Over 45’s are the fastest growing age group for roommates
February 2024 - Data from SpareRoom, the number 1 roommate finder, reveals that 1 in 4 (25.5%) roommates in the US is aged 45 or above*.
SpareRoom analyzed data from 945,749 roommates over a 10 year period. In 2014, just 1 in 10 (10.3%) roommates were in the ‘45 or above category’, meaning that figure more than doubled in the past decade. In fact, the data shows that the average age of US roommates is getting older, with those 65 and over growing at the fastest rate (525%).
The table below shows the breakdown of roommates by age group between 2014 - 2023 as well as the percentage change for each group. The data reveals that the older age groups are by far the fastest growing, taking up a much bigger share of the overall market than they did a decade ago.
| as % of all users | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | % change 2014-23 |
| 18-24 | 24.3 | 27.4 | 28.8 | 31.2 | 33.9 | 32.6 | 35.6 | 35.8 | 36.7 | 40.0 | -39% |
| 25-34 | 33.2 | 34.6 | 36.6 | 39.6 | 38.5 | 41.3 | 38.4 | 38.3 | 40.3 | 39.2 | -15% |
| 35-44 | 17.0 | 15.8 | 14.6 | 13.6 | 12.7 | 12.1 | 12.0 | 11.9 | 11.0 | 10.5 | 63% |
| 45-54 | 11.2 | 10.1 | 9.2 | 7.6 | 7.6 | 7.0 | 7.9 | 8.2 | 7.4 | 6.4 | 76% |
| 55-64 | 8.8 | 7.6 | 6.8 | 4.8 | 4.5 | 4.3 | 4.2 | 4.2 | 3.3 | 3.0 | 190% |
| 65+ | 5.5 | 4.5 | 4.1 | 3.2 | 2.8 | 2.5 | 1.9 | 1.6 | 1.3 | 0.9 | 525% |
Matt Hutchinson, SpareRoom spokesperson comments:“Record high rents in many major cities, combined with stagnating wages, have left a big affordability gap for many renters. So it’s no surprise that we’ve seen an increasing number of over 45s living with roommates.
It's a much more practical, and often financially beneficial, option to have roommates, whether you’re renting yourself or letting out a room as a homeowner, something we’re also seeing a rise in as people struggle with living costs. It also adds a social element, which you wouldn’t benefit from if you were living alone!”
***
*Based on the number of US tenants per age group who placed a wanted advert or listed an advert on SpareRoom as current tenants. ↩