40% of New Yorkers Live with Roommates

In the New York metropolitan area, 40% of adults live doubled or tripled up with roommates. That’s up from 32.7% in 2000.

“By sharing a home with roommates — or in some cases, with adult parents — working adults are able to afford to live in more desirable neighborhoods. Unless current dynamics shift and income growth exceeds rent growth for a sustained period of time, this trend is unlikely to change,” said Aaron Terrazas senior economist for Zillow.

A doubled-up household is where two or more working-aged adults live together but aren’t married or in a relationship — this could mean two millennial roommates or an adult living with parents.

Even though living with roommates is a way of life in New York City, very few apartments are built with roommates in mind. Local laws make it illegal for more than three unrelated adults to live in the same housing unit — even though many people do.

For comments, questions or concerns, please contact our New York commercial real estate editor Bendix Anderson