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 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.
US Census Bureau. New Data Visualization Shows More Young Adults Worked From Home and Lived Alone During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Census.gov. Published September 6, 2023. Accessed September 16, 2023. https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2023/09/young-adults-work-lifestyle-changed-during-pandemic.html