot of sense.”

Conversely, Austin, Texas, has the lowest rate, with just 5.8% of working adults living at home. Raleigh, N.C., (6.7%), and Denver (7.0%) follow. Unlike the top-ranking metros, Austin and Raleigh have higher purchasing power than the U.S. average.

Full rankings

Metros with highest/lowest % of working adults living at home

RankMetro%
1Riverside, CA21.9%
2Los Angeles, CA20.0%
3Miami, FL17.8%
4New York, NY16.5%
5Fresno, CA15.8%
6Detroit, MI15.6%
7Memphis, TN15.3%
7Las Vegas, NV15.3%
7Providence, RI15.3%
10Philadelphia, PA15.0%
11Chicago, IL14.4%
12San Antonio, TX13.9%
13Atlanta, GA13.7%
14Tampa, FL13.5%
15Boston, MA13.3%
16Baltimore, MD13.1%
16Cleveland, OH13.1%
18Sacramento, CA13.0%
19San Diego, CA12.7%
20Birmingham, AL12.5%
21Washington, DC12.4%
22Phoenix, AZ12.3%
23Dallas, TX12.1%
24Houston, TX12.0%
25San Francisco, CA11.9%
25Richmond, VA11.9%
25Orlando, FL11.9%
28Jacksonville, FL11.8%
29San Jose, CA11.7%
30Virginia Beach, VA10.9%
31Buffalo, NY10.7%
32Charlotte, NC10.4%
33St. Louis, MO10.3%
33Pittsburgh, PA10.3%
35Milwaukee, WI10.1%
36Salt Lake City, UT10.0%
37Columbus, OH8.9%
37Cincinnati, OH8.9%
39Kansas City, MO8.4%
40Louisville, KY8.2%
41Grand Rapids, MI8.1%
42Seattle, WA8.0%
43Indianapolis, IN7.9%
44Oklahoma City, OK7.5%
45Nashville, TN7.3%
46Minneapolis, MN7.2%
46Portland, OR7.2%
48Denver, CO7.0%
49Raleigh, NC6.7%
50Austin, TX5.8%
Source: LendingTree analysis of U.S. Census Bureau 2023 American Community Survey (ACS) microdata with one-year estimates via IPUMS. Note: Adults were defined as those 25 to 40 who are employed but not currently students.

Number of working adults living with parents falls 8.3%

Over five years, the number of working adults living with their parents fell. Across the 50 largest metros, this number fell 8.3% from 2018 (4,579,691) to 2023 (4,197,794).

Schulz believes a possible factor could be the rise in remote work. “In many jobs, someone can work from anywhere, meaning that people are free to find lower-priced places to move to,” he says. “I have no doubt that that has freed up people to be able to afford to live on their own rather than moving back into their parents’ house.”

Still, 13 metros saw an increase. Las Vegas saw the biggest jump, growing by 22.1%. Cleveland (16.7%) and Sacramento, Calif. (8.1%), followed.

The metros where the number of working adults living at home rose the most between 2018 and 2023 are Las Vegas, NV; Cleveland, OH; and Sacramento, CA.

Conversely, Oklahoma City saw the biggest decrease, falling 36.7% in this time frame. Nashville, Tenn. (33.2%), and Minneapolis (27.0%) ranked next.

