Deciding when to move out of your parents’ house and get your own place is a major life decision. There are many factors to consider when determining the best age to strike out on your own. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll outline the key considerations around leaving the nest, present data on current trends, and provide tips to help you determine if you’re ready.
What is considered normal?
There is no single agreed upon “normal” age for moving out of your parents’ house. However, in the United States, the average age that young adults move out is between 18-25 years old. According to Census data, in 2020:
- 35% of 18-24 year olds lived with their parents
- 26% of 25-29 year olds lived with their parents
- 15% of 30-34 year olds lived with their parents
So while a significant portion of young adults still live at home into their late 20s and early 30s, most have left the nest by 25. Key factors driving when people move out include finishing education, finding a stable job, getting married, and simply desiring independence.
Finances
One of the biggest considerations around moving out is whether you can afford to live independently. Rent, utilities, groceries, transportation, healthcare, and other living expenses add up quickly. Experts recommend your total housing costs (including rent and utilities) should be below 30% of your monthly pre-tax income. In addition, you’ll need to budget for food, transportation, health insurance, and other necessities.
Saving up enough money for a security deposit on an apartment (often equal to 1-2 months rent) as well as basic furniture and other moving costs is also advised. A good benchmark is to have 3-6 months worth of living expenses saved before moving out.
Average apartment rental costs
| City | Average rent for 1 bedroom apartment |
|---|---|
| New York City | $3,800 |
| San Francisco | $2,850 |
| Washington DC | $2,100 |
| Chicago | $1,550 |
| Houston | $1,150 |
As you can see, rental costs vary widely depending on location. Research typical rents in your desired city and neighborhood to budget accordingly.
Education
Completing your education can impact the ideal time to move out. For instance:
- High schoolers may want to wait until after graduation.
- Those pursuing a college degree often don’t move out until after obtaining their Bachelor’s, at around age 22-23.
- Some graduate students continue living at home during Master’s or PhD programs to save money.
However, it’s also common for students to move out while still completing their education. This includes high schoolers emancipating from parents, college students moving into dorms or shared apartments, and grad students getting their own place.
Average age when Americans move out of parents house
| Education level | Average age moved out |
|---|---|
| No high school degree | 19.7 |
| High school graduate | 19.9 |
| Some college | 21.7 |
| College graduate | 22.8 |
On average, completing additional education correlates with older ages moving out. Earning a degree improves job prospects, allowing better financial readiness to live independently.
Relationship status
Your relationship status can also impact the right time to move out. Some considerations based on whether you are single, dating, or married include:
- Single – You may want your own space earlier if you crave independence. But you also won’t have a partner to split living costs with.
- Dating – Moving in with a boyfriend/girlfriend often happens around age 25-30. This allows couples to save money while advancing the relationship.
- Married – Most married couples move out together immediately after the wedding or honeymoon. However, some newlyweds continue cohabitating with parents to save up first.
Couples can often afford to move out earlier than singles since they combine incomes. But be wary of moving in based on dual income if you’re dating but not yet married.
Average age when Americans move out of parents house by gender
| Gender | Average age moved out |
|---|---|
| Male | 23.6 |
| Female | 21.7 |
Interestingly, data shows females on average move out slightly earlier than males. This may be related to women getting married earlier in previous generations.
Job situation
Gaining stable employment is a pivotal step towards financial readiness to live independently. Key factors around jobs and moving out include:
- Entry level roles may not pay enough to cover living costs, especially in expensive cities.
- Relocating for a job may necessitate moving out or to a new city.
- Remote work provides more flexibility on where to live. You may stay with parents if remote or get your own place near office if hybrid/in-person.
- Gig economy jobs (Uber, TaskRabbit, etc.) may provide supplemental but unpredictable income.
Aim to have at least 6 months, ideally 12 months, with your current employer to demonstrate income stability before moving out.
Moving back in with parents after moving out
| Age | Percentage moved back in with parents |
|---|---|
| 18-24 years old | 28% |
| 25-29 years old | 17% |
| 30-34 years old | 14% |
Data shows it’s relatively common for young adults to boomerang back after initially moving out, especially in early 20s. This often happens due to job loss or relationship changes.
