Welcome to brain stuff from how stuff works. Hey, brain stuff, it's Christian Seger here. Millennials tend to get a bad rap for being different from the generations that precede them, and honestly, what generation didn't. And while there's little evidence to back up the stereotypes about Americans roughly aged from
eighteen to thirty nine, one thing is certain. Millennials make up the largest generation in US history, and despite their historic low rate of home ownership, thirty one percent of millennials owned homes in and this is according to Harvard's Joint Center for Housing Studies Improving America's housing as of seen. But why they're buying these homes might surprise you, and it's it's not after they've gotten married or when they're
planning for the birth of a child. No, they bought a home to have more space and a better yard for their dogs. That's right. A survey released in late July by Harris Pole and Son Trust Mortgage found that as many as a third of millennials who purchased their first home say they did it for their furry friends. And get ready for this fun fact. Several studies have shown that children who grow up in homes with dogs
are less likely to have allergies and be obese. Researchers say the exposure the kids have with dogs gave them higher levels of something called gut microbes that help prevent allergies and obesity. So maybe we love our dogs because they make us healthier. A late sixteen Mentel study found that seven and ten millennial men and three and five
women now own dogs. In fact, seventy five of older millennials those are ages thirty to thirty nine have dogs, and they're willing to shell out cash for them, which is good news for the pet industry. In alone, Americans spent sixty six point seven five billion dollars on things like pet food, leashes, collars, and vet care. And I was right there with everybody else spending money on my dogs. Millennials in particular, aren't afraid to spend cash on their pets.
Seventy six percent said they'd happily splurge on items like expensive treats and custom beds and perhaps a new house. Today's episode of brain Stuff was researched and written by Sarah Glime and produced by Dylan Fagan. For more on this and other topics, visit us at how stuff works dot com.