Quote:
Originally Posted by Sylvanfan
Well theres also something to be said for longer life expectancy and higher educational expectations I think.
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Bingo.
In this current market, it is incredibly difficult to be a fulltime student, while living on their own with a full-time job. Nowadays, a HS Diploma or GED is insufficient for a strong living wage. The requirement seems to be a minimum of one post-secondary degree. Not to mention people wishing to have multiple Bachelor degrees, Masters degrees, Doctorates, or Professional degrees like Law and Medicine which can stretch one's time in school into their late 20s and early 30s. School isn't exactly $500 a year like it was when my father went to post-secondary in the late 70s-early 80s... nor did it only rise with inflation. Undergrad alone is $6000 a year (exc. books), and graduate school is over $10000 a year. (Med school is closer to $15k).
The mentality is, if one has a good relationship with their parent/parents, contributes to the whole and respects their parents requirements, why bother wasting thousands of dollars a year to rent? Why not go to school, make some money on the side, and when they have graduated with a good job and a solid revenue stream, purchase a condo/townhome/house and go from there. The stigma of being in one's twenties and living with their parents doesn't really exist anymore.
There's a lot to be said about life expectancy too. People are choosing to work into their 60s and 70s out of choice moreso than ever before because most people are living into their 80s and 90s now. People seem to get married later (average of 28 or 29?) and have kids later (early 30s?). More time = Less rush.