Economic policy and young adulthood in Colorado: Part Two

Economic policy and young adulthood in Colorado: Part Two

by Anthony Lux | Sep 30, 2026

Family Economic Security, News, Research and Policy Analysis

The narratives we tell about young adults play an important role in how policymakers view the issues and shape the policies that affect this population of Coloradans. The first installment of our series, A Profile of Colorado's Young Adults, examined what the American Community Survey and a range of national research tell us about young adults in Colorado.

Part Two in our series by CCLP Income and Housing Policy Director Charles Brennan builds on the first by examining eleven common narratives about young adults. These myths fall into three broad groups:

1. The first set of myths are based on assumptions that young adults' circumstances come down to their own choices, whether that's delaying traditional milestones of adulthood or choosing to live at home.
2. The second set of myths are based on assumptions about young adults and their eligibility for safety net programs, including stereotypes related to parental support, disability supports, and health care needs that don't match young adults' actual circumstances, and how administrative hurdles keep even eligible young adults from getting help.
3. Finally, the last set of myths pertain to the underlying economics and structure of our labor market, examining how low wages, the lasting effects of early hardship, and the limits of even a college degree shape young adults' long-term financial security.

Despite their prevalence, many of these narratives are contradicted by the data and research reviewed in Brief 1. We cannot evaluate how well our social safety net does or does not support young adults without an accurate picture of their circumstances and needs. In some cases, outdated assumptions about young adults have shaped program design or eligibility criteria in ways that exclude young adults from the support they would benefit from in their transition into adulthood.

As Charles Brennan states in the second report in this series, "Framing these patterns as choices, rather than as responses to the labor market or the housing market has real policy consequences that leave out important factors, like housing costs, wage instability, student debt, and a constrained labor market, that shape young adults' circumstances well before individual choice comes into play." Rather than merely a sign of generational reluctance or disinterest, Brennan argues, "Young adults in Colorado are responding rationally to a high cost of living and to the low wages paid by the jobs most readily available to them in the labor market.

Part One: A Profile of Colorado's Young Adults
Part Two: What We Get Wrong About Young Adults

Expect future parts to be released in the coming weeks.

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