Your Wallet: How’d you get your kids out of the basement?

Marketplace Weekend Staff Jul 21, 2014

Have you ever had an extra bedroom or couch occupied by a loved one longer than you anticipated?

According to the Los Angeles Times, more homes than ever before have multiple generations under one roof:

A record 57 million Americans, or 18.1% of the population, lived in multigenerational arrangements in 2012, according to the Pew Research Center. That’s more than double the 28 million people who lived in such households in 1980, the center said.

In the past, the elderly were the primary group moving in with family. But now, it’s young adults:

About 23.6% of people age 25 to 34 live with their parents, grandparents or both, according to Pew. That’s up from 18.7% in 2007, just prior to the global financial crisis, and from 11% in 1980.

For the first time, a larger share of young people live in multigenerational arrangements than of Americans 85 and older.

If you’ve dealt with this situation, we want to hear how you made that sometimes difficult break. How did you help get that person out of the house and onto their feet? Email us, or let us know on Twitter.

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