Nearly 28% of US Gen Z adults say they would choose their ideal home over their ideal job, while about 92% of those who do not own a home hope to buy one, a survey found. With home prices and rents rising, many are moving back in with parents or in-laws to save for a down payment—often delaying independent living and potentially putting career opportunities on hold.
Living with family to save for a down payment
More than three-quarters of Gen Z respondents have moved back in with parents or in-laws, or have considered doing so, to save for a home, according to a Harris poll commissioned by Coldwell Banker Real Estate. For many, living with family is no longer just a short-term stopgap but a practical response to housing costs.
Mary Lee Blaylock, president of Coldwell Banker Affiliates, said younger adults still view homeownership as an important life milestone and are willing to make sacrifices now to build the life they want. About 85% of respondents said owning a home remains part of the American dream for most Americans, unchanged from 2025.
Some young parents are also starting to save for the next generation’s housing costs. The survey found that 85% of Gen Z parents and 82% of millennial parents have begun saving for a down payment for their children or are considering it. Housing affordability is therefore shaping not only where young adults live today, but also how families plan their finances over the longer term.
Rising prices and rents delay moves out of home
A 2026 report from Realtor.com found that a record 25.2 million US adults under 35 lived with their parents in 2025—about one-third of that age group and more than during the pandemic peak. Living at home does not necessarily mean being out of work: around 70% of 25- to 34-year-olds who lived with their parents were employed.
Many also contribute to household expenses. Pew Research data from 2024 showed that about 72% of young adults living with their parents helped with family finances in some way. Some 46% contributed to rent or mortgage payments, while 65% paid for part of the groceries, utilities or other household costs.
Housing costs remain a major reason young adults delay moving out. Realtor.com data put the US median home price at $430,000 in 2025, up 34.4% from 2019. Average monthly rent reached $1,673, a 17.9% increase over the same period. An estimated shortage of about 4 million homes is adding pressure to both the buying and rental markets.
For workers early in their careers, lower incomes, job instability and limited savings can make living independently harder to afford. Wage growth has not kept pace with rising housing costs, leaving many to weigh career choices against the prospect of saving for a home.
Multigenerational living may persist
Ivy Zelman, co-founder and executive vice president of housing research firm Zelman, a Walker & Dunlop company, said multigenerational living is increasing as interest rates rise and housing affordability remains strained. The trend could hold steady through the second half of this decade.
Zelman estimates that about 22.4% of Gen Z and millennials currently live with family, with little change expected by 2030. The firm also found that only 44% of people aged 20 to 39 can afford the median rent in their area. Attitudes are shifting as well: younger adults are more comfortable living with their parents, loosening the traditional view that moving out is a marker of adulthood.
The share of young adults living with parents has risen from about 15% in 1980, reflecting both housing supply and affordability pressures and changing family arrangements. For prospective first-time buyers, the immediate calculation remains the gap between home prices, rents and income—and whether living with family can help build a down payment.