# Why is 18 considered when you become an adult?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-18-considered-when-you-become-an-adult/673507>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [November 9, 2013, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-18-considered-when-you-become-an-adult/673507 "2013-11-09T14:21:23Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![GreenElf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@GreenElf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreenElf)\
**Post date:** [November 25, 2013, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-18-considered-when-you-become-an-adult/673507/41 "2013-11-25T22:27:26Z")

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Age of 18 is the standard U.S. age for graduating from high school and going to college which, in turn, means the typical age that most youths live on their own for the first time. Also, it’s a common age in the U.S. for age of consent. Living on one’s own and legally consensual sex are two milestones in reaching adulthood.

However, according to U.S. tax laws, a person isn’t fully adult until age 25. One can be claimed as a dependent child between ages 18-24 if a full-time student or disabled.

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**Author:** ![DevilMayhem666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/258eb7/32.png) [@DevilMayhem666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DevilMayhem666)\
**Post date:** [November 26, 2013, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-18-considered-when-you-become-an-adult/673507/42 "2013-11-26T00:17:13Z")

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> [@GreenElf](#):
>
> Age of 18 is the standard U.S. age for graduating from high school and going to college which, in turn, means the typical age that most youths live on their own for the first time. Also, it’s a common age in the U.S. for age of consent. Living on one’s own and legally consensual sex are two milestones in reaching adulthood.
> 
> However, according to U.S. tax laws, a person isn’t fully adult until age 25. One can be claimed as a dependent child between ages 18-24 if a full-time student or disabled.

Actually [of people between 18-24 are still living with their parents](http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2013/08/01/a-rising-share-of-young-adults-live-in-their-parents-home/56%25) and the age of consent is 16 in most states.

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**Author:** ![DevilMayhem666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/258eb7/32.png) [@DevilMayhem666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DevilMayhem666)\
**Post date:** [November 26, 2013, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-18-considered-when-you-become-an-adult/673507/43 "2013-11-26T00:26:02Z")

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> [@DevilMayhem666](#):
>
> Actually [of people between 18-24 are still living with their parents](http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2013/08/01/a-rising-share-of-young-adults-live-in-their-parents-home/56%25) and the age of consent is 16 in most states.

[Here is a link for the second part.](http://www.age-of-consent.info)

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