Full rankings

Metros with highest/lowest % change in working adults living at home, 2018-23

RankMetro# living at home, 2018# living at home, 2023% change, 2018-23
1Las Vegas, NV49,40560,30322.1%
2Cleveland, OH35,09140,95416.7%
3Sacramento, CA46,70250,4978.1%
4Dallas, TX168,408177,7575.6%
5Jacksonville, FL32,38433,8694.6%
6Pittsburgh, PA37,91439,5824.4%
7Atlanta, GA141,221147,2304.3%
8Detroit, MI103,358107,5674.1%
9Columbus, OH34,46135,4712.9%
10Fresno, CA24,11624,6242.1%
11Seattle, WA67,16368,2371.6%
12Riverside, CA160,114162,3611.4%
13Boston, MA118,999119,8610.7%
14Charlotte, NC51,66351,439-0.4%
15Milwaukee, WI28,42028,188-0.8%
16Tampa, FL73,48372,535-1.3%
17Phoenix, AZ106,323104,735-1.5%
18Virginia Beach, VA33,92632,832-3.2%
19Indianapolis, IN31,83330,661-3.7%
20Kansas City, MO35,09233,534-4.4%
21Buffalo, NY20,87219,895-4.7%
22Providence, RI44,07341,713-5.4%
23Richmond, VA29,10727,481-5.6%
24St. Louis, MO54,00850,335-6.8%
25Los Angeles, CA478,586445,436-6.9%
26Washington, DC156,479144,985-7.3%
27Chicago, IL249,921230,915-7.6%
28Philadelphia, PA170,131156,715-7.9%
29New York, NY626,122567,275-9.4%
30Baltimore, MD67,50061,088-9.5%
31Cincinnati, OH36,08632,591-9.7%
32Memphis, TN33,32829,461-11.6%
33Birmingham, AL27,22823,434-13.9%
34Houston, TX177,285149,814-15.5%
35Salt Lake City, UT30,85925,739-16.6%
36Portland, OR41,34533,629-18.7%
37Orlando, FL72,55158,944-18.8%
38Austin, TX39,43031,574-19.9%
39San Jose, CA53,74442,875-20.2%
40San Francisco, CA129,986102,142-21.4%
41Denver, CO58,77246,080-21.6%
42San Diego, CA100,59278,069-22.4%
43Miami, FL216,643167,815-22.5%
44San Antonio, TX79,55761,368-22.9%
45Louisville, KY22,76317,460-23.3%
46Raleigh, NC24,40518,376-24.7%
47Grand Rapids, MI18,87314,068-25.5%
48Minneapolis, MN67,23049,085-27.0%
49Nashville, TN44,63829,800-33.2%
50Oklahoma City, OK27,50117,395-36.7%
Source: LendingTree analysis of U.S. Census Bureau 2023 American Community Survey (ACS) microdata with one-year estimates via IPUMS. Note: Adults were defined as those 25 to 40 who are employed but not currently students.

Adults living at home make 43.5% less than independent peers

One reason adults may choose to live at home is that they may not be able to afford to live independently. In fact, adults working at home make 43.5% less on average than their independent peers, with those living with their parents making an average of $39,622 and those living independently making $70,137. 

By metro, Raleigh has the highest disparity (56.0%), at $33,253 versus $75,615. Despite having a low percentage of adults living at home, Austin has the second biggest income disparity, at 55.6%. San Jose, Calif. (54.7%), rounds out the top three.

Metros with biggest % difference in income among working adults living at home and those living independently

RankMetroAvg. annual income, those living at homeAvg. annual income, those living independently% difference
1Raleigh, NC$33,253$75,61556.0%
2Austin, TX$35,546$79,99855.6%
3San Jose, CA$62,522$138,13954.7%
Source: LendingTree analysis of U.S. Census Bureau 2023 ACS microdata with one-year estimates via IPUMS. Note: Adults were defined as those 25 to 40 who are employed but not currently students.

On the other end, Buffalo, N.Y., has the lowest pay gap, with adults living at home making an average of $42,156 and adults living independently making an average of $58,922 — a 28.5% difference. Two California metros follow: Fresno (30.1%) and Riverside (32.2%).

Full rankings

Metros with biggest/smallest % difference in income among working adults living at home and those living independently

RankMetroAvg. annual income, those living at homeAvg. annual income, those living independently% difference
1Raleigh, NC$33,253$75,61556.0%
2Austin, TX$35,546$79,99855.6%
3San Jose, CA$62,522$138,13954.7%
4San Francisco, CA$55,576$119,97653.7%
5Seattle, WA$45,144$96,57353.3%
6Richmond, VA$36,091$69,51848.1%
7Washington, DC$47,243$89,25847.1%
8Jacksonville, FL$33,920$63,27046.4%
9Charlotte, NC$37,244$68,54145.7%
10Salt Lake City, UT$37,018$68,01545.6%
11Minneapolis, MN$39,332$72,05745.4%
12Milwaukee, WI$36,616$66,93545.3%
13Chicago, IL$41,775$76,19845.2%
14Cincinnati, OH$36,968$67,38245.1%
14Tampa, FL$34,081$62,11845.1%
14Columbus, OH$36,421$66,30745.1%
17Birmingham, AL$33,487$60,68944.8%
17Atlanta, GA$37,647$68,17044.8%
19Portland, OR$38,681$69,94244.7%
20New York, NY$49,547$89,32644.5%
21San Antonio, TX$30,840$55,48544.4%
22Philadelphia, PA$40,954$73,45444.2%
23Kansas City, MO$35,316$62,74443.7%
23Boston, MA$51,512$91,46243.7%
23Dallas, TX$38,032$67,51343.7%
26Indianapolis, IN$35,547$63,01343.6%
27Cleveland, OH$34,206$60,35143.3%
28Detroit, MI$35,847$63,15543.2%
29Denver, CO$45,992$80,18542.6%
30Houston, TX$37,937$65,36842.0%
31Los Angeles, CA$42,717$73,44341.8%
32Nashville, TN$38,858$66,13541.2%
33San Diego, CA$46,324$78,36140.9%
34Pittsburgh, PA$39,247$66,26540.8%
35Memphis, TN$34,155$56,90640.0%
36Baltimore, MD$44,119$73,05539.6%
37Phoenix, AZ$39,075$64,39839.3%
38Virginia Beach, VA$36,358$59,68239.1%
39Sacramento, CA$43,315$70,48338.5%
40Orlando, FL$35,677$57,62538.1%
41St. Louis, MO$39,218$62,95837.7%
42Miami, FL$39,742$63,62137.5%
43Oklahoma City, OK$35,543$56,27936.8%
44Louisville, KY$36,712$57,82236.5%
45Grand Rapids, MI$38,652$60,65436.3%
46Providence, RI$41,933$63,99234.5%
47Las Vegas, NV$37,477$55,72232.7%
48Riverside, CA$38,577$56,89232.2%
49Fresno, CA$36,952$52,87730.1%
50Buffalo, NY$42,156$58,92228.5%
Source: LendingTree analysis of U.S. Census Bureau 2023 ACS microdata with one-year estimates via IPUMS. Note: Adults were defined as those 25 to 40 who are employed but not currently students.

