NEW YORK, March 12, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- High rents and the rising cost of living are reshaping the rental landscape. New data from SpareRoom, the number 1 roommate finding platform, reveals the proportion of under 35s in the roommate market is in decline, while over 35s are rising.
Plummeting affordability in the rental market is changing the dynamics of shared households, with the fastest growing age group in the roommate market now the over 65s. Although this age group accounts for less than 5% of all US roommates, the percentage of over 65s has more than tripled in the 10 years to 2025. The second highest increase has been seen among roommates aged 55-64.
According to a February 2026 survey of 491 US roommates by SpareRoom, 39% now live in multi-generational households, where the age difference between the oldest and youngest adult is 20 years or more. More than a quarter (27%) have (or are) roommates with a 30+ year age gap between them.
"We're inching ever further from the traditional image of the renter as a recent graduate or young professional," said Matt Hutchinson, Director of SpareRoom. "Today, the proportion of older Americans living as tenants in shared rentals is higher than 10 years ago, because - for some - it's simply the only way to afford housing. Renting is no longer just a stepping-stone to homeownership. For many, especially those nearing retirement without sufficient savings, it's becoming a long-term financial necessity."
Meanwhile, 18-24 year olds have dropped from representing 37% of the market in 2015, to just 28% in 2025. Those aged 25-34 years old - the group most typically associated with renting with roommates - has dropped from more than 40% in 2015 to less than a third in 2025, though this is still the most dominant age group.
Age group | % of users in 2025 | % of users in 2020 | % of users in 2015 |
18-24 | 28.1 | 31.2 | 36.7 |
25-34 | 30.7 | 39.6 | 40.3 |
35-44 | 17.4 | 13.6 | 11.0 |
45-54 | 11.2 | 7.6 | 7.4 |
55-64 | 8.1 | 4.8 | 3.3 |
65+ | 4.4 | 3.2 | 1.3 |
The table below shows how roommates aged over 45 represented just over a tenth of the market a decade ago, but now make up almost a quarter of it:
Age group | % of users in 2025 | % of users in 2020 | % of users in 2015 |
18-44 | 76.2 | 84.4 | 88.1 |
45+ | 23.8 | 15.6 | 11.9 |
Renter affordability in crisis
In an August 2025 survey of 1,257 US roommates, 54% said they were spending 40% or more of their take-home pay on rent. Living with roommates has always been the cheapest way to rent, and yet a sizable proportion - 42% - of survey respondents described their rent as 'unaffordable'. Over half (56%) were earning less than $50K per year.
Despite some marginal rent decreases throughout last year, room rents still hit record highs in many major metropolitan areas in 2025, and there have been no significant decreases in rents, according to SpareRoom's rental index. Those priced out of renting solo and homeownership are adding to the already intense pressure on rooms available in more affordable shared accommodation.
?About SpareRoom
SpareRoom is the #1 roommate finder and every three minutes someone finds a roommate on SpareRoom. SpareRoom is active across the UK & US and has so far helped more than 19 million people fill or find a room. www.spareroom.com
Data methodology: Based on more than 465K SpareRoom tenant users in 2025, 2020 and 2015. This included only US tenants, by age group, who had a room-wanted advert or listed a room-offered advert as current tenants, live at any time in a specified year. If 2+ tenants were included in an advert, min age and max age were recorded as two tenants.
Source data: www.spareroom.com/content/info-statistics/us-roommates-getting-older
View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/spareroom-data-shows-us-roommates-are-getting-older-302711351.html
