California has lowest rate of home ownership in America: study (2024)

Only about 7 million of California’s roughly 40 million residents own their homes, the lowest rate of home ownership in the United States, according to a new study.

The study, conducted by Ruby Home Luxury Real Estate, analyzed U.S. Census data to determine the rate of home ownership across the country.

Residents in Maine have the highest rate of home ownership at 32.71%, while California is on the opposite end of the spectrum at only 18.35%.

For California residents struggling to make ends meet, the news is probably not particularly shocking.

The Golden State has some of the most expensive cost of living in the nation, and a lack of inventory on the real estate market, in conjunction with rising costs from soaring interest rates and the lasting effects of the coronavirus pandemic, has left the dream of home ownership just that: a dream.

California has a lower rate of home ownership than Hawaii and New York, two other states with famously high cost of living, with Alaska and Nevada rounding out the top five.

StatePopulationTotal Housing UnitsTotal Occupied UnitsOwner-Occupied Housing UnitsRate of Own Home Ownership
1California39,557,04514,512,28113,394,835.367,260,000.7718.35%
2Hawaii1,420,491564,908473,392.90275,041.2819.36%
3New York19,542,2098,531,0637,481,742.254,010,213.8520.52%
4Alaska737,438327,890269,197.69172,286.5223.36%
5Nevada3.034.3921,305,5091,184,096.66716,378,4823.61%

California’s 39.5 million people are estimated to occupy 13.5 million housing units. Only 7.26 million of those housing units are occupied by their owners, signalling that the majority of California residents are renting from someone else, and many of them are living with roommates or family members.

A spokesperson for the study said California’s population and “demographics of the state” makes home ownership more complicated for Californians who want to own a home.

With such low rates of home ownership, it might not come as a surprise that California’s population has declined for three straight years, according to Census data.

Data released last month showed that California had an estimated loss of 343,000 residents who moved out of the state from July 2021 to July 2022.

Those who moved out of California in pursuit of home ownership might want to give Maine a serious look. West Virginia (No. 2), Vermont (No. 3), Wyoming (No. 4) and Missouri (No. 5) might also be good options, the study shows.

California has lowest rate of home ownership in America: study (2024)

FAQs

California has lowest rate of home ownership in America: study? ›

Only about 7 million of California's roughly 40 million residents own their homes, the lowest rate of home ownership in the United States, according to a new study. The study, conducted by Ruby Home Luxury Real Estate, analyzed U.S. Census data to determine the rate of home ownership across the country.

Does California have a high home ownership rate? ›

California's 55.3% average homeownership rate in 2022 was the state's best since 2011 – but only Washington, D.C., at 42% and New York at 54% were lower. The highest ownership rates in 2022 were found in West Virginia at 79%, then Wyoming at 75%, Minnesota at 75%, Maine at 75% and Delaware at 75%.

Who is Californians for homeownership? ›

Californians for Homeownership is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that works to address California's housing crisis by enforcing these laws and fighting unlawful policies that limit access to housing affordable for families at all income levels.

What is the highest homeownership rate in the US? ›

Home Ownership Rate in the United States averaged 65.26 percent from 1965 until 2023, reaching an all time high of 69.20 percent in the second quarter of 2004 and a record low of 62.90 percent in the second quarter of 1965.

What is the home ownership rate in USA? ›

The homeownership rate in the United States rose slightly in 2022, reaching the highest figure since 2011. In 2022, the proportion of households which are occupied by owners stood at 65.9 percent. The U.S. homeownership rate was the highest in 2004 before the 2007-2009 recession hit and decimated the housing market.

What state has the lowest home ownership? ›

Only about 7 million of California's roughly 40 million residents own their homes, the lowest rate of home ownership in the United States, according to a new study. The study, conducted by Ruby Home Luxury Real Estate, analyzed U.S. Census data to determine the rate of home ownership across the country.

What percentage of Californians own their own homes? ›

California has lowest rate of home ownership in America: study
StateRate of Own Home Ownership
1California18.35%
2Hawaii19.36%
3New York20.52%
4Alaska23.36%
1 more row
Apr 6, 2023

What two California cities are home buyers fleeing? ›

SAN FRANCISCO - A new report has listed San Francisco and Los Angeles as the two top U.S. cities in which homebuyers were looking to leave.

