How Many Homeowners Are There In The U.S.? 51+ Statistics! (2024)

FAQs

How many homeowners are there in the US? ›

65.8 percent of all Americans live in their own home as of 2022 that's about 230 Million Americans.

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.

The homeownership rate among Americans under 35 years was 39 percent slightly increased in the third quarter of 2022. About 39 percent of the people in this age group owned a home during this period. In contrast, almost 79.5 percent of those aged 65 and older owned their home.

The country with the highest free-and-clear homeownership rate in the list above was Lithuania at 83%. In the U.S., the free-and-clear homeownership rate was 23%. If free-and-clear homeownership is the American Dream, then apparently Lithuania and many other countries are living the American Dream.

In the United States, the majority of housing units are single-family houses – about 82 million out of the total 129 million occupied units in 2021.

According to NAHB estimates, the total count of second homes was 7.5 million, accounting for 5.5% of the total housing stock in 2018, the most recent data available.

Often, a bank owns the home they live in — most of it, anyway. Still, Americans have a lot of real money tied up in their homes — on average, $150,506, according to a new report by the Urban Institute called “How Much House Do Americans Really own? Measuring America's Accessible Housing Wealth by Geography and Age.”

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.

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

But is there a right age when these factors should be in place? And are these the factors Americans should consider when deciding to become a homeowner for the first time? In 2022, the average age of first-time homebuyers was 36, according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR). This is up from 33 in 2021.

What is the average lifetime of a US house? ›

The average life span of a house in the United States is about 50-70 years. Houses can last for decades if they are well-maintained and have been constructed with quality materials. A poorly built home may not last more than 20 years.

Almost 30% of 25-year-olds own their own homes, a higher percentage than their parents at the same age.

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

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.

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.

Sixteen million homes currently sit vacant across the U.S. In every state across the country, many homes remain empty while hundreds of thousands of Americans face homelessness.

According to the American Community Survey, there were 138 million homes nationwide as of 2018. Sixty-seven percent were single-family units, 27 percent were multifamily units, and 6 percent were manufactured housing units.

In the U.S., two-parent households are the most common type of arrangement, accounting for a third of all people (33%). Roughly two-thirds (67%) of all U.S. children younger than 18 live with two parents.

While the U.S. homeownership rate increased to 65.5% in 2021, the rate among Black Americans lags significantly (44%), has only increased 0.4% in the last 10 years and is nearly 29 percentage points less than White Americans (72.7%), representing the largest Black-White homeownership rate gap in a decade.

No. of people with multiple houses reaches 2.32 million. November. 17, 2021 07:21.

Are there more renters or homeowners in the US? ›

Renters Key Stats. 65.8% of the U.S. population lives in a home they own, and 34.2% rent.

What Do Millionaires Invest In? 40% of an average millionaire's assets consist of real estate. That's partly because real estate can be a great investment and partly because US property values are very high. Many millionaires have a significant percentage of their wealth tied up in their primary residence.

In fact, the average person will own at least three houses in their lifetime. Living in one place for most of your life may or may not be your goal, but if it is, there are things you must do as a homeowner to ensure your home lasts as long as you'd like it to.

The overwhelming majority of millionaires own real estate, making it by far the most popular alternative asset class. That includes their own home, second homes, investment properties, and fractional ownership of investment properties through partners or programs like Arrived Homes and Roofstock One.

The 2022 Land Report 100, compiled each year by The Land Report magazine, released its annual list of landowners who own the most acres in the United States. The nation's largest private landowners are the Emmerson family in California who own over 2.4 million acres.

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.

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.

The world's richest people owned on average about four homes in 2022.

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.

In the United States, it is legal to buy a house without a co-signer at the age of majority, which is 18 years old in most states. Reaching the age of majority empowers individuals to sign legal agreements and complete real estate transactions.

How much money should I have saved when buying a house? ›

How Much Money Do You Need to Buy a House? A good number to shoot for is saving 25% of the sale price, in addition to setting aside 3–6 months' worth of your typical expenses for emergencies. So if you're looking to buy a $300,000 house, you should save around $75,000 (on top of your emergency fund).

Nearly 75% of Americans say that owning a home is a more significant measure of achievement than having a successful career or even raising a family, according to a survey from Bankrate.com of about 2,500 adults.

When building or purchasing a house, you want to choose a structure that will stand the test of time. You will most likely want to learn what type of house will last the longest. Stone and brick houses last the longest. If you are using wood, choose a hardwood for durability.

Established houses are built to last, and many aspects of the construction cannot be reproduced today. Older homes might be built with wood made from old-growth trees (trees that attained great age by not being significantly disturbed) and therefore more resistant to rot and warping.

