Most autistic adults in the United States live with a parent or family member, at least during their twenties. Data from the National Longitudinal Transition Study found that 87% of young adults on the autism spectrum lived with a parent or guardian at some point after leaving high school, based on a sample of 21- to 25-year-olds. From there, the picture branches: some move into their own apartments with varying levels of support, others transition to group homes or residential programs, and a growing number find spots in intentional communities designed around neurodivergent needs.
Living With Family Remains the Most Common Arrangement
For many autistic adults, the family home stays the primary residence well into adulthood. The 87% figure from Drexel University’s research reflects young adults in their early to mid-twenties, but the pattern often extends further. In one study of 133 autistic adults reported on by parents, 37% still lived in the family home. The reasons are practical: affordable housing is scarce, support services have long waitlists, and the transition to independent living requires planning that many families haven’t had the resources or guidance to begin.
Living with family isn’t necessarily a problem. For some autistic adults, the familiarity and built-in support of the family home is genuinely the best fit. For others, it reflects a lack of alternatives rather than a preference. The distinction matters when families start thinking about long-term planning, particularly as parents age.
Residential Programs and Group Homes
Among autistic adults who have moved out of the family home, residential programs are the most common destination. In the Krauss et al. study, of those living away from family, 73% were in residential programs and about 17% were in semi-independent living arrangements. Only two participants out of 133 were living completely independently.
Group homes are the traditional model. Several unrelated residents, all with disabilities, live together with staff present around the clock. Staff focus on building independent living skills like cooking, shopping, and managing appointments, and the house is owned and run by a provider agency. This model works well for people who need consistent, structured support but can still participate in daily routines and community activities.
A step up in independence is supervised or semi-independent living, where a person lives in a house or apartment (alone or with others) but has access to more intensive, structured support up to 24 hours a day if needed. Staff can teach or assist with practical skills like banking, meal preparation, and medical appointments. The key difference from a group home is that the living space feels more like a personal home and less like a facility.
Supported Living and Independent Apartments
Supported living is designed for people who can manage much of their daily life but benefit from targeted help. You live in your own home or apartment, and services are tailored to your specific needs. The supports might be minimal, like a few hours a week of help with budgeting or scheduling, or they can be more substantial. The defining feature is that the individual directs the support rather than fitting into a program’s structure.
For autistic adults, the biggest barriers to living independently often aren’t about knowing how to do things. Research published in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders found that many autistic adults know how to do laundry, clean, and cook, but struggle with self-initiation and the organizational side of getting those tasks done consistently. Executive function, the ability to plan, organize, and follow through on tasks, is a core challenge. Simple strategies can make a real difference: clearly laid-out expectations, reward systems, organizational skills training, or even a weekly check-in with a support person who helps structure the week ahead. Community resources like cooking classes with an aide or day programs that practice life skills also help bridge the gap between knowing and doing.
Intentional Communities and Farmsteads
A newer model gaining traction is the intentional community, where autistic adults live alongside neurotypical residents in a shared neighborhood or campus designed around inclusion. These range from urban housing developments to rural farmsteads. Homesteads for Hope, for example, was founded in 2013 and purchased 55 acres along the Historic Erie Canal in New York. It operates as a “learn, work, live, and grow” community with an inclusive agritourism program serving hundreds of families. The organization is moving into its first phase of affordable housing construction, with plans underway for 2026.
These communities appeal to families looking for something between full independence and a traditional group home. Residents often have meaningful work on-site, built-in social connections, and access to support without the institutional feel. The Autism Housing Network maintains a directory of similar projects across the country.
What Neuro-Inclusive Design Looks Like
Wherever autistic adults live, the physical environment matters. Research from Utah State University found that neuro-inclusive housing was one of the highest unmet needs identified by autistic people themselves. Sensory-friendly design is central to this: quiet or dimmable lighting, designated rooms for decompression, reduced background noise, and predictable layouts. Public spaces in these communities might include communication boards for people who don’t use spoken language. Workspaces benefit from sensory-friendly elements and quiet recharge rooms.
These design features aren’t limited to specialized communities. They can be incorporated into any apartment or house. Adjustable lighting, noise-reducing materials, clear visual organization systems, and a dedicated calm space are modifications any household can make.
Funding and Waitlists
Most residential services for autistic adults are funded through Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) waivers. These federal-state programs pay for group and individual residential supports, day programs, personal care, behavioral services, supported employment, and home modifications. Each state runs its own waiver programs with different names, eligibility rules, and benefit packages. Colorado, for instance, operates separate waivers for developmental disabilities and supported living services, each covering a different level of residential support.
The catch is that demand vastly exceeds supply. Waitlists for these waivers are notoriously long. In Maryland alone, the waitlist for developmental disability waiver programs stood at 4,130 people as of August 2024, with the state’s Model Waiver program at maximum capacity and unable to reduce its own list of 183. Maryland’s Autism Waiver had 2,913 people on its waitlist after an eligibility screening in 2024. These numbers represent just one state. Nationally, hundreds of thousands of people with developmental disabilities are waiting for residential services.
This means planning early is critical. Families who start the waiver application process while their child is still in high school give themselves the best chance of having services in place by the time they’re needed. Many states allow people to get on the waitlist years before they’ll actually use the services.
Housing Instability and Homelessness
On the other end of the spectrum, some autistic adults fall through the cracks entirely. A study of 106 people experiencing homelessness found that 12.3% screened positive for autism, with an additional 8.5% showing significant autistic traits that fell just short of diagnostic criteria. That’s far higher than the general population prevalence. Autistic individuals in the homeless population tended to be more socially isolated and less likely to use substances compared to their non-autistic peers, suggesting a distinct profile of needs that standard homeless services may not address.
The path to homelessness for autistic adults often involves a combination of factors: difficulty maintaining employment, challenges navigating social services and bureaucracy, limited social networks to fall back on, and gaps in the support system after aging out of school-based services. Housing instability is a real risk for autistic adults who don’t have family support or access to waiver-funded services, and it underscores why the waitlist problem is so urgent.