Homes.com Study: Romantic Breakups Tie with Joblessness in Triggering 'Boomerang' Behavior

NORFOLK, VA (Feb. 04, 2019) – While you're preparing this year's passionate, you're-the-best-thing-that-ever-happened-to-me Valentine's Day tribute for your significant other, here's a sobering thought: One in five adults who return home to live with their parents do so because of a broken heart. According to a Homes.com survey of nearly 1,100 members of the so-called "Boomerang Generation" and their parents, those that return to the nest due to a divorce or partner breakup is roughly the same percentage as those who return because they're out of work.

In fact, the collapse of romantic relationships is the #1 move-back-home catalyst for Boomerang-ers ages 26-40 and the #2 incentive overall. More specifically, the survey revealed that:

• Love gone wrong is the primary reason for cohabiting with Mom and Dad for 33% of 26-30-year-old, 37% of 31-35-year-old and 24% of 36-40-year-old Boomerang-ers, outstripping all other considerations by as many as 14 points.
• Saving money for a home purchase or other major investment is the #1 motivation cited by Boomerang-ers in the 20-25 year-old cohort, while the need to care for aging parents tops the list for those 41 and older.
• Joblessness and debt rank just #3 and #4 overall as reasons to rejoin parents, even among 20-25-year-olds. Just 18% of Boomerang-ers in that age group return home because they lost or can't find a job, and 11% because of student loan or other debt.

The survey also provides intriguing insights into Boomerang-ers' ages, living quarters, sources of conflict, financial arrangements, and overall rapport with their parental roommates. Among the findings:

• 16% of Boomerang-ers are 31 and older, with roughly half of this group returning home after living elsewhere for 11 years or more.
• 45% live in their childhood bedrooms, with the rest having been displaced either by choice or space limitations. 26% live in a guest bedroom, 12% in the basement, 5% in a guest house, 4% in the living room and 2% in the garage.
• Privacy and noise issues cause the most friction, followed by space constraints, clashes over money, and political disagreements. General tension is also common, with more than one-third reporting "good days and bad days," constant conflict, or difficult relationships dating back to childhood.
• 25% pay rent to their parents when they move back home, as reported by both parents and children. This is roughly the same across all age groups.
• The two sides disagree about other aspects of the financial arrangement, suggesting that either parents exaggerate their support or children minimize it. For example, 12% of parents claim they cover all of their child's expenses, but only 5% of Boomerang-ers themselves say their parents foot the entire bill. Similarly, 35% of parents say that each side pays its own bills, but 45% of children make that claim.
• Parents are generally supportive. Only 13% discourage adult children from returning home to live, and 77% place no time limit on the arrangement. The majority also report a relatively smooth relationship, with 58% of parents and 68% of children saying they get along well or "hardly know they're there."

More information about the survey, including charts and graphs detailing key results, can be found at www.blog.homes.com.

About Homes.com

Homes.com offers today's demanding homebuyers, renters and those somewhere in between a simply smarter home search. With features like Homes.com Match, HomeShare and Snap & Search, homeshoppers now have a more personalized and conversational way to search for their next home. Since its launch over 25 years ago, Homes.com offers real estate professionals brand and property advertising, search engine marketing and instant response lead generation to help them succeed online. For more information, visit Homes.com.