‘Counting On’: Are the Duggar Kids Being Rewarded With Houses for Sticking to the Duggar Rules?

Jim Bob Duggar has been accused of hoarding earnings from his family’s show, covering for his deviant son, and quietly manipulating his 19 children for years. While Jim Bob and his wife, Michelle Duggar, attempt to put on a loving front for the television cameras, the cracks are beginning to show. Critics think that Jim Bob and Michelle may be controlling their children’s behavior by gifting them with living accommodations. Evidence to back up the claim does seem to exist.

Josh is living in a warehouse on the property

Evidence suggests that Josh Duggar, along with his wife and six children, are living inside a warehouse on the Duggar family property after selling their farmhouse over the summer. While the couple has never mentioned exactly where they live now, eagle-eyed followers note that Anna’s pictures seem to match the backdrop of the warehouse, where an episode of Counting On was filmed.

The Duggar family has a pretty expansive property portfolio, including an expansive mansion that still sits unsold. Josh’s current rumored residence is a far cry from his previous home, and some critics believe Josh is being punished for his poor behavior. The father of six molested several of his siblings and a family friend when he was a teen. He was also outed as a serial cheater in 2015 and is believed to be at the center of a federal investigation.

Family critics believe that Josh may have been pulled back to the family compound to keep a closer eye on him. Their current housing is undoubtedly curious to fans. After all, Josh and Anna should technically have enough money to purchase a new home. The duo sold their farmhouse for a tidy profit.

Joy-Anna and Austin Forsyth purchased a home from Jim Bob and Michelle for $10

Joy-Anna and Austin spent the majority of their marriage living in a small trailer. The couple, who work together renovating properties and selling them for a profit, haven’t had a home of their own since getting married. Now, though, they are officially settling into a house.

The might seem like a good thing, but the way they came about the property has some family followers side-eyeing the couple. Joy-Anna and Austin purchased the home from Jim Bob for just $10, according to The Hollywood Gossip. The young couple has stuck pretty close to the Duggar family rules. Joy-Anna doesn’t wear pants, and the duo is invested in having many more children moving forward. Joy-Anna may also be currying favor with Jim Bob by following another rule; she doesn’t seem to have direct one-on-one contact with Amy Duggar, the family’s rebellious cousin. Amy is rumored to live directly next door to Joy-Anna, but the two are rarely if ever pictured together.

Several other kids live in Duggar-owned properties

Josh and Joy-Anna are not the only Duggar kids who are currently residing inside a property that is or once was, owned by Jim Bob and Michelle. Jessa Duggar and her husband, Ben Seewald, live in a home that was once owned by Grandma Mary. While they purchased the home for $100,000 in 2017, they resided in the house, presumably rent-free, for the first three years of their marriage.

Joseph Duggar and his wife, Kendra Caldwell, reside in a home that was also owned by Grandma Mary. The cabin was actually picked up and moved onto the Duggar family land when the pair married in 2017. Their home is located just 600 feet from the Duggar family’s main house. Josiah Duggar and his wife, Lauren Swanson, also live in a Duggar-owned property. The couple, before marriage, was expecting to move into the expansive mansion the Duggar family owns. They have since been set up in a much smaller property, according to Reddit users.  

The family’s forgotten daughter seems to be the only one not living in a Duggar-provided house

Jim Bob’s real estate holdings mean he certainly has enough property to hand out. After all, the father of 19 doesn’t believe in debt, so it would make sense that he’d want to set his children up for a debt-free life. Not all of the Duggar kids are offered the same luxury, though. That fact has led critics to believe Jim Bob is handing out property in exchange for control.  

Jill Duggar, who has been largely shunned by her family, doesn’t live in a Duggar-owned property. Instead, she and her husband, Derick Dillard, purchased their own home in 2019. Before moving in, the couple was living in a church-provided apartment. At one point, though, they did live in a Duggar property. Before the couple’s mission trip, they set up house in a home owned by Jim Bob. Once they came back and stopped filming for the show, however, they had to find their own housing. Critics suggest this proves Jim Bob is providing shelter to keep his kids in line, but the evidence is circumstantial.