What percentage of homeowners have no mortgage in California? ›

After California comes New York at 1.7 million and Pennsylvania at 1.5 million. Yet no-mortgage owners in California are only 33% of all homeowners – and only four places have a smaller share: D.C. at 24%, Maryland at 28% and Colorado and Utah at 30%.

How many Californians can afford a house? ›

The bottom line, according to the California Association of Realtors, is that only 18% of California households can afford a median-priced single-family home of $829,760. That's because it requires an income of at least $192,800 to make payments on a 30-year mortgage with a 5.72% interest rate.

What state is the highest to buy a house? ›

1. Hawaii. Hawaii is known for its beautiful beaches, warm climate, and breathtaking scenery. However, it is also the most expensive state to buy a house, with a Zillow Home Value Index of $834,582.

What percent of US homes are owned by landlords? ›

Of the approximately 50 million rental housing units in the United States, around 41% of the rental units are owned by mom and pop landlords, also known as individual investor landlords. That means approximately 20.5 million units are overseen by mom and pop landlords.

Who owns the most houses in the US? ›

John Malone is the largest private landowner in the United States. Malone made his fortune as a media tycoon, building the company Tele-Communications, Inc, or TCI, and acting as its CEO before selling it to AT&T for $50 billion in 1999.

Who owns the most homes in the world? ›

Conclusion: The Catholic Church owns the most land, far more than McDonald's and billionaire Bill Gates.

How many Americans own homes without mortgage? ›

A third of California homeowners own their properties free and clear. Nearly 2.4 million homeowners across the state in 2021 had no property mortgage, the third highest among the states and Washington, D.C., the Orange County Register reported.

Is home ownership in the US declining? ›

The decline in homeownership halted between: 2012 and 2016 for householders with less than a high school education (19.9% to 20.8%). 2016 and 2018 for those with a high school degree (30.8% to 31.4%).

What percentage of Americans never own a home? ›

64% of Americans own real estate. 35% of the American population does not own their own homes. Homeownership rates have increased to nearly 65% in the US since the 1940s.

Which racial group has the lowest rates of homeownership? ›

However, the racial homeownership gap is most striking for Black households. At just 41.7 percent, Black households have the lowest homeownership rate nationally—30.0 percentage points lower than white households.

Why is California in a housing crisis? ›

Causes. The imbalance between supply and demand; resulted from of strong economic growth creating hundreds of thousands of new jobs (which increases demand for housing) and the insufficient construction of new housing units to provide enough supply to meet the demand.

Who owns most of California? ›

Federal Government — 45.5 Million Acres

They qualify as one of the top landowners in California, considering they own almost half the land in the state! California is lucky to have many National Park Service units, monuments, forests, and other outdoor sites.

What percent of California is white? ›

No race or ethnic group constitutes a majority of California's population: 39% of Californians are Latino, 35% are white, 15% are Asian American or Pacific Islander, 5% are Black, 4% are multiracial, and fewer than 1% are Native American or Alaska Natives, according to the 2020 Census.

What is the problem with the housing market in California? ›

Seventy-four percent of voters view housing affordability as a major issue, according to a February survey by the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California, and nearly 90% are worried that younger generations won't be able to afford a home in the state.

Are homes in California dropping? ›

But a smidge of good news could be coming Californian home-buyers way. The average house price has dropped in the last year, falling 1.7% since April 2022 to stand at $728,134. Home prices are likely to continue falling.

Where do Californians buy second homes? ›

Here are California's 10 hottest second home destinations.
  • Truckee. ...
  • Paso Robles. ...
  • Cathedral City. ...
  • Lucerne Valley. ...
  • Joshua Tree. ...
  • Mammoth Lakes. ...
  • La Quinta. ...
  • Carpinteria.
Jan 5, 2023

What is the average age of homeowners in California? ›

(The average age for first-time homebuyers is 30-35 years of age, according to the reader poll, above). Members of Gen-Y will likely begin their foray into the housing market following the next recession, expected in 2020.

How many Californians own their home free and clear? ›

Does it feel out of reach to own your home free-and-clear? Believe it or not, “California has 2.4 million households living what many consider a dream – being a free-and-clear homeowner, the third-highest count among the states, according to 2021 Census data.” How does this affect the housing market?

What percentage of people never pay off their mortgage? ›

Survey finds that 44 percent of Americans are still paying for their home when they retire.

