Welcome to the Permanent Roommate Era

The share of adults under 35 living with roommates has nearly doubled since 2015. For millions, the solo apartment is now a luxury rather than a default.

Rent inflation, stagnant wages, and a delayed age of marriage all drive the trend. Many professional in their thirties still split rent with two or three friends.

Developers have responded with co-living buildings featuring shared kitchens, private pods, and optional cleaning services included in rent.

Some tenants call it liberating; others call it a polite name for overcrowding. Either way, the single-family apartment is no longer the quiet default of adulthood.