Homeownership by Age in 2018

The nation's 64.4 percent homeownership rate in 2018 was significantly higher than the 63.4 percent post-Great Recession low of 2016, according to Census Bureau data. But most age groups are simply treading water, with small or no increases in homeownership during the past two years. Not so for householders aged 30 to 39, their homeownership rates climbing by a statistically significant 2.3 percentage points between 2016 and 2018.

Homeownership rate by age in 2018 and 2016

	2018	2016	percentage-point change
Total households	64.4%	63.4%	1.0
Under age 25	22.7	21.9	0.8
Aged 25 to 29	32.5	30.9	1.6
Aged 30 to 34	47.7	45.4	2.3
Aged 35 to 39	57.6	55.3	2.3
Aged 40 to 44	62.9	62.0	0.9
Aged 45 to 49	68.4	66.7	1.7
Aged 50 to 54	71.7	71.6	0.1
Aged 55 to 59	74.0	74.0	0.0
Aged 60 to 64	76.8	76.1	0.7
Aged 65 or older	78.5	78.8	-0.3

Despite these gains, the homeownership rates of householders in their thirties remain well below not only what they were during the housing bubble, but also below the historical average prior to the bubble. From 1982 (the first year of the data series) through 1999, for example, the average homeownership rate of 30-to 34-year-olds was 53.0 percent—more than 5 percentage points higher than their 2018 rate. The average homeownership rate of 35-to-39-year-olds during those years was 63.6 percent, fully 6 percentage points higher than their 2018 rate.

Source: Census Bureau, Housing Vacancies and Homeownership