Rent would cost 40.2% of monthly income

Exacerbating affordability issues, working adults living at home would need to allocate 40.2% of their monthly income to rent a one-bedroom apartment. 

That figure’s highest in Tampa, Fla., at 54.3%. Orlando (52.7%) and Austin (51.9%) follow.

The metros where working adults living at home would need to spend the largest share of their income on rent are Tampa, FL; Orlando, FL; and Austin, TX.

“When more than half of your money goes to paying rent, it severely limits your ability to work toward other financial goals,” Schulz says. “There’s less money to pay down student loans or credit cards, build up your emergency fund, go back to school or start a small business. And in cities like Tampa, Orlando and Austin, you generally need a car to get around as well, making things even harder.”

Dependent adults in just seven metros would be able to adhere to the 30% rule, which means allocating less than 30% of their income toward rent. Those in Buffalo (24.8%), Pittsburgh (26.4%) and Providence, R.I. (27.2%), would need to allocate the least of their monthly income toward rent.

Full rankings

Metros where working adults living at home would need to spend highest/lowest % of monthly income on rent

RankMetro% of income to rent 1-bedroom apartment
1Tampa, FL54.3%
2Orlando, FL52.7%
3Austin, TX51.9%
4Raleigh, NC51.8%
5Miami, FL50.5%
6San Diego, CA49.8%
7Atlanta, GA49.2%
8Los Angeles, CA48.9%
9Jacksonville, FL46.5%
10San Jose, CA46.2%
11Seattle, WA46.1%
12San Francisco, CA46.0%
13Phoenix, AZ45.7%
14Washington, DC45.6%
14Charlotte, NC45.6%
16Portland, OR45.2%
17San Antonio, TX44.9%
17Riverside, CA44.9%
19Dallas, TX44.8%
20Salt Lake City, UT44.0%
21Richmond, VA43.8%
21Nashville, TN43.8%
23Las Vegas, NV43.5%
24Denver, CO43.4%
25Virginia Beach, VA40.5%
26Sacramento, CA40.4%
27Boston, MA39.7%
28Birmingham, AL39.2%
29New York, NY39.1%
30Houston, TX38.7%
31Minneapolis, MN37.9%
32Philadelphia, PA37.3%
33Fresno, CA36.5%
34Kansas City, MO36.2%
35Indianapolis, IN35.4%
36Memphis, TN35.2%
37Columbus, OH34.8%
38Chicago, IL34.6%
39Detroit, MI32.6%
40Baltimore, MD32.5%
41Grand Rapids, MI31.1%
41Oklahoma City, OK31.1%
43Milwaukee, WI30.4%
44Cincinnati, OH29.7%
45Cleveland, OH29.6%
46Louisville, KY29.5%
47St. Louis, MO28.6%
48Providence, RI27.2%
49Pittsburgh, PA26.4%
50Buffalo, NY24.8%
Source: LendingTree analysis of the U.S. Census Bureau 2023 ACS with one-year estimates and microdata with one-year estimates via IPUMS. Note: Adults were defined as those 25 to 40 who are employed but not currently students.

