New research by the Pew Research Center has revealed that for the first time in over 130 years, young adults, aged between 18 and 34, were more likely to be living with their parents that in a household with a spouse or significant other.

And, according to the researchers, the primary reason for the decline is young Americans are deciding to wait until later in life to settle down and start families.  Since 1880, the most common type of living arrangement for this demographic has been living in a household with a romantic partner.  This type arrangement peaked in 1960 when 62 percent of the 18-34 year-old group in the US were keeping their own house and just 20 percent were still living with parents.

As of 2014, that  number had declined to 31.6 percent living on their own, surpassed by those living with their parents, at 32.1 percent.  Fourteen percent lived either alone, with one of more roommates, or were a single parent.  The remaining 22 percent lived at the home of another family member or in group quarters, such as a college dorm setting.

For men in the young adult age group, living with the parents has been the most common arrangement since 2009, but no so for young women.  In the 2014 numbers, 35 percent of young men reported living at home compared to 29 percent of young women.

Part of this discrepancy is due to young women living as single parents with their children, at 16 percent, as compared to only 13 percent of men in the age group.

The research report also said the median age for getting married has risen steadily for decades, and a growing number of young adults are deciding not to marry at all.  Earlier research by the center predicted the almost 25 percent of today’s young adults will never marry.

Also factoring into the numbers is the employment status and financial condition of the younger adults.  Employed young adults are less likely to be living at home, but employment among the demographic has dropped significantly over the past several decades.  From an high mark of 84 percent inn 1960, the number of employed men in the group dropped to 71 percent by 2014.

The areas of the country with the highest rates of young adults still living with their parents were the South Atlantic, West South Central, and the Pacific.