North Olmsted, Ohio… Think back on those life milestones that made you feel like you were finally a grown-up. Was it getting married, purchasing your first home or having your first child? Perhaps it was when you tackled that DIY project, all by yourself. The curious minds at Moen investigated the markers of adulthood, via an online survey conducted by Harris Poll on its behalf among more than 2,000 U.S. adults. Surprisingly, nine in ten Americans (90 percent) say they actually do feel like an adult. Some of the most common signs of adulthood include …

Moving Out of Mom & Dad’s

Nearly half of Americans (49 percent) said moving out of their parent’s home made/would make them feel like an adult. Why? We suspect this milestone symbolizes the start of their financial independence. Moving out also may align with getting a full-time job – and paying bills, which also made/would make many Americans (57 percent and 69 percent, respectively) feel like an adult – and may indicate financial independence.

Settling Down

More than half of Americans (54 percent) say that getting married made/would make them feel like an adult – perhaps because marriage may be a means to personal fulfillment. Though our culture has changed in many ways, a majority of people still seem to find value in the institution of matrimony. According to a recent Allstate study, nearly three-in-four Americans (74 percent) consider marriage to be relevant and think it supports a happier and more successful life.[1]

Marriage also symbolizes the start of creating your own family unit, which often includes parenthood. Making the transition from child to parent is a marker of adulthood for many, with nearly half of Americans (49 percent) saying that having a child made/would make them feel like an adult. After all, what’s more grown-up than being called mom or dad?

Owning a Home

Owning a home is an exciting and pivotal sign of maturity, with half of Americans (50 percent) saying buying a home made/would make them feel like an adult. While the chances of a first-time home buyer purchasing a perfect place with updated hardware and fixtures are slim, updating a home may be another important part of the “adulting” process.

Moen’s survey found that roughly a third of Americans say that doing home repair/renovation project(s) (30 percent) and purchasing home appliances/products such as kitchen/bathroom faucets (34 percent) made/would make them feel like an adult. Brands like Moen offer a wide array of kitchen and bathroom fixtures that are on-trend and easy-to-install, so updating a home is doable for any level of DIYer.

“At Moen, we’re here to support you during all of life’s major milestones,” said Andrea Maher, senior marketing communications specialist, Moen. “Whether you’re starting your first home renovation and looking for a faucet that speaks to your style, or need a handshower to make bathing your baby girl for the first time stress-free … Moen is here to help make being a grown-up great.”

Survey Methodology:

This survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Poll on behalf of Moen from September 19-21, 2016 among 2,035 adults ages 18 and older. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables, please contact Courtney Yerega at cyerega@fallscommunications.com.