the assumption that this is an indicator of societal decline or economic crisis is all wrong. The idea, for example, that a teenaged girl heading off to college and then spending her fertile years single and fornicating in Brooklyn is on its face superior to starting off living at home does not add up, at least to me.
It’s probably almost entirely a function of living costs. The states with the lowest rates don’t have large, expensive metro areas, and vice versa.
I would welcome my adult children in a heartbeat...
other countries count on generations pooling their resources...
I agree with you. Our girls lived with us until they finished community college, then left to finish their degrees. They also worked jobs while going to school.
Our son lived with us until he got married at age 30. In his defense he bought a fixer upper with cash when he was 25. Unfortunately, covid hit about two months later and the spike in construction materials really slowed him down.
He lived alone for a week before the wedding to make sure it was functional and they finished hanging the upper cabinets when they got back from their honeymoon cruise.