For a lot of people, the math on buying a home just doesn’t work for them right now. Maybe that’s how it feels for you too. You look at the cost of buying. Then you look at the cost of childcare. And it starts to feel like you have to choose one or the other.
But some families are finding a way to make both work by doing something a little different: teaming up to purchase a multi-generational home.
It’s no secret that affordability has been a challenge for some in recent years. But for families with young kids, there’s an added layer that can make it feel even harder: childcare.
According to the Department of Health and Human Services, childcare should take up no more than 7% of your monthly income. But in reality, the average married couple spends closer to 10% (see map below):
When you combine that with the cost of buying a home, it’s easy to see why things can feel stretched. That’s exactly why more families are starting to rethink how they approach both.
One option gaining traction? Multi-generational living. That’s when parents, grandparents, or other relatives buy a house together and live under the same roof.
You can see it in the data. According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), almost 1 in 7 homebuyers (14%) bought a multi-generational home in 2025 (see graph below). In fact, we’ve helped several families do just this!
And for the first time, childcare is showing up as a key reason why they chose this option. As NAR explains:
“This year’s report features two new primary reasons for purchasing a multi-generational home: grandchildren living in the home (12%) and to help reduce the cost of childcare (6%).”
Buying a multi-generational home solves two big challenges at the same time.
And for many people, that combination is what finally makes their move possible.
If the costs of childcare and housing together have made buying feel out of reach right now, it may be worth exploring creative options like buying a home with your loved ones.
Of course there is the other parts of the spectrum as well, we help many folks buy multi generation homes to help take care of their parents, or maybe to give everyone a little more space as college ends but maybe it makes more sense to stay at home and save money for a few years before moving out.
Whatever your situation is, just know you aren’t alone, and you are definitely not the only one trying to figure out this puzzle. Give us a call or text at (717) 371-0557 and we’d be happy to chat more about what multi generation homes might look like for you and yours!
