I’m not referring to a quick trip to the store, I’m referring to getting off the bus on their own and staying home for an hour after school.
Some people say 10 years old, others say 13, others say never!
Thoughts?
Here in Fairfax county VA they actually publish guidelines. Family Services | Family Services
We followed these. I would only add that when they turn 16, that is the time you really need to keep an eye on them 
My mother died when I was 7. After that, I would come home from school, check in with a neighbor and then go home to make dinner/watch TV/read. I was old enough, but I was older at 7 than many kids are at 10. I see my almost-7-year-old niece and I just shudder. I wouldn’t leave her in the next room alone.
For the “average” kid, for an hour after school? I’d say 10, and I’d lay down the rules with extreme force beforehand.
Depends on the kid. 10 sounds both reasonable and young.
But I have to admit that my instincts say that an hour after school isn’t a big deal–but it might be a bigger deal than an hour after school when Mom (or Dad or a parent substitute) has a chance to see the kid and confirm that the kid is ok before leaving the kid alone for an hour.
With my daughter, she was left alone for very brief periods (like no more than an hour) starting at age 7. She was allowed to babysit her younger brother alone starting at age 10 for no more than 2 hours at a time. We lived in the middle of town at that time. My son is 8, and we let him be home alone no more than 45 minutes or so, since we live in the middle of nowhere. Also, he is simply not as…mature as she was at that age. He will probably not be allowed to stay alone for much longer than an hour or so until he’s 10 or so. That’s just us.
FTR, I was left alone for up to 6 hours at a time when I was very small (as in 5-6) at night, even. I was babysitting other people’s kids for several hours (for pay) when I was 10. That was in the 80’s. Things have changed, it is the way things work. You have to decide what’s right for your kids, not what is or was right for me, my kids, or my sister’s kids, ya know?
I was about 8 before my mother started letting me stay at home alone but I had to beg for it. There was no way I wanted to sit in the car for two hours after school to watch her do errands. I think 10 is a reasonable age for most kids. Almost all of them should be safe by 12. Older than that, it starts to get insane. I had a driver’s license and a job when I was 15.
I didn’t have adult supervision after school starting at age 9. I came home with my sister (age 6 at the time), watched General Hospital, did my homework, practiced my trumpet, and started dinner. It would totally depend on the child though.