Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock (
) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.
Topics
Data & Maps
Surveys & Programs
Resource Library
New Data Visualization Shows More Young Adults Worked From Home and Lived Alone During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Young adulthood (ages 18-34) is characterized by many life changes that may include starting employment, going to college and new living situations. But in recent years, this life stage has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has brought about large-scale societal transformations.
A new U.S. Census Bureau data visualization explores these changes across a myriad of social characteristics of young adults from 2019 to 2021 including working from home; college enrollment; living arrangements; and computer and internet use.
Between 2019 and 2021, the share of young adults ages 18 to 34 who:
- worked from home increased by 12.0 percentage points.
- had a broadband internet subscription increased by 2.4 percentage points.
- were enrolled in college or graduate school decreased by 0.7 percentage points.
- lived alone increased by 1.1 percentage points.
Other highlights of changes in the social characteristics of young adults from 2019 to 2021:
- The percentage of young adults working from home in Massachusetts increased 19.5 points from 4.8% to 24.3%.
- The percentage of young adults who owned a laptop or desktop computer in Mississippi increased 5.2 points from 72.1% to 77.3%.
- The number of young adults enrolled in public undergraduate educational institutions decreased 12.9%, from roughly 12.6 million in 2015 to 10.9 million in 2021.
Note: Select the image to go to the interactive data visualization.
All data come from the American Community Survey (ACS) 1-year estimates.
The landing page of the visualization displays general statistics for each of the pages in the visualization: working from home; computer and internet use; college enrollment; and living arrangements.
All four pages have a dynamic graph that lets you explore each topic by a variety of characteristics as well as the percentage point change from 2019 to 2021.
Drop-down menus allow you to change the characteristics and age groups. Other highlights include maps of the percentage of young adults working from home and computer ownership by state; dynamic graphs showing recent trends in public and private college enrollment; and rich data on living arrangements.
Related Statistics
Stats for Stories
Singles Awareness Day: February 15, 2024
The 2022 Annual Social and Economic Supplement estimated there were 132.3M unmarried (never married, divorced and widowed) people in the U.S. ages 15 and older.
Stats for Stories
Unmarried and Single Americans Week: September 17-23, 2023
In 2022, about 132.3 million or 49.3% of Americans age 15 and over were unmarried, according to the Current Population Survey.
American Community Survey (ACS)
The American Community Survey is the premier source for information about America's changing population, housing and workforce.
Subscribe
Our email newsletter is sent out on the day we publish a story. Get an alert directly in your inbox to read, share and blog about our newest stories.
Contact our Public Information Office for media inquiries or interviews.
Population
Fewer Younger Adults Drives Population Loss in Some U.S. Cities
Why did some cities lose population in 2021? Population estimates by characteristics released today provide some answers.
Income and Poverty
More Young Adults Lived with Their Parents in 2019
Poverty rates of people ages 25 to 34 living with their parents remained stable at 5.3%, lower than the U.S. poverty rate of 10.5%.
Families and Living Arrangements
Young Adults Most Likely to Change Living Arrangements
Newly released U.S. Census Bureau survey data highlight transitions in living arrangements by age and nativity.
More stories
Income and Poverty
Fresh Insights on Income Mobility From 2005 to 2019
Mobility, Opportunity, and Volatility Statistics (MOVS) project shows income dynamics of working-age adults across socio-economic and geographic groups.
Business and Economy
Small Business Week 2024: How Small Businesses Impact Our Economy
The 61st Annual Small Business Week theme is “Building on the Small Business Boom.”
Education
Largest Annual Spike in Public School Spending in Over 20 Years
The Annual Survey of School System Finances shows per pupil spending and revenues for nation’s public school districts in FY 2022.
Income and Poverty
Wealth by Race of Householder
Households with a Black householder were less likely than those with a White householder to have home equity, retirement accounts, stocks and mutual funds.
Page Last Revised - November 1, 2023
✕
Is this page helpful?
Yes
No
Yes
No✕
NO THANKS
255 characters maximum
255 characters maximum reached
255 characters maximum reached
✕
Thank you for your feedback.
Comments or suggestions?
Comments or suggestions?
