America's young people are delaying adulthood milestones
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Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios
Young adults are pushing back the big milestones Americans have historically associated with growing up — moving out of your parents' house, getting a job, getting married and having kids.
The big picture: In 1975, about half of America's 25– to 34–year–olds had done those things. Fifty years later, less than a quarter have, according to a census working paper out this month.
Zoom in: The way young people think about marriage and family is changing. It used to be the first step of adulthood, with financial security and an established career potentially coming after a wedding.
- Now, it's more commonly the last step. Young people want to find work, pay off debt and live alone before looking for a partner — and these goals are harder to hit than they were for previous generations.
- "Findings suggest that young adults today prioritize economic security over starting a family, reflecting the rising burden of housing, food, gas and other costs," Census statisticians Paul Hemez and Jonathan Vespa wrote.
Case in point: In 1975, only 6% of 25- to 34-year-olds lived independently, held jobs, but were unmarried and without kids. By contrast, 22% had moved out, were married with children, but were not employed.
- Today, priorities have flipped. In 2024, 28% of young adults lived on their own with jobs. But the combination of moving out, marrying, and having kids no longer ranks among the top five most common milestone patterns.
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