No idea why you were down-voted - it&#x27;s a reasonable question.  And San Francisco confuses matters because of the high cost.<p>In the US, the only time having a true roommate (two beds, one bedroom) as an adult is normal is in a college dormitory.<p>Beyond that, when American&#x27;s say &quot;roommate&quot; they really mean &quot;housemate&quot;, just as you suspected.<p>But, rent has risen to quickly in the Bay area, that it is increasingly common for adults to share rooms, not just houses&#x2F;flats.  It&#x27;s completely abnormal and indicative of serious problems in the housing market in SF. To my knowledge, this is not a common occurrence anywhere else in the US.  When it does happen outside SF, it is usually among the extremely poor, which often includes recent immigrants.