As housing costs continue to surge nationwide, a concerning trend has emerged among non-college-educated men: a growing number are moving back in with their parents, and once there, many are exiting the workforce entirely. A new study reveals that one in six non-college-educated men (16%) now live with their parents, nearly double the rate of their college-educated counterparts (8%).
According to a working paper by Gabrielle Penrose, a graduate student fellow at the American Institute for Boys and Men, rising rents and stagnant wages have created a perfect storm for this demographic. Since 1960, real rents in the U.S. have increased by 150%, while wages for men without college degrees have barely budged. This economic squeeze has forced many to retreat to their childhood homes.
The Workforce Exodus
Penrose’s research draws a direct link between escalating housing costs and declining male labor force participation. "There are very real economic forces that are limiting the options for non-college-educated men in the United States," Penrose said. "Some of what we’re seeing is simply rational responses to a system that’s pricing them out."
The data shows that non-college-educated men who move back home are increasingly leaving the workforce altogether. Automation, globalization, and the decline of manufacturing jobs have compounded the problem, leaving fewer opportunities for this group.
Geographic Constraints Compound the Crisis
Penrose’s study highlights how geographic factors, such as mountains, coastlines, and lakes, limit housing supply and drive up costs in certain areas. A 10% increase in local rents raises the likelihood that a non-college-educated man moves in with his parents by 1.1 percentage points. "Housing is just more expensive there simply because it’s harder to build there," Penrose explained.
"We should absolutely be concerned about non-college-educated men today," said Scott Winship, director of the Center on Opportunity and Social Mobility at the American Enterprise Institute. "They are a more disadvantaged group than they were in previous generations."
Baby Boomer parents, often sitting on significant housing wealth, are increasingly stepping in to support their adult sons. This dynamic, while understandable, raises broader questions about the long-term economic prospects for non-college-educated men and the policies needed to address this growing crisis.