Across the four cohorts, the most common living arrangement for young adults approximately 2 years out of high school was to live with their parents. The percentage of young adults living with their parents was 39 percent in 1974, 50 percent in 1982, 51 percent in 1994, and 46 percent in 2006.
The percentage of young adults living with roommates approximately 2 years out of high school was 27 percent in 1974 and 41 percent in 2006.
At all four of the time points, the percentage of young adults living with parents was lower among young adults whose parents had attained a bachelor's degree or more than among their peers whose parents had attained some college or less. For example, among those in 2006 whose parents had obtained a bachelor's degree or a graduate or professional degree, 39 percent and 29 percent respectively lived with their parents, compared with 50 percent of those whose parents attained some college and 57 percent of those whose parents had completed high school or less. In 1974, these percentages were 30 percent (for those whose parents had achieved bachelor's degrees as well as those whose parents had obtained graduate or professional degrees), versus 39 percent and 43 percent, respectively.
With respect to marriage, a smaller percentage of young adults in 2006 than in 1974 reported ever being married. Twenty-six percent of young adults reported in 1974 that they had ever been married, compared to 4 percent in 2006.
At all four time points studied (1974, 1982, 1994, and 2006), a higher percentage of females reported being married than males did. For females, the percentages were 34 percent, 16 percent, 10 percent, and 6 percent, respectively, while the comparable percentages for males were 18 percent, 7 percent, 5 percent, and 2 percent, respectively.
There was no measurable difference in the percentage of young adults who reported that they had biological children in 1982 compared to 2006. Six percent of young adults reported in 1982 that they ever had biological children, compared to 7 percent in 2006.
At all three time points with comparable child data (1982, 1994, and 2006), a higher percentage of females reported having children than did males. For females, the percentages were 8 percent, 12 percent, and 10 percent, respectively, while the comparable percentages for males were 3 percent, 5 percent, and 4 percent, respectively.