Young adults at home may need a path to ownership
Young adults living with parents are not out of the housing market – they are delayed by affordability. Realtors can help them compare rent, starter-home options, down payment programs and realistic timelines for buying.
A record number of young adults are still living with their parents – a trend that gives real estate professionals a reason to look differently at future renters and first-time buyers: They aren’t unqualified. They’re stuck.
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In 2025, 25.2 million adults under 35 lived with their parents, according to a new Realtor.com report. That means 1 in 3 adults under 35 shared a home with a parent, a rate that remains near the pandemic-era high.
Realtor.com found that about 70% of adults ages 25 to 34 who live with parents are employed. Among those ages 25 to 29, about 1 in 3 has a four-year degree.
The data underscores how young adult buyers may be closer to the market than they appear, but need help understanding financing, assistance programs and realistic first steps. It also creates an opportunity to connect would-be buyers with lenders who understand Florida’s down payment and closing cost assistance programs.
In Florida, eligible buyers may have options through the Florida Hometown Heroes Housing Program, which offers financial assistance to a variety of professions that can help reduce upfront costs. Florida Housing also offers down payment and closing cost assistance tied to some types of first mortgage loans.
“The adults living with their parents today are largely employed, and many hold college degrees. What’s holding them back isn’t a lack of qualifications, but rather, at least in part, a lack of housing they can actually afford,” said Hannah Jones, senior economist at Realtor.com. “This is a supply story, not an employment story.”
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