Stay with Mommy and Daddy or Move Out? Consequences of the Age at Leaving Home in the United States

Maria Sironi, University of Oxford
Francesco C. Billari, University of Oxford

Leaving the parental home is a milestone in the transition to adulthood. Changes over time in the timing of leaving and the increasing share of young adults who return back home have been well documented. However, there is little research investigating the consequences of the timing and pathway of leaving home. We address this gap, examining the relationship between the timing and pathway of leaving home and economic and employment outcomes in early thirties. We use the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY97), taking advantage of its longitudinal design and study young Americans born between 1980 and 1984, who are 27-31 years old in 2011. We find that the higher the age at leaving home the better are the working and especially the economic conditions of individuals between 27 and 31 years of age, albeit with a potential reversal of the effect at later ages of leaving home.