What percentage of Californians make over $100000 a year? ›

In California, 17.1% of households earn incomes of $100,000 to $149,999, with 15.3% earning $50,000 to $74,999 and 13.3% earning $200,000 or more.

What is the average salary to own a home in California? ›

To keep a house payment below 30% of your income after putting 20% down, a person would need to earn roughly $16,693 per month or $200,316 per year – just to buy a median-priced home in California.

How much does a single person need to make to live comfortably in California? ›

The data used in the study analyzed the cost of living in each city as of 2022. For California cities like Los Angeles, Berkeley and San Diego, a single person must make more than $76,000 to “live comfortably,” the data shows.

What state has the most unaffordable housing? ›

According to worldpopulationreview.com, Hawaii is the most expensive state to live in, with its housing costing three times the national average. New York and California rank as the second and third most expensive states in which to live, respectively.

What state sells houses the fastest? ›

California leads the nation for fastest home sales, with the average property snapped up in just 52 days. Compare that to Vermont, the slowest of all 50 states, where it takes nearly half a year — 161 days on average — just to lock down a buyer.

What is the most expensive state? ›

According to several studies on cost of living, Hawaii is the most expensive U.S. state to live in. Prices are typically double in Hawaii compared to those on the mainland, and the continued rise in inflation is making costs ranging from housing to health care much more expensive.

Do most people own or rent in China? ›

Today China is a country of homeowners with more than 90% of households owning homes (87% in urban and 96% in rural China) (Clark, Huang, & Yi, 2019). At the same time, more than 20% Chinese households own multiple homes, higher than many developed nations (Huang et al., 2020).

Does China store 70% of its wealth in real estate? ›

In play now in China, where around 70% of household wealth is in property, this phenomenon is weighing on the post-pandemic recovery of household consumption, which Chinese policymakers have vowed to make a more prominent driver of economic growth.

Do Chinese citizens own homes? ›

Because China is a socialist country, all land is either subject to government ownership or collective ownership. In principle, municipal land is subject to government ownership and land outside cities is subject to collective ownership. However, one can obtain the right to use the land.

Who is the largest landlord in US? ›

The nation's largest private landowners are the Emmerson family in California who own over 2.4 million acres. The bulk of that land is dedicated to timber in Northern California. But the most headline-worthy transaction of 2022 was the Four Sixes Ranch in Texas.

Do most Americans own or rent? ›

Homeowner vs.

In the under-35 age group, 65% of American households are rented. Meanwhile, in the 65+ age group (senior citizens), 79.3% own a home. The median age of homebuyers is 47 years old, while the median age of renters is 38 years old. A whopping 64% of millennials who own homes regret their purchase of a home.

What percentage of Californians are renters? ›

California had the most renting households with 5.73 million, or 13.6 percent of the nation's 42 million rental homes. Tenants in California make up 44 percent of households in the state, the third-largest share of renters behind. D.C., at 58 percent, and New York at 45 percent.

What family owns the most land in the US? ›

1. EMMERSON FAMILY. The nation's largest private landowners, California's Emmerson family, are a prime example of this trend. Through their Sierra Pacific Industries, the Emmersons increased their landholdings by more than 100 square miles to over 2.4 million acres.

Who owns the richest house in America? ›

In 2019, hedge fund owner Ken Griffin logged the highest amount paid for a residence on record in the US, when he bought a penthouse for $238 million in the lauded limestone tower.

Why is BlackRock buying all the houses? ›

The company can build equity.

If the company has borrowed money to purchase the house, it can build equity over time, essentially increasing the percentage of the home it owns outright and can then borrow against later on.

Why do rich people own so many homes? ›

Because of the many tax benefits, real estate investors often end up paying less taxes overall even as they are bringing in more income. This is why many millionaires invest in real estate. Not only does it make you money, but it allows you to keep a lot more of the money you make.

How many Russians own homes? ›

Home Ownership Rate in Russia averaged 83.94 percent from 2000 until 2021, reaching an all time high of 92.50 percent in 2020 and a record low of 58.20 percent in 2000.

How many homes Bill Gates own? ›

And, because all that just isn't enough, in addition to the main residence, which tax records show has a value of $130 million and a yearly tax bill of more than $2.3 million, the Gates own at least a dozen surrounding properties that all together span more than ten acres with at least six additional luxury homes.

