Not only are "kids" in their late 20s and early 30s moving back in with Mom and Dad, they're enjoying it, according to the Pew Research Center.
Even so, about 25 percent of those surveyed said their relationship with their parents had suffered due to the move-in, while 24 percent said the move had been good for the relationship and 48 percent said it hadn't made a difference.
The sharing of family finances appears to have benefited some young adults as well as their parents; 48 percent of boomerang children report that they have paid rent to their parents, and 89 percent say they have helped with household expenses.
Most young adults who find themselves under the same roof with Mom and Dad aren't exactly living the high life, however. Nearly 80 percent of these 25- to 34-year-olds said they didn't have enough money to lead the kind of life they wanted, compared with 55 percent of their same-age peers who weren't living with their parents.
The no-shame attitude toward moving back home may have to do with the phenomenon becoming commonplace. Among adults ages 25 to 34, 61 percent said they have friends or family members who have moved in with their parents over the past few years due to economic conditions. Furthermore, 29 percent report that a child of theirs has moved in with them in the past few years because of the economy.
The findings are based on telephone interviews conducted Dec. 6-19, 2011, with 2,048 adults ages 18 and older living in the continental United States; results were weighted to reveal a nationally representative final sample.
