Household size in the U.S. is inching up for the first time in over a century due to lower housing inventory and skyrocketing rents. Accompanying this trend is the increase in “doubled-up households”—defined as households having one or more adults in addition to the head of household and spouse or partner. Doubled-up households often include an adult child living at home, two related or unrelated families residing together, or a parent living with an adult child. According to data from the U.S. Census Bureau, about one-third of adults live in doubled-up households nationwide.
While many young adults in expensive cities rent housing together to save money, the typical doubled-up household consists of adult family members living together in a house that one of them owns. In fact, over three-quarters of doubled-up households are comprised of family members only. The Great Recession brought with it an increase in doubled-up households, with the total number increasing by nearly 5 million from 2007 to 2011. Young adults were particularly hard-hit—an additional 1.2 million adults aged 25 to 34 were living with their parents in 2011.
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The share of adults living in doubled-up households varies significantly on a geographic level depending on cost of living and demographic composition. Large, expensive metropolitan areas tend to have more doubled-up households, as do locations where multi-generational living is more common. At the state level, Hawaii and California residents are the most likely to live with roommates. In Hawaii, over 47% of adults live in doubled-up households while almost 45% of Californian adults do. Conversely, Iowa and North Dakota residents are the least likely to live with roommates. Just 19.2% and 16.8% of adults living in Iowa and North Dakota, respectively, live in doubled-up households.
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To find the states with the most adults living with roommates, researchers at Porch analyzed the latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development. The researchers ranked states according to the share of adults living in doubled-up households. Researchers also calculated the average number of adults per doubled-up household, the share of doubled-up households that are renter-occupied, the share of income spent on current market rent (rent affordability), and how much a renter would save by living in a two-bedroom apartment with a roommate compared to living alone in a one-bedroom.
The analysis found that in California, 44.7% of adults live in double-up households, defined as households having one or more adults in addition to the head of household and spouse or partner. By doubling up, roommates in a two-bedroom unit in California save 36.9% on rent. Out of all states, California has the 2nd largest share of adults living with roommates. Here is a summary of the data for California:
- Share of adults living in doubled-up households: 44.7%
- Total number of adults living in doubled-up households: 9,942,276
- Total number of doubled-up households: 3,110,077
- Average number of adults per doubled-up household: 3.2
- Share of doubled-up households that are renter-occupied: 43.5%
- Share of income spent on current market rent: 46.0%
- Percentage saved by living with a roommate in a 2-br: 36.9%
For reference, here are the statistics for the entire United States:
- Share of adults living in doubled-up households: 33.2%
- Total number of adults living in doubled-up households: 59,747,660
- Total number of doubled-up households: 20,209,351
- Average number of adults per doubled-up household: 3.0
- Share of doubled-up households that are renter-occupied: 35.7%
- Share of income spent on current market rent: 39.6%
- Percentage saved by living with a roommate in a 2-br: 38.6%
For more information, a detailed methodology, and complete results, you can find the original report on Porch’s website: https://porch.com/advice/