Does everyone need their own lawnmower? For a lot of people, living with your spouse and kids in a standalone house with a white picket fence is, more or less, the American dream. But people aren’t as likely to get married and have kids as they used to – and buying a house is more unattainable than ever. But even for those who don't share this particular American dream, alternatives -- like living alone or with roommates you don't really talk to -- can sometimes feel alienating, or like a last resort. But the proponents of communal living say things can be different. Communal living can look like co-living – where people choose to live with others in one house or building – or co-housing – which is a community built around a group of houses. They are intentional communities where people build shared lives together – and they don't have to be blood-related or romantically involved. All Things Considered producer <a href="https://www.npr.org/people/1239521552/jordan-marie-smith"target="_blank" >Jordan-Marie Smith </a>wanted to know – what might be driving people to live communally? And can communal living be seen as a viable, first choice adult living situation? Jordan-Marie shares her reporting with Brittany on what she found out. For more episodes on culture and how we build our lives, check out:<a href="https://www.npr.org/2026/07/03/nx-s1-5878402/to-be-or-not-to-be-a-parent"target="_blank" >To be or not to be a parent</a><a href="https://www.npr.org/2026/06/29/nx-s1-5872768/the-safety-and-power-of-knowing-your-neighbors"target="_blank" >The safety and power of knowing your neighbors</a><a href="https://www.npr.org/2026/05/06/nx-s1-5810552/how-to-survive-a-millennial-midlife-crisis"target="_blank" >How to survive a millennial midlife crisis</a> Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at <a href="http://plus.npr.org/"target="_blank" >plus.npr.org</a>. See <a href="https://pcm.adswizz.com">pcm.adswizz.com</a> for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. <a href="https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy">NPR Privacy Policy</a>

Podurama

Home

Trending

Personal

Your Podcasts

New Episodes

My Files

Favourite Episodes

Tags (Folders)

Recently Played

Bookmarks

Followed Playlists

The rise of 'intentional living'

It's Been a Minute

AI Chapters

AI Insights

Reviews