32.6% have bachelor’s degree or higher

Nearly 1 in 3 (32.6%) working adults living at home have a bachelor’s degree or higher.
That rises to more than half in two California metros: San Jose (53.2%) and San Francisco (51.9%). Closely behind, 49.0% in New York have a bachelor’s degree or higher.

Metros with highest % of working adults living at home with bachelor’s degree or higher

RankMetro%
1San Jose, CA53.2%
2San Francisco, CA51.9%
3New York, NY49.0%
Source: LendingTree analysis of U.S. Census Bureau 2023 ACS microdata with one-year estimates via IPUMS. Note: Adults were defined as those 25 to 40 who are employed but not currently students.

This high concentration of college-educated individuals living at home highlights the challenging cost of living in the nation’s biggest metros. 

Meanwhile, Indianapolis (20.3%), Fresno, Calif. (20.7%), and Phoenix (21.5%) rank lowest.

Full rankings

Metros with highest/lowest % of working adults living at home with bachelor’s degree or higher

RankMetro%
1San Jose, CA53.2%
2San Francisco, CA51.9%
3New York, NY49.0%
4Boston, MA48.5%
5Washington, DC43.8%
6Philadelphia, PA40.7%
7Buffalo, NY39.1%
8Raleigh, NC37.0%
9Miami, FL36.0%
10Richmond, VA35.7%
11Los Angeles, CA35.6%
11Chicago, IL35.6%
13Seattle, WA35.5%
14Grand Rapids, MI35.2%
15Sacramento, CA35.1%
16Baltimore, MD35.0%
16Denver, CO35.0%
18Minneapolis, MN34.9%
19Atlanta, GA34.4%
20Birmingham, AL34.3%
21Austin, TX34.2%
22Oklahoma City, OK33.8%
23Pittsburgh, PA33.6%
24Orlando, FL33.5%
25Columbus, OH33.0%
26Providence, RI32.6%
27Portland, OR32.0%
28San Diego, CA31.5%
29Nashville, TN31.0%
30Virginia Beach, VA30.9%
31Dallas, TX30.7%
32St. Louis, MO29.9%
33Houston, TX29.6%
34Milwaukee, WI29.4%
35Charlotte, NC29.3%
36Detroit, MI28.3%
37Cleveland, OH28.0%
38Las Vegas, NV27.4%
39Memphis, TN27.0%
40San Antonio, TX26.7%
41Jacksonville, FL25.2%
42Louisville, KY25.0%
43Tampa, FL24.9%
44Kansas City, MO24.8%
45Cincinnati, OH24.7%
46Riverside, CA23.9%
47Salt Lake City, UT21.6%
48Phoenix, AZ21.5%
49Fresno, CA20.7%
50Indianapolis, IN20.3%
Source: LendingTree analysis of the U.S. Census Bureau 2023 ACS with one-year estimates and microdata with one-year estimates via IPUMS. Note: Adults were defined as those 25 to 40 who are employed but not currently students.

Saving up to move out: Top expert tips

While living with your parents can have its benefits, you’ll probably (understandably) want to live independently eventually. For those looking to move out, we offer the following advice: 

  • Set financial goals for yourself. “Ultimately, the goal should be to save as much money as possible and put yourself in the best position possible for when you move out,” Schulz says. “However, different people will have different goals and different thresholds for how much is enough. That’s why setting some specific goals for your time there makes a lot of sense.” 
  • Build your credit. “Little in life is more expensive than crummy credit,” Schulz says. “Living at home and keeping your expenses to a minimum gives you a chance to do some positive work on your credit. Pay down those balances. Build up more available credit. Set up autopay to make sure you never pay late. All these things can make a difference in your ability to accomplish the goals you’ll be working toward.”
  • Create and stick to a mock budget. Use your time at home to simulate the financial responsibilities you’ll have once you move out. Set a monthly budget that includes rent, utilities, groceries and other living expenses — even if you’re not paying them yet. Doing so can help ensure you’re financially prepared when it’s time to live on your own, and it’ll also provide a nest egg for your first few months.

Methodology

LendingTree analysts used 2018 and 2023 U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) microdata hosted on IPUMS to determine the percentage of working adults living at home in the 50 largest U.S. metros. 

Specifically, we identified the metros with the highest share of working adults ages 25 to 40 (excluding students) living with their parents.

Among this group, we also calculated the following:

  • The percentage change in the number of working adults living at home from 2018 to 2023
  • The average annual income for working adults living with their parents compared to those living independently
  • The percentage of earnings working adults living at home would need to spend on median rent for a one-bedroom apartment
  • The percentage of working adults living at home with a bachelor’s degree or higher
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