Without special care and regular maintenance, their lifespan can reach about 200 years. But even though the materials used in many old houses are designed to last this long, there is still a chance that you will find problems in the structure or foundation.

If you're in your 50s, it's not too late to buy a new home, but it's key to ask the right questions and make the wisest decisions possible. Above all, make sure you won't be stuck making mortgage payments years after retirement. Gallup. "Most U.S. Employed Adults Plan to Work Past Retirement Age."

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.

While there are a lot of factors involved, the average age when people move out of their parent's home is somewhere between 24 and 27. This makes logical sense – it's after many people have completed college and around the time when most people get married and/or are in a long-term relationship.

While the average age borrowers expect to pay off their mortgage is 59, the number of survey participants who have no idea when they will pay it off at all stood at 16%. In 2019, 9% of those asked didn't know and in 2020, 11% gave this answer.

Credit scores are three-digit numbers that show an important piece of your financial history. Credit scores help lenders decide whether to grant you credit. The average credit score in the United States is 698, based on VantageScore^® data from February 2021. It's a myth that you only have one credit score.

What is the average Americans credit card debt? ›

On average, each U.S. household has $7,951 in credit card debt, as of this analysis. With an average of 2.6 people per household, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, that's about $3,058 in credit card debt per person. Of course, not every American has credit card debt or even uses a credit card.

Five of the 10 metros with the largest share of 65-and-older homeowners with a mortgage are in California, while four of the 10 metros with the smallest share of 65-and-older homeowners with a mortgage are in Texas.

Many people strive to pay off their mortgage before they retire. It's a legitimate objective, especially when you consider that 73% of seniors said their home is their most valuable asset, a 2021 survey by American Advisors Group found.

Nearly Three-Quarters of Retired Americans Have Non-Mortgage Debt. Because so many retirees have little to no savings, it's not too surprising that the majority are carrying debt. The most common types of debt held by retirees are credit card debt (49%), mortgages (24%), car payments (20%) and medical bills (18%).

You Could Benefit From the Tax Deduction

If one of your financial goals is to lower your tax bill, you may want to avoid paying off your mortgage early. The IRS allows you to deduct the mortgage interest you pay from your taxable income, lowering your tax bill.

Paying down a mortgage with funds from your 401(k) can reduce your monthly expenses as retirement approaches. A paydown can also allow you to stop paying interest on the mortgage, especially if it's fairly early in the term of your mortgage.

The Bottom Line

Paying off your mortgage early can save you a lot of money in the long run. Even a small extra monthly payment can allow you to own your home sooner. Make sure you have an emergency fund before you put your money toward your loan.

In fact, the average person will own at least three houses in their lifetime. Living in one place for most of your life may or may not be your goal, but if it is, there are things you must do as a homeowner to ensure your home lasts as long as you'd like it to.

Pew's survey found that, although most of the roughly 171 million U.S. adults who have ever borrowed to buy a home have used traditional mortgages, about 36 million Americans, or 1 in 5 home borrowers, have used alternative financing at least once—and many have used both at different times.

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.

Are homeowners more wealthy? ›

“A monthly mortgage payment is often considered a forced savings account that helps homeowners build a net worth about 40 times higher than that of a renter.” Along with these wealth gains, homeowners also saw their debt drop by 21% over the last decade, the report shows.

Most rental properties are owned by individuals, but only a small share of individuals own rental property, according to IRS income-tax data. In 2018, 6.7% of individual tax filers (about 10.3 million) reported owning rental properties. Those filers reported owning 1.72 properties on average.

Since 1960 the homeownership rate has remained in the 61- to 65-percent range. After slow growth from 1960 to 1980, the rate fell to 63.9 percent in 1990. Part of the decline between the 1980 and 1990 censuses can be explained by the undercount adjustment, a first-time ever adjustment by the Census Bureau.

But is there a right age when these factors should be in place? And are these the factors Americans should consider when deciding to become a homeowner for the first time? In 2022, the average age of first-time homebuyers was 36, according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR). This is up from 33 in 2021.

Wood: 20–30 years. Fiberglass: 30–70 years.

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.

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

Even though household net worth is on the rise in America (at $141 trillion in the summer of 2021)—so is debt. The total personal debt in the U.S. is at an all-time high of $14.96 trillion. The average American debt (per U.S. adult) is $58,604 and 77% of American households have at least some type of debt.

The average American holds a debt balance of $96,371, according to 2021 Experian data, the latest data available. That's up 3.9 percent from 2020's average balance of $92,727, largely due to the rising balance of mortgage and auto loans.

Story at a glance

California currently has the largest deficit of homes at 980,000.

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.

The World's Most Secure Buildings: The White House, Washington, D.C.