High rents and debt: 3 young people explain why they moved back in with their parents

Luke Howland, Keara Callahan, and Danny Stewart.

Courtesy of Luke Howland, Keara Callahan, and Danny Stewart.

When Keara Callahan's longtime relationship ended in 2023, she knew she had to make some big changes in her life.At the time, she was living in Miami while working remotely as a government tech consultant. Her pay was good, but on her own, it wasn't enough to make living alone in such an expensive city feel feasible — or financially responsible.Callahan decided to move back in with her parents in Northern Virginia. While practical, it wasn't an easy decision, she told Business Insider."At that time, I was 25, and I thought moving back home would be embarrassing," she said. "I had built and shared this picture-perfect life online — moving to big-city Miami, living in a nice apartment — when, in reality, things hadn't worked out that way."

Keara Callahan.

Courtesy of Keara Callahan