Recent Changes in U.S. Young Adult Living Arrangements in Comparative Perspective

Abstract

This article reviews research from the 1990s on trends in leaving home in the United States and presents new research on trends in returning home. These trends are placed within the context of two key theoretical considerations: changes in family roles and changes in the economic opportunities of young adults. The leaving home process in early adulthood is tied to changes in the core nuclear family relationships because those between parents and children shape the launch and those between men and women help to shape the destinations. The economic considerations include variation in income sources, particularly wages and transfers, and the costs of independent residence. These considerations underline the importance of taking a comparative perspective to the process of leaving home in the transition to adulthood.