No Suitcase Necessary? Living Arrangements of Young Adults in the United States

Shifts in the nature of educational opportunities, co-residence with parents, career development, the timing of parenthood, and the nature of living arrangements have increased the flexibility in transitions to adulthood in the United States. The average age at first marriage has increased to 26 for women and 28 for men, providing more lifecourse space for many more premarital family experiences. Using data from the 2008 and 2010 rounds of the NLSY79 Young Adult Survey, we examine both attitudes towards and actual behaviors pertaining to the family formation of adolescents and young adults including parenthood, cohabitation, and marriage. Prior studies demonstrate that these pathways to adulthood differ markedly according to socioeconomic circumstances. As close to half of young adults ages 18-24 live with their parents, we pay particular attention to linkages between family formation transitions and parental coresidence. Our goal is to provide an update of the contemporary experiences of young adults in the United States today, and to showcase the potentially complex portrait of their family and living circumstances -- a portrait that differs by socioeconomic background, family characteristics and adolescent expectations, experiences and behaviors.