Argus Poll: How Old Is Too Old to Live with Your Parents?
Age 25 was the number most commonly given, followed by 30. Chart: Lily Deng
By THE ARGUS STAFF
The Hornets have spoken: by the time you’re 26, it’s time to leave the nest.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the percentage of 18-to-34-year olds still living with their parents increased from about one in four (27%) in 2004 to one in three (33%) in 2022. Some attribute this shift to a reluctance by today’s young people to grow up and become independent. Others say it’s purely financial; the cost of renting or owning a home is just much higher now than it was in the past.
In any case, we were wondering what today’s teens thought was an acceptable age to still live at home, so we asked 164 Midwood students what they thought. Our respondents were mostly juniors and seniors, 60% were female, 48% were Asian American, 30% were white, 10% were Black, and 9% were Latino.
The median age these students thought was too old to live with one’s parents was 26. The three ages most often given for this question were 25, 30, and “you’re never too old.”
However, when it came to our respondents’ own plans, their personal “move-out” age was a bit younger: 22, with the most common ages given being 20, 22, and 25 years old.
COMMENTS:
I feel like it depends on whether you're financially stable enough to move out and if your parents are willingly letting you stay. If you have enough money to go live on your own and your parents are nagging you to leave, you're lowkey just being a bum. But I think 24-25 should definitely be the limit since most people graduate college at 22-23, so you have a whole year to two years to get enough money to move out.
If you’re above 19 and you aren’t helping out with the rent, GET OUT OF THAT HOUSE.
I don’t believe you’re obligated to move out after a certain age. Living with your parents isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Both you and your parents can support each other in different ways. You can make money and support them because they are getting old. They can bless you with knowledge and advice in life.
It's not bad if it helps with your current issues and also helps your parents. However, I believe detaching from your parents is an important stage in your life.
Staying with your parents is technically one of the smartest financial decisions you can make when you’re young, but staying after 25 is overdoing it.
There's not an exact answer. You could stay with your parents however long you want, but some might want to move out early because they want to be independent, while others might want to stay because they cherish family or they're not ready.