Young adults in California are having a hard time leaving the nest — new data ranks the state among the “worst” when it comes to people still living at home with their parents.
California currently ranks among the top states for young adults living at home, with 39.1% of residents aged 18 to 34 still residing with their parents, according to 2025 U.S. Census Bureau data compiled by Finance Buzz.
If you’re looking for the epicenter of America’s “boomerang generation,” head to New Jersey. The Garden State ranks number one with a whopping 44.1% of young adults still living their parents.
Connecticut follows at 41.3%, and Cali comes in third, signaling a coastal crisis where younger generations are locked out of independence.
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New York also landed in the top ten, with 35.9% of its youth population opting for home-cooked meals over high-priced Manhattan studios.
The full top ten is as follows:
- Puerto Rico: 57.5%
- New Jersey: 44.1%
- Connecticut: 41.3%
- California: 39.1%
- Maryland: 38.5%
- Florida: 36.6%
- New Hampshire: 36.5%
- New York: 35.9%
- Massachusetts: 35.7%
- Illinois / Nevada: 35.1%
California’s ranking, citing roughly four in 10 young Californians haven’t flown the nest, might not come as a shock.
Between sky-high rents, brutal home prices, and a competitive job market, young people are increasingly opting — or being forced — to stay put.
The trend is especially pronounced in certain California metro areas. In fact, places like Vallejo and Oxnard rank among the highest in the nation, with roughly a third of adults in their mid-20’s to early 30’s still living at home, per 2023 Pew Research Center data.
Still, this isn’t just a West Coast phenomenon.
Across the U.S., living with parents has become far more common. Roughly one-third of Americans aged 18 to 34 now live at home — a figure that’s climbed significantly over the decades, according to Finance Buzz.
If you want to find a 20-something who actually pays their own mortgage, head to North Dakota. Only 12.3% of young adults in ND still live with their parents — the lowest in the nation.
Apparently, the peace and quiet coupled with the cheap rent found in the Great Plains are enough to get anyone out of their parents’ hair.
The District of Columbia also saw a low rate of 13.3%.