This story originally appeared on Porch.
Household size in the U.S. is inching up for the first time in over a century due to lower housing inventory and skyrocketing rents. Accompanying this trend is the increase in “doubled-up households”— defined as households having one or more adults in addition to the head of household and spouse or partner. Doubled-up households often include an adult child living at home, two related or unrelated families residing together, or a parent living with an adult child. According to data from the U.S. Census Bureau, about one-third of adults live in doubled-up households nationwide.
While many young adults in expensive cities rent housing together to save money, the typical doubled-up household consists of adult family members living together in a house that one of them owns. In fact, over three-quarters of doubled-up households are comprised of family members only. The Great Recession brought with it an increase in doubled-up households, with the total number increasing by nearly 5 million from 2007 to 2011. Young adults were particularly hard-hit — an additional 1.2 million adults aged 25 to 34 were living with their parents in 2011.
The share of adults living in doubled-up households varies significantly on a geographic level depending on cost of living and demographic composition. Large, expensive metropolitan areas tend to have more doubled-up households, as do locations where multi-generational living is more common. At the state level, Hawaii and California residents are the most likely to live with roommates. In Hawaii, over 47% of adults live in doubled-up households while almost 45% of Californian adults do. Conversely, Iowa and North Dakota residents are the least likely to live with roommates. Just 19.2% and 16.8% of adults living in Iowa and North Dakota, respectively, live in doubled-up households.
Methodology
To find the metropolitan areas with the most adults living with roommates, researchers at Porch analyzed the latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development. The researchers ranked metro areas according to the share of adults living in doubled-up households. Researchers also calculated the average number of adults per doubled-up household, the share of doubled-up households that are renter-occupied, the share of income spent on current market rent (rent affordability), and how much a renter would save by living in a two-bedroom apartment with a roommate compared to living alone in a one-bedroom.
Keep reading to see which large metros, those with 1 million or more people, have residents who are most likely to live with roommates.
15. Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ
- Share of adults living in doubled-up households: 36.0%
- Total number of adults living in doubled-up households: 945,801
- Total number of doubled-up households: 306,305
- Average number of adults per doubled-up household: 3.1
- Share of doubled-up households that are renter-occupied: 38.9%
- Share of income spent on current market rent: 34.8%
- Percentage of income saved by living with a roommate in a 2-bedroom: 38.8%
14. Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD
- Share of adults living in doubled-up households: 36.5%
- Total number of adults living in doubled-up households: 572,168
- Total number of doubled-up households: 199,395
- Average number of adults per doubled-up household: 2.9
- Share of doubled-up households that are renter-occupied: 29.7%
- Share of income spent on current market rent: 38.2%
- Percentage of income saved by living with a roommate in a 2-bedroom: 37.7%
13. New Orleans-Metairie, LA
- Share of adults living in doubled-up households: 36.7%
- Total number of adults living in doubled-up households: 264,250
- Total number of doubled-up households: 80,626
- Average number of adults per doubled-up household: 3.3
- Share of doubled-up households that are renter-occupied: 31.5%
- Share of income spent on current market rent: 43.4%
- Percentage of income saved by living with a roommate in a 2-bedroom: 40.6%
12. Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA
- Share of adults living in doubled-up households: 37.1%
- Total number of adults living in doubled-up households: 481,928
- Total number of doubled-up households: 160,133
- Average number of adults per doubled-up household: 3.0
- Share of doubled-up households that are renter-occupied: 41.5%
- Share of income spent on current market rent: 39.6%
- Percentage of income saved by living with a roommate in a 2-bedroom: 37.0%
11. Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
- Share of adults living in doubled-up households: 37.1%
- Total number of adults living in doubled-up households: 1,337,067
- Total number of doubled-up households: 430,910
- Average number of adults per doubled-up household: 3.1
- Share of doubled-up households that are renter-occupied: 34.3%
- Share of income spent on current market rent: 36.6%
