What age men and women consider themselves officially an adult

Men are considered to officially be adults at age 26, while women seem to hit adulthood three years earlier, according to new research.

A survey of 2,000 Americans asked people to pinpoint the age at which they felt they fully became a grownup and saw women identify this feeling earlier in life on average.

But when asked what’s considered to be the “favorite age” to experience in life, the average millennial wishes they could be 23 for the rest of their life, whereas baby boomers said 32.

The study of 2,000 Americans adults, conducted by OnePoll in conjunction with Farm Rich, examined the mindset and journey toward transforming into a fully-fledged adult, otherwise known as “adulting.”

It found that 68% of men and 72% of women consider themselves to be an adult.

When looking at the signs of adulting among Americans, it turns out having a budget is the number one sign someone’s reached adulthood, with 55% noting that keeping track of their finances this way signifies adult life.

After having a budget, the survey found these to be the rest of the top 10 signs of adulting: buying a house (54%), filing your own taxes (52%), understanding and monitoring your credit score (48%), investing in your 401(k) (46%), doing your own laundry (43%), scheduling regular doctor’s appointments (38%), making a list to take when going to the grocery store (35%), cooking dinner most of Monday through Friday (33%) and watching the nightly news (31%).

Following close behind, 29% of those surveyed revealed that hosting dinner parties or gatherings is a true sign of being an adult, while a further 25% said using coupons officially put them in the league of being a full-fledged adult.

Seventeen percent of respondents said eating snacks for dinner whenever you want is an indication that you have officially reached adulthood.

While there are clear signs of adulting overall, there are also some significant differences across generations. Gen Zers are three times more likely to get excited about having snacks for dinner than baby boomers (30% vs. 9%).

“We were very interested to learn more about how young people view the transition to adulthood, and how times have changed with this whole idea of adulting,” said Shannon Gilreath, Farm Rich director of marketing.

“Part of the process of adulting is realizing you no longer have parents telling you what to do, where to be, or what to eat … so suddenly you realize you’re in charge of your own life and for some, that can be a strange feeling.”

Millennials and baby boomers both believe that having vegetables, fruits and coffee on hand are the top foods that you need if you want to call yourself an adult.

That being said, younger generations think having frozen food on hand is something adults should have, compared to older generations. Thirty-three percent of millennials and Gen Zers revealed that frozen foods are a staple in the kitchens of adults, which is a sharp contrast to the 21% of baby boomers who feel frozen foods are a hallmark of an adult diet.

Nobody said that just because you’re an adult means it’s all kale salads and almonds. Over half of millennials and almost as many Generation Xers confessed their food preferences are more childlike.

And millennials, Gen Xers, and baby boomers are all guilty of indulging frequently in comfort foods from their youth. All these generations love to chow down on pizza, spaghetti, hot dogs, mac and cheese and a grilled cheese sandwich from time to time.

Those aged 46-50 are 12% more likely to reach for a delicious pizza than any other younger generation, while millennials are more likely to reach for the chicken nuggets compared to baby boomers (44% vs. 20%).

For Americans, adulting is more than just varying food preferences. It also comes with a certain bedtime as well. Results showed that the average adult bedtime is officially 9:16 p.m.

But before bed comes the nightly news — 31% of millennials get giddy about watching the news, compared to just 23% of baby boomers.

And it turns out, younger generations are more romantic than older generations. Forty-five percent of millennials get excited for date night with their partner, compared to just 22% of baby boomers.

Besides being more romantic, younger generations are also big on entertaining. Thirty-one percent of millennials look forward to channeling their inner Martha S. and hosting dinner parties, compared to just 17% of baby boomers.

When it comes to employment, millennials surveyed said that 22 is the age they felt comfortable having a steady job. Baby boomers, however, said that prime age was 17.

Millennials seem to put more pressure on themselves to reach adulthood. According to the survey, after age 26 millennials believe it becomes embarrassing if you are not a full-fledged adult. Baby boomers were more forgiving and said 31 is the cutoff.

Stress isn’t a new-age phenomenon, as both millennials and Gen Zers surveyed agree that stress is one of their least favorite parts of adulthood (46% and 48%, respectively). For baby boomers, aging is the least favorite part of being an adult (68%).

The main way Americans handle their stress is all about getting some “me time” — with 40% revealing this is their go-to way to relieve it.

But it turns out, different generations handle the stress of adulthood differently. Forty-three percent of millennials turn to video games to forget their adult responsibilities, while 33% of Baby Boomers eat whatever comforting snacks they want.

Gen Zers find respite in sleep with naps being an escape for over 50% — more than any other generation.

Perks of adulting come in different forms. Millennials enjoy having a routine more than Gen Zers (41% vs. 28%). All agree that independence is a top perk of adulthood.

“The findings in this study are both funny and true,” added Gilreath.

“When it comes to food, for example, it’s interesting to see how it plays such a big part in attitudes toward adulting – things like doing your own grocery shopping, entertaining friends, cooking at home, the nostalgia around the comfort foods from our youth, or just eating snacks for dinner and to relieve stress from time to time.”

Top 10 signs of being an adult