To think women know the 'explanation' for why more young men than women live with parents

[Echobelly]

Was reading this article, and had to laugh at the last line https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/jan/11/hotel-of-mum-and-dad-in-uk-at-its-fullest-in-two-decades-study-finds - apparently 'Young men are more likely to live with their parents: 12% compared with 5% of women at the age of 34. Researchers could offer no explanation for this, although the gender differences also existed in other high-income countries.'

I think a lot of women could offer an explanation. 😜

I fully expect both of mine to be at home for a while as oldest is interested in a career trajectory that's probably mostly London based, but won't pay enough to live independently for a while, and unless youngest goes for a City career (unlikely and I wouldn't encourage doing anything just for the money) I imagine will be similar for him.

I think living at home into 30s is common enough now that people don't think it weird or indicative of someone being a terrible failure these days like they used to 30 years ago as most people understand, especially in London/SE, that housing costs are absolutely crushing and honestly I've rather my kids stay at home for a few years to build up some capital.

Not read the thread but assuming it's because a lot of women move into their partner's house?

Women are more likely than men to date somebody a few years older and when young five years can easily be the difference between being on the property ladder or not. I'd imagine a 45yo may not be a whole lot more likely to own a house than a 40yo (probs more dependent on job/income) but if you're talking 25yo vs 30yo then I'd say there's probs a more pronounced difference.

And single mothers are much more likely to be housed by the local authority.

Single mothers yes. Single child free women no.

Not sure what point you're making.

Single child free men would be a no too.

My view is that some men are happy to stay at home and have mother so all their cooking and washing for them.

Women on the other hand tend to want to do their own thing and sharing a kitchen can start to be territorial.

I also think if women are more driven to start their own family and have children.

It is cultural & biology. If women want a family, they have to be quicker about finding a partner and getting their own home to have babies. Men can take their sweet old time and staying at home often means helping younger siblings & parents financially while saving money so they can then contribute most of the money to a home for a future partner to start a family with them.

In most cultures, women go out to their partner’s home even if he is still living with parents. Ie it’s more likely for parents to allow a son’s girlfriend to live in than vice versa.

It is also economic, when you have a housing crisis and a cost of living crisis, it makes more sense for adult DC to stay home and save up a deposit than to go out and pay exorbitant rent.

Single child free women are a higher priority for housing when homeless than a single child free man.

Is there data on this. Most couples I know are a similar age and looking for a place to live together.

But both highly unlikely to receive housing so moot.

How is it “moot” when every child free single woman gets housed before the first child free single man? Homelessness is a gendered issue, where the male sex are far more likely to not receive housing. The hidden numbers in addition to sleeping rough are the homeless who are trapped sofa surfing at their parents home.

Adding graph.

The flat underneath me has had three different single male occupants since 1998 One bedroom. no kids

I doubt you know the individual circumstances of all or indeed any of those men.

The first one was lovely. A really good neighbour and a real gent. Passed away in 2017 after living there for 19 years during which the residulisation and welfarisation of social housing which happened during the 2010 Government began!!!

The second one. (See i doubt YOU know anything about British flats Mr!

Because you would know that sound proofing is a problem)
Tenant 2 was a drug dealer who would shout argue and throw things at his girlfrend You could hear it all.
Tenant 3 is an abusive alcoholic who is ok as long as he is getting his drink but beccomes abusive , bangs on the wall and shouts abuse if he doesnt get it.

To say that i cant know anything when we can hear it through the fucking walls and fucking SMELL it (Tenant 2) coming into our airing cupboard and bathroom is fucking laughable. Do you think pre welfarisation tenants have gone deaf and had our noses removed.

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/4877365-to-think-housing-associations-should-have-more-accountability-who-they-choose-to-allocate-homes-to

I would be interesting to see what the income levels of the people living at home are.

My guess about this is that a lot of it is that women with kids are given priority for social housing over men.

Actually - another way to answer this might be to suggest that the reason is the same as why so many more men are homeless and live rough compared to women.

Do people also think that is because they are lazy and love the outdoors?

Why are child free women more of a housing priority than child free men? I had no idea this was the case.

They are seen much more at risk of sexual exploitation.

Which they are, as far as it goes.

Economic & biology I think are going to be the main reasons for the differences here!

Interesting. With the housing benefit (UC housing element) that's true but housing also depends on the housing stock available.

My local council designates some blocks of flats as adults only and for a single person or couple.

Lol! I read the same article and had the same thoughts at the ending! It's because they're bloody useless at looking after themselves, clearly! They're happy with Mummy doing their laundry and cooking their meals. It can't be the finances because otherwise men and women would stay at home equally.

I think women leave home earlier because they're more often controlled at home, too. Can't have a sex life, basically. Parents are worried about being left holding the baby. Not so much with sons, because it'll be more like HER parents left holding the baby.

I don't understand why people stay at home in their late twenties/early thirties. I know about housing costs, but it was the same in London in the late Nineties/early 2000s as well. Everyone in my cohort left home and rented rooms in a flatshare. They were wonderful times, and essential for maturing. And if you don't insist on living in an expensive Central London share, you CAN save money while flatsharing.

I think perhaps young people's expectations are higher these days, and they don't want to rent a room in a not-wonderful flat. For my generation, moving to London after uni and flatsharing was a rite of passage.