- Percentage of income saved by living with a roommate in a 2-bedroom: 43.1%
10. Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV
- Share of adults living in doubled-up households: 39.3%
- Total number of adults living in doubled-up households: 496,784
- Total number of doubled-up households: 162,645
- Average number of adults per doubled-up household: 3.1
- Share of doubled-up households that are renter-occupied: 44.0%
- Share of income spent on current market rent: 34.8%
- Percentage of income saved by living with a roommate in a 2-bedroom: 38.4%
9. San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX
- Share of adults living in doubled-up households: 39.9%
- Total number of adults living in doubled-up households: 532,646
- Total number of doubled-up households: 144,395
- Average number of adults per doubled-up household: 3.7
- Share of doubled-up households that are renter-occupied: 29.1%
- Share of income spent on current market rent: 34.5%
- Percentage of income saved by living with a roommate in a 2-bedroom: 38.3%
8. Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL
- Share of adults living in doubled-up households: 40.4%
- Total number of adults living in doubled-up households: 583,046
- Total number of doubled-up households: 163,489
- Average number of adults per doubled-up household: 3.6
- Share of doubled-up households that are renter-occupied: 38.8%
- Share of income spent on current market rent: 39.1%
- Percentage of income saved by living with a roommate in a 2-bedroom: 41.4%
7. San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA
- Share of adults living in doubled-up households: 41.3%
- Total number of adults living in doubled-up households: 1,175,570
- Total number of doubled-up households: 367,334
- Average number of adults per doubled-up household: 3.2
- Share of doubled-up households that are renter-occupied: 45.3%
- Share of income spent on current market rent: 44.0%
- Percentage of income saved by living with a roommate in a 2-bedroom: 38.3%
6. San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
- Share of adults living in doubled-up households: 41.8%
- Total number of adults living in doubled-up households: 478,640
- Total number of doubled-up households: 154,180
- Average number of adults per doubled-up household: 3.1
- Share of doubled-up households that are renter-occupied: 45.1%
- Share of income spent on current market rent: 42.2%
- Percentage of income saved by living with a roommate in a 2-bedroom: 39.6%
5. New York City-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA
- Share of adults living in doubled-up households: 42.0%
- Total number of adults living in doubled-up households: 4,776,256
- Total number of doubled-up households: 1,666,237
- Average number of adults per doubled-up household: 2.9
- Share of doubled-up households that are renter-occupied: 47.1%
- Share of income spent on current market rent: 46.0%
- Percentage of income saved by living with a roommate in a 2-bedroom: 41.0%
4. San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA
- Share of adults living in doubled-up households: 42.5%
- Total number of adults living in doubled-up households: 808,706
- Total number of doubled-up households: 249,732
- Average number of adults per doubled-up household: 3.2
- Share of doubled-up households that are renter-occupied: 44.8%
- Share of income spent on current market rent: 48.3%
- Percentage of income saved by living with a roommate in a 2-bedroom: 35.0%
3. Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, FL
- Share of adults living in doubled-up households: 45.8%
- Total number of adults living in doubled-up households: 1,592,256
- Total number of doubled-up households: 453,038
- Average number of adults per doubled-up household: 3.5
- Share of doubled-up households that are renter-occupied: 39.5%
- Share of income spent on current market rent: 49.8%
- Percentage of income saved by living with a roommate in a 2-bedroom: 37.0%
2. Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA
- Share of adults living in doubled-up households: 48.2%
- Total number of adults living in doubled-up households: 1,200,386
- Total number of doubled-up households: 346,975
- Average number of adults per doubled-up household: 3.5
- Share of doubled-up households that are renter-occupied: 31.3%
- Share of income spent on current market rent: 38.2%
- Percentage of income saved by living with a roommate in a 2-bedroom: 37.4%
1. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
- Share of adults living in doubled-up households: 49.3%
- Total number of adults living in doubled-up households: 3,804,958
- Total number of doubled-up households: 1,186,245
- Average number of adults per doubled-up household: 3.2
- Share of doubled-up households that are renter-occupied: 48.4%
- Share of income spent on current market rent: 49.2%
- Percentage of income saved by living with a roommate in a 2-bedroom: 36.1%
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