A wave of financial pressure is leading Gen Z to put off major milestones. “The clearest difference I see is that Gen Z treats the delay as a plan rather than a setback,” Avila told The Independent in an email. And the math is painting a gloomy picture for Gen Z. Ten years ago, the average home, at the average mortgage rate, and with a 20-percent down payment would’ve cost $1,952.04 per month. The young generation aims to retire at age 61, three years earlier than millennials and six years earlier than Gen X. Gen Z started saving for retirement a decade before Gen X and six years before millennials.