Leaving the parental home happens at a relatively young age in France but not much is known about spatial variations in this. Using data from the DREES-Insee Enquête nationale sur les ressources des jeunes (ENRJ, national survey on the resources of young adults), this work analyses the differences in accessing independent accommodation between the age of 18 and 24 according to parental home location. Young adults leave home considerably sooner outside large towns and cities, in the large majority of cases when pursuing studies: 80% of young people from rural areas or small towns have left home before the age of 25, compared with 40% of young Parisians. The former’s parents more commonly support them in leaving home, in particular with financial assistance. While there is little variation in the average amount of regular support provided according to parental area of origin, this nevertheless equates to a significantly higher burden-to-income ratio for parents living outside large Urban Units, in particular for young adults still studying, and the amounts given cover different items of expenditure.

Citation: Kersuzan, C. & Solignac, M. (2021). Spatial Disparities in Young Adults’ Early Residential Independence in France. Economie et Statistique / Economics and Statistics, 522-523, 61–80. https://doi.org/10.24187/ecostat.2021.522d.2036