The Big Story Will Gen Z ever move out?
Jan 30, 2026
Claire Gagné, Maclean's editor who wrote 'Why Gen Z Will Never Leave Home', explores multigenerational living, affordability and shifting adulthood timelines. She discusses parental emotions, rent versus wages in Toronto and Vancouver, the value of extra education, cultural norms around cohabitation, and whether empty nests are becoming rarer.
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Financial Independence Is Now Implausible For Many
- Young Canadians increasingly can't picture financial independence straight out of school due to high living costs and stagnant wages.
- Claire Gagné explains that the childhood bedroom often stays occupied as renting or buying alone becomes unrealistic.
Author's Daughter Stayed Home During University
- Claire Gagné describes her own daughter choosing to live at home while attending university.
- The choice shows how even families who expected an empty nest now experience extended co-residence.
Adult Milestones Are Delayed
- Typical adult milestones (moving out, marriage, career) are delayed compared with past decades.
- Claire Gagné notes longer schooling and career changes extend the timeline to financial independence.