Spanish vs. American Families, by Stella Clymer

One interesting thing that has stuck out to me during my time in Sevilla has been how close Spaniards are with their families. While studying at UPO and talking with local students, I’ve learned that it’s very common for young adults to live with their parents until well into their 20s (and even 30s), while they’re in college or working their first jobs. A lot of this has to do with the high cost of housing in Spain, which often makes it impossible for young adults to live independently. This is different from the US, where some children continue living with their parents in their 20s, but a majority move out during their college years to live independently (or with peers as roommates).
There are benefits to both of these cultural practices, of course. I’ve noticed that in Spain families seem to be very tight knit, which probably plays a role in young adults continuing to live at home. Often while I’m walking home in my neighborhood, I see young and middle-aged people walking arm-in-arm with their elderly parents or grandparents. In the US there is a lot more segregation by age; it is less normal to see multigenerational families all doing life together. I’m close with my immediate family, but they live 3 hours from where I go to college and all of my extended family lives even farther. In the US it’s normal to have grandparents, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, and other family members spread out all over the country. I think it’s really nice that Spanish extended families live in close proximity to each other and see each other as a regular part of everyday life.

Source: https://www.spaindesk.com/family-life-in-spain/