Young adults are prioritizing economic security over marriage and having children, according to a recent report from the Census Bureau. These shifting priorities reflect the burden of rising living costs such as housing, food and travel.
In 1975, about 45% of young adults ages 25 to 34 had moved out of their parents’ home, were working, had married and had children. Fifty years later, less than 25% of adults this age had done the same.
“Over the decades, the most common milestones shifted from family to economic ones — being in the labor force and living independently but not being married or having kids,” wrote Paul Hemez and Jonathan Vespa, Census statisticians and authors of the paper.
As of 2024, about 28% of young adults were living on their own with jobs – the most common milestone pattern among people ages 25 to 34. The combination of moving out, having kids and marrying is no longer the most common milestone in young adulthood, the Census Bureau found.
“Experiencing key milestones tied to economic independence and family formation can influence how young men and women develop their identity as adults," Hemez and Vespa added.
