How the avocado toast generation is mirroring their parents

[UNITED STATES] As millennials approach middle age, a surprising trend is emerging: they're becoming more like their baby boomer parents than anyone expected. Once dubbed the "forever young" generation, millennials are now catching up economically and adopting lifestyles reminiscent of their predecessors. This shift challenges long-held stereotypes and reveals a complex picture of generational evolution.

The stereotype of the perpetually struggling millennial is giving way to a more nuanced reality. While challenges persist, many millennials are making significant strides in wealth accumulation, homeownership, and career advancement. This article explores the emerging similarities between millennials and baby boomers, examining key areas where the younger generation is mirroring – and sometimes surpassing – their parents' achievements.

The Economic Catch-Up

Earnings and Wealth Accumulation

Contrary to popular belief, millennials are making notable progress in closing the economic gap with their boomer parents. Recent data paints a promising picture:

• Median weekly earnings for full-time workers aged 25-34 reached $1,045 ($54,340 annually) in 2023, a 4% increase from 1979 when adjusted for inflation.
• For the 35-44 age group, wages have risen by 13% to $1,250 ($65,000) compared to 1979.

In terms of wealth accumulation, millennials are showing resilience:

• The median net worth for those aged 35-44 was $135,300 in 2022, slightly higher than the $130,380 (inflation-adjusted) for the same age group in 1989.
• Younger millennials (under 35) have seen a significant improvement, with a median net worth of $39,040 in 2022, compared to $18,740 in 1989.

Investment Savvy

One area where millennials are outpacing their parents is in financial literacy and investment participation:

• 63.6% of Americans aged 35-44 had stock holdings in 2022, compared to 39.2% in 1989.
• Direct stock ownership for those under 35 hit a record 23.1% in 2022, more than double the 10.9% in 1989.

This increased engagement with the stock market is partly due to the shift from pensions to 401(k)s, necessitating more active participation in retirement planning.

The Homeownership Journey

Delayed but Determined

While millennials have faced challenges in the housing market, they're not giving up on homeownership:

• As of 2022, over half of millennials were homeowners.
• The median age of first-time homebuyers has reached a record high of 38 years old.

Daryl Fairweather, chief economist at Redfin, notes, "The baby boomer homeownership rate started to plateau when baby boomers reached the age of late 40s, early 50s. So I think that by the time the oldest millennials are in their late 40s, early 50s, that's probably when they're going to be much closer to baby boomers".

Suburban Migration

Like their parents before them, many millennials are heading to the suburbs:

• Affordability and availability of housing stock are driving this trend.
• Jessica Lautz of the National Association of Realtors observes, "The plurality are moving to the suburbs, but that's where the housing stock is".

This shift isn't always by choice but often a necessity due to urban housing costs and family needs.

Lifestyle and Values

Family Formation

While millennials may have delayed traditional milestones, they're not abandoning them:

• Many are now marrying and starting families, albeit later than their parents did.
• The desire for stability and space is driving suburban relocation.

Financial Priorities

Millennials are balancing traditional financial goals with new priorities:

• Increased focus on work-life balance and experiences.
• Greater emphasis on early investing and financial literacy.

Faith Bergman, a 28-year-old fintech professional, reflects this shift: "Investing, especially investing as a woman, has not always been a common theme or practice. I think it's more of just a lack of awareness".

The Generational Echo

Inherited Traits

Many millennials are recognizing familiar patterns in their behavior:

John, a 31-year-old lawyer, observes, "You realize that they are much more in you than you were maybe comfortable with, and you see some of the same strengths and flaws that your parents had".

Jane Doe, 37, notes similarities in parenting styles and values, despite intentions to parent differently.

Cultural Shifts

As millennials age, they're experiencing cultural déjà vu:

• Their children are now rolling their eyes at 2000s music, just as millennials did with their parents' '70s hits.
• Understanding parental concerns about energy costs and practical life skills.

Challenges and Inequalities

Persistent Disparities

While overall trends are positive, significant inequalities persist:

• Black millennials are half as likely to own a home as white millennials, mirroring disparities in the boomer generation.
• The wealth gap within the millennial generation is widening, reflecting broader societal trends.

Rob Gruijters, a sociologist at the University of Bristol, emphasizes, "There's huge variation in wealth within generations, far more than there is between generations. Overall distribution of wealth has become more unequal within generations and also across the board".

Economic Uncertainty

Millennials face unique challenges that temper their progress:

• Lingering effects of the Great Recession and the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Concerns about the future of Social Security and Medicare.
• Growing income inequality and concentration of wealth at the top.

Laurence Kotlikoff, an economics professor at Boston University, warns, "Even if they were in some ways keeping up with where they should have been had nothing changed in the economy, the massive fiscal gap that the country's facing is going to land on their heads as they reach retirement".

As millennials enter middle age, they're proving to be more resilient and adaptable than previously thought. While not all have achieved the same level of success as their boomer parents, many are carving out their own paths to financial stability and traditional milestones.

The millennial generation is redefining success on their own terms, blending traditional goals with modern values. They're investing earlier, prioritizing work-life balance, and navigating a more complex economic landscape than their parents faced.

As one observer aptly put it, "Millennials aren't the lost generation after all. They're boomers 2.0, with a side of avocado toast".

This generational evolution serves as a reminder that while circumstances may change, the core aspirations of financial security, homeownership, and family remain constant across generations. As millennials continue to shape the economic and social landscape, they're proving that adapting to change doesn't mean abandoning the dreams that defined their parents' generation.