As you probably know, many young adults are returning to living at home after college. I had a somewhat different experience because I moved away to start graduate school immediately after college. During my first two years of my post-college life, I had a roommate. Thanks to my college's single occupancy dormitory—I had never had a roommate before. After both my roommate experiences ended poorly, I concluded the financial stress of paying for my own one-bedroom was preferable to managing the rocky, emotional turmoil of a roommate. Plus, as a hyper-independent person the idea of having a living situation determined by a roommate unnerved me. What if they lost their financial means or just decided they wanted to move? Depending on myself felt like a safe bet.
However, since that time—the cost of apartments has sky-rocketed. I can't say that I would make that same decision again in this economy. In February and March of this year, the national median rent was $1,937. In 91% of U.S. counties, a full-time minimum wage worker cannot afford a modest one-bedroom apartment. You need to make $21.25 per hour as a full-time employee to afforded a modest bedroom.
Unfortunately, entry-level jobs provide marginal financial stability than minimum wage jobs. According to Indeed's Career Guide, the average entry level salary in the U.S. is a little over $40k, but it can range from 26-56K.
Your likelihood of being able to afford your own apartment fresh out of college is very low. Of course, if you get recruited by a finance firm straight out of undergrad—that's a different story (unless you need an apartment on Wall Street). Most post-grads will have to seriously consider cohabitation. The average yearly expenses for a single person is $38,266 which is just under the average yearly salary. Those calculations likely do not account for various emergencies or God forbid—self-care and enjoyment needs. You're still a person who deserves to enjoy some of the money you make.
Choose Your Fighter:
In a similar article, "Returning Home from College" Heather Hech lays out the case for moving back in with your parents. It has become a more normalized post-college trajectory. Some students go away from college to escape unsustainable and toxic home lives. The reality is that most post-grad students must choose between moving back home or living with a roommate or partner. Each situation and scenario has its pros and cons.
If you're an extrovert who loves being around people—living with one or more roommates after college could be your strongest option. If you're an introvert who struggles to open up or get close to others, living with a partner might be your best bet. All these decisions are about calculating your strongest options for success.
Though I consider myself a people person, my post-college roommate situations floundered. My first year my apartment building (geared for graduate students) randomly selected roommates.
My second year I became roommates with a friend I had just only a year or so prior at a summer program.
Since I had just moved to Maryland, none of my long-time friends from New York were viable options. In comparison, my best friend from high school moved in with strangers but then later moved in with her college roommates. In both scenarios she had two to three roommates and that worked out for her, especially living with her college roommates. She also thought having more roommates helped defray tension. Having just one roommate can be difficult unless you're close with that person. It can take time to build the right bond.
Your ability to access your compatibility is important. Is there a group of people who you can envision yourself living with? Will they allow and support your personal growth as a person? Or will they try to keep you pigeon-holed in a previous version of yourself? Sometimes parents and spouses have an extra investment in your identity; that can mean they want you to stay as a specific version of yourself. You really must think deeply about who will lovingly hold you accountable but also give you room to grow and shift into the person you're destined to become.
