U.S. Is Missing 4.3 Million Households as Priced-Out Young Adults Stay Home

More American adults are living with family or housemates today than at any time in decades, leaving a deficit of 4.3 million households compared to 2010 levels—a gap linked to housing market constraints. There are currently 135 million households across the U.S. instead of the 139.3 million that would be expected if 2010 living patterns remained unchanged, according to a new report from John Burns Research and Consulting (JBRC).A key driver of this trend is the growing number of adult children living at home instead of moving out.As recent research from Realtor.com® revealed, a record 25.2 million adults under age 35 lived with their aging parents in 2025, representing nearly 1 in 3 young adults.Another notable development in household composition is that more married couples are staying together, due to declining divorce rates and longer life expectancies.Between 2010 and 2024, the overall U.S. divorce rate declined from about 3.6 to 2.4 per 1,000 people, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. During roughly the same period, life expectancy rose from approximately 78.1 years to 79.3 years.Fewer children and solo seniorsEven as adult cohabitation increas...