Several Texas cities rank among the highest in the U.S. for adult children living with their parents, according to a new study by TruckInfo.net, a trucking industry research group.
The analysis, which examined Census Bureau data from 2023, Bureau of Labor Statistics, and home price information from the Federal Reserve, highlights economic pressures driving the trend in cities like San Antonio, El Paso, Arlington, and Fort Worth.
The study noted that 32.1% of young adults aged 18 to 34 lived with their parents nationwide in 2023.
In the 25-34-year-old age group, the number of young adults living with their parents has more than doubled since 1967, with more males than females residing in their parents’ homes. In 1967, 9.1 % of males and 5.3% of females in that age range lived at home, but in 2023, those figures grew to 18.8% and 11.4%, respectively.
The study points to economic factors, such as job stability and rising home prices, contributing to this cultural shift.
In 1967, 97.3% of males aged 25-34 were employed in the workforce, but that number has steadily declined, with just 89.4% of that age group employed in 2023. The study also highlights that the home-price-to-income ratio (HPIR) has risen substantially since 1984. In 1984, it was 3.6, but in 2023, it was 5.2, a 44% increase.
Comparing states in the U.S., Texas ranks number 18 for the percentage of adults aged 18-34 living with their parents, averaging 31.9%, slightly below the national average of 32.1%.
The states with the highest percentage of young adults “still in the nest” are mainly in coastal areas: New Jersey claimed the number 1 spot, with 42.7%, followed by Connecticut at 39.6%, California at 38.6%, Maryland at 37.5%, and New Hampshire at 37%.
Washington, DC. (12.2%), North Dakota (13.2%), Wyoming (18.7%), Iowa (20.1%), and Nebraska (20.5%) had the lowest percentage of young adults still living at home.
Zeroing in at the city level, it became apparent that more young adults in small and mid-size cities, with populations of 50,000 to 149,999 and 150,000 to 349,999, respectively, lived with their parents than young adults in larger cities with populations of 350,000 and above.
Among small cities, Weston, Florida, took the top spot, with 73.7% of young adults living with their parents. This was followed by four cities in California: Yorba Linda (70.4%), Baldwin Park (62.5%), Lakewood (61.5%), and Inglewood (61.5%).
Among mid-size cities, Florida and California communities again took the top spots. In Pembroke Pines, Florida, 67.1% of young adults live in the family home, followed by Elk Grove, California, at 56.5%, Palmdale, California, at 55.2%, Garden Grove, California, also at 55.2%, and Cape Coral, Florida, at 54.5%.
Four cities in Texas were in the top ten ranking of large cities for the highest percentage of young adults living with their parents: El Paso was number 3, with 39.4%; Arlington claimed the number 6 spot, with 34.1%; San Antonio was ranked 8th, at 34%, and Fort Worth was ranked 9th, at 33.6%.
Detroit, Michigan (40%), Bakersfield, California (39.5%), Las Vegas, Nevada (36.6%), and San Jose, California (35.7%) claimed the first, second, fourth, and fifth places, respectively.