How many Americans are debt-free? ›

Fewer than one quarter of American households live debt-free.

At what age should I pay off my house? ›

In fact, O'Leary insists that it's a good idea to be debt-free by age 45 -- and that includes having your mortgage paid off. Of course, it's one thing to shed a credit card balance by age 45. But many people don't first buy a home until they reach their 30s.

How many people actually pay off their mortgage? ›

According to Census Bureau data, over 38 percent of owner-occupied housing units are owned free and clear. For homeowners under age 65, the share of paid-off homes is 26.4 percent.

What states have the most home owners? ›

In 2020, West Virginia had the nation's highest homeownership rate (74.2 percent), followed by Iowa, Vermont, Maine, Delaware, Wyoming, Minnesota, Idaho, and Michigan, with homeownership rates around 72 percent. The District of Columbia, New York, and California had the lowest homeownership rates.

Why are property values so high in California? ›

Housing in California is expensive due to high demand and low supply. With strong demand from millennials and retirees drawn to California's warm climate, the limited supply of housing has driven up property values.

What is the house rate in California? ›

Current mortgage interest rates in California

As of Saturday, May 20, 2023, current interest rates in California are 7.09% for a 30-year fixed mortgage and 6.40% for a 15-year fixed mortgage. After hitting record lows in 2021, mortgage rates rose sharply in 2022.

What percentage of Californians rent? ›

Californians spend second-highest percentage of income on rent, study says
#StatePercentage of income spent on rent
1Hawaii42.06%
2California28.47%
3New Jersey27.50%
4Massachusetts26.15%
6 more rows
Jan 24, 2023

Which group has the highest percentage of homeownership? ›

Homebuyer Demographics by Race/Ethnicity

Among all home buyers, White Americans made up the largest share (88%), followed by Hispanic Americans (8%), Black Americans (3%), Asian Americans (2%) and other (3%).

Which state has the highest percentage of second homes? ›

Where Are The Most Second Homes in the U.S.? The highest concentration of second homes in the U.S. is in the Marinette-Iron Mountain, WI-MI area where 26.73% of the residences are used only for seasonal, recreational, or occasional use as a second home.

Are people moving out of California? ›

California continued to lose residents in 2022, but the state's population decline is slowing as immigration ramps up again following the COVID-19 pandemic. The state is currently home to about 38.9 million people, down more than 138,400 year-over-year, according to the California Department of Finance.

Is California the most expensive state to live in? ›

Most Expensive States in the US
#StateCost of Living Index
1Hawaii184
2District of Columbia152.2
3Massachusetts149.7
4California137.6
47 more rows

Why are California property taxes so low? ›

California by the numbers

Proposition 13 has two important features that keep real estate taxes low in California: one that limits the general property taxes to 1% of a property's market value, and the other that limits any increases in assessed value to 2% per year.

Why do so many homeless live in California? ›

Insufficient housing

They found that high rates of homelessness are caused by shortages of affordable housing, not by mental illness, drug addiction, or poverty. They found that mental illness, drug addiction and poverty occur nationwide, but not all places have equally expensive housing costs.

Will housing ever go down in California? ›

Home prices are likely to continue falling.

Prices are expected to fall nationally by 5% with the bulk of the price falls to happen in expensive areas, affecting California greatly. “We're estimating about a 5% drop nationally,” says Rick Sharga, executive vice president of market intelligence at ATTOM Data.

When did California become so expensive? ›

Between 1970 and 1980, California home prices went from 30 percent above U.S. levels to more than 80 percent higher. This trend has continued. Today, an average California home costs $440,000, about two–and–a–half times the average national home price ($180,000).

How much is property tax in California? ›

Property taxes in California are applied to assessed values. Each county collects a general property tax equal to 1% of assessed value. This is the single largest tax, but there are other smaller taxes that vary by city and district.

Will home prices drop in 2023 California? ›

They see existing single-family home sales to fall 18.2% to 279,900 units this year vas 342,000 homes sold in 2022. They expect home prices to improve in Q3 & Q4 this year, over in 2023 they expect the medium home will delince 5.6% compared to 2022, to $776,600 in 2023 ($822,300 in 2022).

How much did a house cost in 1970 in California? ›

Stories of property values increasing by 5,000% over the last fifty years are not uncommon in states like California—in 1970, the statewide average home price was $24,300 and is as of early this year just under $800,000.

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