More and more Generation Xers are sharing their pads in the city, according to a study.
The roommate finding app SpareRoom analyzed the data of its users and found that one in seven New York City roommates are above the age of 40. The large percentage of older renters reflects a national trend, as the number of Gen-X roommates has gone up by 23% over the last two years, according to SpareRoom founder Rupert Hunt.
“They fall into two key groups – lifetime renters who’ve never made it onto the property ladder and those coming out of long-term relationships and realizing they can’t afford to live on their own,” he said in a statement.
Specifically, the report said that 10% of people over 40 moved into an apartment with roommates because of a breakup with a significant other and 23% of those tenants did so because they were divorced or widowed.
Despite the lower cost of rent, New York tenants living with nonfamily members are still feeling a squeeze on their wallets.
About 36% of SpareRoom’s New York users spend more than half of their salaries on rent.
