'We kind of had a test run for 18 years': Could living with your sibling be the solution to affordable housing — or is it a recipe for disaster?

Take Ben and Allison Karlin, two of three triplets, who recently moved into a two-bedroom apartment together in New York City.

“We kind of had a test run for 18 years,” Ben told the Wall Street Journal.

Following their mother’s advice, the siblings have adopted a housemate approach, splitting responsibilities and buying their own groceries, to make city living more manageable. While teaming up with a sibling might seem like a smart solution, it’s not a one-size-fits-all fix. Balancing family ties with housemate dynamics can be tricky, and not every sibling relationship can survive the challenge.

Why pick a sibling?

Young adults weigh many factors when deciding whether to live with a sibling or a roommate. Differences in cleanliness, privacy and even dating boundaries can quickly turn a practical arrangement into a source of tension.

An analysis by Bowling Green State University’s National Center for Family & Marriage Research, based on Census Bureau data, found that the number of single young adults with siblings or roommates rose from approximately 5 million in 1990 to 6.5 million in 2022.

The driving force behind this trend is the rising cost of living. Rent prices have surged by about 19% since 2019, according to a Washington Post analysis of data from CoStar Group. Sharing living spaces has become less about convenience and more about financial survival in an increasingly expensive world.

Should siblings be a first- or last-resort roommate?

As Americans get creative with their living arrangements, siblings are increasingly teaming up to tackle the high costs of living together.

Sisters Cheryl and Sandra Sutton recently bought a five-bedroom home in Portland, Oregon, with their best friend. By pooling their resources, they’ve secured better housing and built on a foundation of trust.

“At this point, anybody that gets married, they’re gonna have to just take the other two as well,” Sandra told the Wall Street Journal. “There’s no plans to not live together.”