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Median Price Comparison
Comparison of median list prices between multi-generational and standard homes.
Primary Sources
Multigenerational living on the rise as cost of living soars - USA TODAY
May 5, 2026, 11:21 a.m. ETEarlier this year, Pearl Emmons, a real estate agent in the Boston area, helped former clients buy a new home. The couple, grandparents in their 70’s, had decided they wanted to move closer to their daughter and her growing family.Much closer.The two couples wound up buying a two-family home together in Somerville, Massachusetts. Grandma and Grandpa live on the first floor, and their daughter, son-in-law, and their two youngsters reside on the top level.The grandparents frequently provide child care for the young ones, Emmons said, and being in such close proximity makes those interactions much easier. In addition, she added, “I think that for anybody with aging parents, it’s nice to be able to be close to them for support reasons.”As the cost of living – and housing – surges, Americans are increasingly opting to live with other generations of their family. As Emmons’ clients show, there’s a caregiver convenience factor at work. It also stands to reason that cutting down on travel expenses saves money as well.A recent analysis, however, finds that multigenerational homes are often significantly more expensive than standard properties. Their growing popularity in spite of that suggests the other advantages make it worth it to many families.The report, out May 5 from Realtor.com, estimates that there are currently 4 million multigenerational households, representing 4.5% of all owner-occupied households, as of 2024. That’s up a bit from a 4.3% share in 2019, before the pandemic.The report defines “multigenerational houses” as properties whose descriptions include keywords such as “guest house,” “in-law suite” or “granny-flat.”Realtor.com does not include two-family houses, like the one Emmons helped her clients buy, triplexes, or other similar homes because data about those properties are not tracked in a uniform way. That suggests multigenerational housing might be far more widespread than this report highlights, if arrangements like these are factored in.The analysis shows the median list price for a multigenerational house on Realtor.com, was $709,000 in 2025, roughly 65% higher than the $429,900 median for a standard listing. While multigenerational homes are typically larger, they are also more expensive at the most basic level, commanding $262 per square foot versus $215 per square foot for standard homes.That extra cost may be because multi-generational homes contain specialized features like in-law suites, additional kitchen...
Under the Same Roof: Multigenerational Living in the U.S.
May 05, 2026 Key takeaways Rising popularity: Multigenerational households now comprise 4.5% of owner-occupied homes, typically featuring larger footprints and higher median incomes ($131,000) due to more people per household. Price premium: Nationally, these homes list for 65% more than standard listings (22% more per square foot), driven by specialized features and coastal concentration. Strong demand: Despite the higher price, these listings attract 13.5% more page views and sell as quickly as standard properties, showing that demand is keeping pace with supply. Regional contrast: California markets feature high supply and price normalization, whereas in the Midwest and South, scarcity drives extreme price premiums and intense buyer interest. This Mother’s Day, nearly 3 million owner-occupied homes across America have at least two mothers living under one roof, sharing the joys and responsibilities of raising the next generation together. That sense of shared purpose and care is at the heart of multigenerational living, a housing arrangement that is quietly shaping American family life. Multigenerational household trends In 2024, 4.5% of owner-occupied households, nearly 4 million, were multigenerational. (This is defined as those containing three or more generations.) The share of multigenerational households was up slightly from 4.3% in both 2014 and 2019 as the count grew by 0.7 million from 2014. While the share held steady for much of the past decade, the pace of growth appears to be picking up, suggesting that multigenerational living is becoming an increasingly common choice for American families as high housing and childcare costs create strong reasons for co-living. The typical multigenerational household has five people sharing a four-bedroom home, with a median annual household income of $131,000. Among owner-occupied multigenerational households, 44.9% are White, 25.8% are Hispanic, 13.5% are Black, 11.1% are Asian, 3.9% are another race, and 0.9% are American Indian or Pacific Islander. Among the 100 largest metros, Urban Honolulu, HI (12.1%), sees the highest share of multigenerational households, followed by Riverside, CA (10.9%), Stockton, CA (10.1%), McAllen, TX (10.1%), and Bakersfield, CA (8.8%). In fact, over the past 10 years, Bakersfield saw the fastest growth in share of multigenerational households, followed by Riverside, Stockton, Spokane, WA, and Little Rock, AR. While multigenerational households are more clustered in th...
Multi-Generational Households on the Rise, With California Leading the ...
Multi-generational households are on the rise, although these homes come with much higher list prices, with California leading in supply, according to a May 5 Realtor.com report.
Multigenerational Homes on the Rise as Families Tackle High Costs and ...
Multigenerational living arrangements have gained traction across the United States. A recent analysis identified about 4 million such owner-occupied households in 2024, accounting for 4.5 percent of the total.
