The Problem With Supporting Adult Children

The Problem With Supporting Adult Children

Maurie Backman   Mon, December 1, 2025  Moneywise

My adult son lives with me and has a Wal-Mart job. I asked him for rent but he refuses to help. How do I resolve this?

Forget the concept of 'childhood home'. For a growing number of adult children, the place they grew up is their adulthood home, too.

Rohan Shah, an assistant professor of economics at the University of Mississippi, reports in The Conversation that in just 10 years, 1.5 million more young Americans (34 and under) chose to live at home (1).

According to the Pew Research Center, the trend is especially concentrated in California, Texas and Florida.

Shaw says the housing crisis is definitely contributing to the phenomenon, as young people struggle to pay rent let alone buy a home.

More adult sons live at home than daughters (20% versus 15%, respectively) (2). Maybe it’s hard to turn down mom’s cooking and laundry.

The set-up can be win-win, allowing parents to help their kids save a lot of money. According to Rent Cafe, median rent across the U.S. hit $1,743 this November (3).

So if you’re asking your adult son for $650 a month rent, you’re offering a great deal he shouldn’t refuse.

After all, you’re not only taking care of his financial security, but you need to focus on your own long-term security by saving more for retirement.

So if your son refuses to pay you rent, it’s time to have a serious talk and set some boundaries and expectations.

The Problem With Supporting Adult Children

Unfortunately, this is a common problem. A 2024 survey from Savings.com found that 61% of adult children who live at home contribute $0 to household expenses (4).

Meanwhile, the same survey found that 47% of parents support grown children financially, to the tune of $1,384 per child per month.

The math is troubling, as these parents are only setting aside $609 a month in retirement savings, less than half what they’re investing in their adult kids.

No surprise then, that a U.S. Bank survey found that almost 25% of parents worry their children will depend on them financially for years to come (5).

To be fair, young adults don't have it easy. Inflation spiked in recent years, and many students graduate college with piles of debt.

TO READ MORE:  https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/adult-son-lives-wal-mart-140000703.html