Personal readiness signs
Beyond just finances and logistics, it’s important to also consider your personal readiness to live independently. Signs you may be ready to move out include:
- Feeling emotionally mature and craving increased independence.
- Wanting privacy and ability to make your own rules.
- Feeling limited by living with parents and ready for a new chapter.
- Having an established career or well-managed education plan.
- Possessing strong organizational skills like bill paying, cleaning, cooking, etc.
If you struggle with self-discipline around school, work or money, you may want to wait until developing greater responsibility before moving out.
Tips to know if you’re ready to move out
- Take a weekend trip or week-long vacation on your own to test independence.
- Have a trial period of managing own meals, laundry, bills etc. while still at home.
- Make a mock monthly budget as if living independently.
- Discuss readiness openly with parents to get their candid feedback.
- Build up 3-6 month emergency fund for confidence handling surprise expenses.
Benefits of living at home longer
There can also be many benefits to continuing to live with your parents for awhile longer:
- Saves substantially on rent, utilities, food costs.
- Allows faster debt repayment or saving for down payment on a house.
- Provides a support system and shared household duties.
- May enable pursuit of unpaid internships or lower paying dream jobs.
- Allows continued family bonding and mentoring from parents.
If you have a healthy relationship with your parents and are deliberate about saving, living at home a bit longer can give you a head start financially.
Average amount saved per month by living with parents
| Annual Income | Savings per month |
|---|---|
| $30,000 | $800 |
| $50,000 | $1,500 |
| $75,000 | $2,200 |
Young adults can save hundreds or even thousands per month by continuing to live at home. This provides a tremendous financial advantage long term.
Downsides of living at home too long
While extendedly living at home as an adult can make smart financial sense, there are some potential downsides to consider as well:
- Can hinder maturity, independence and transition to fully adult life.
- Social stigma that you are lazy or immature if living with parents beyond mid 20s.
- Lack of privacy being under your parents’ roof and rules.
- Greater dating challenges when bringing romantic partners home to your parents’ house.
- Difficulty feeling ownership over your living space.
At a certain point, living under your parents’ wing can begin to limit your growth into a confident, self-sufficient adult. Listen to your gut in determining when it may be time to leave.
Tips for combating downsides of living with parents
- Maintain privacy by keeping adult interactions/conversations discreet.
- Agree on clear boundaries and freedoms with parents as an adult.
- Contribute fairly to household bills to avoid feeling like a dependent.
- Develop good savings habits to work towards future independent living.
- Focus on positive reasons for current situation like supporting family or saving up.
How to have the moving out conversation
Once you determine you’re ready to move out, have an open discussion with your parents. Some tips to ease the transition include:
- Make your case maturely and highlight well thought out reasons for moving out.
- Provide reasonable notice like 2-3 months so parents can adjust.
- Offer to still help occasionally with household tasks like mowing the lawn.
- Set expectations for visits and family dinner/holiday get-togethers.
- Frame it as an exciting milestone rather than wanting to escape.
Moving out will be an adjustment for parents too. Showing you’ve put much care and planning into the decision will reassure them.
Living with roommates
One popular option to reduce costs of independent living is getting a shared apartment with roommates. Key considerations around roommates include:
- Splitting rent and utilities makes each person’s housing costs cheaper.
- Can socialize and share cooking and chores if roommates become friends.
- Need to negotiate shared agreements around cleanliness, guests, quiet hours etc.
- Less privacy and personal space than living solo.
- Risk of conflicts or headaches from incompatible roommates.
Living with one or two responsible, compatible roommates can be a smart transitional step after moving out but before living completely solo.
Tips for successful roommate living
- Set ground rules and expectations upfront through a roommate agreement.
- Find roommates with similar living standards and habits.
- Designate private spaces like bedrooms as personal zones.
- Agree on methods for dispute resolution.
- Maintain open communication about any issues before they escalate.
Conclusion
Determining the ideal age to move out is a highly personal decision based on your finances, education, job, relationships, and overall maturity and life stage. While most young adults leave home between 18-25, anywhere in this wide range can be appropriate with proper planning and self-reflection. Use the considerations in this guide to decide what’s right for you. And remember, it’s okay to move back home if needed while getting your footing!