The gulf between Black homeowners and White is actually getting bigger, not smaller | CNN Business (2024)

The gulf between Black homeowners and White is actually getting bigger, not smaller | CNN Business (1)

Here's where mortgage rates and home prices may be headed in 2023

01:41 - Source: CNN Business

Washington, DC CNN

While more Americans own homes today than a decade ago and the rate is increasing across all races, the gap between Black homeownership rates and that of any other race or ethnic group is even larger now than in 2011, according to a new analysis by the National Association of Realtors.

Across a slew of metrics, the challenges Black home buyers are up against are sizeable and showing little improvement.

The homeownership rate for White Americans in 2021 was 72.7%, but the rate for Black Americans was 44%, according to NAR’s analysis of the most recent data. The homeownership rate for Asian Americans was 62.8% and for Hispanic Americans it was 50.6%.

All groups tracked in the research saw homeownership rates grow over the last decade, but the Black homeownership rate continues to lag far behind, ticking up only 0.4 percentage points in a decade while the rate for Hispanic Americans rose by 4 percentage points.

A "For Sale" sign outside of a home in Atlanta, Georgia, US, on Friday, Feb. 17, 2023. Dustin Chambers/Bloomberg/Getty Images Mortgage applications drop to 28-year low as rates climb

Homeownership in the United States reached its lowest level in 2015 and has steadily risen since to a rate of 65.5% of Americans owning homes in 2021. More Americans own homes than a decade ago, with about 9.2 million more homeowners today than in 2011.

But Black Americans have seen the smallest share of that growth. This results in what housing advocates and economists call a “racial homeownership gap” between the share of Black families that own homes and the share of White families that own homes. That gap is now 29%, compared to 26% in 2011.

Not all buyers have the same shot at homeownership or its wealth-generating prospects in the United States. The reasons include historical prejudice and redlining practices that continue today. Just this week, the Department of Justice secured a $9 million settlement to resolve allegations that Park National Bank in Ohio engaged in a pattern of mortgage lending discrimination by ‘redlining’ in Columbus, Ohio. Redlining is an illegal practice in which lenders avoid providing credit services to people in specific communities because of the race or national origin of the residents there.

But there are other causes, according to the NAR analysis, including the high cost of homeownership, the outsized cost burden on Black home buyers and additional discrimination in lending.

High cost of home ownership

Housing affordability tanked in 2022 as mortgage rates doubled from the year before and home prices hit all-time highs. Buyers now need to earn more than $100,000 annually if they want to purchase a median-priced home without going beyond their budget, according to the NAR report.

This higher barrier to entering home ownership disadvantages Black families, who had a typical net worth of $24,000 in 2019, compared to a typical White family with $188,200 — nearly eight times greater.

Detroit, MI - February 1: Homes in Southwest Detroit. Nick Hagen/The Washington Post/Getty Images Biden admin cuts some mortgage fees amid housing affordability crisis

Buying a home also depends on the cost of housing where you live and its particular combination of housing costs, job security and wages. The homeownership rate for Black Americans varies from 15% to 55% across the country.

The states with the highest homeownership rate for Black Americans were South Carolina at 55%, Delaware at 54%, and Mississippi at 54%. In contrast, North Dakota (15%), South Dakota (25%) and Alaska (27%) had the lowest homeownership rates.

Meanwhile, the homeownership rate for White Americans ranged from 50% to 81% across the country.

Disparities in the home buying process

Nearly all home buyers, about 90%, finance the purchase with a mortgage. Black Americans are denied mortgages at a higher rate, with 20% of Black and 15% of Hispanic loan applicants denied mortgages, compared with about 11% of white and 10% of Asian applicants, According to NAR’s analysis of Home Mortgage Disclosure Act data.

Looking at Black Americans alone, the denial rates spike higher when it comes to home improvement loans, with 51% denied, according to the report.

Low income seems to be the main reason that more Black households were denied mortgages in these areas. In states with a denial rate higher than 20%, the median income of Black applicants was $59,160 on average. The states with the highest denial rates for Black Americans in 2021 were Mississippi at 29%, Louisiana at 25%, and South Carolina at 25%.

Single family homes in a housing development in Aurora, Colorado, US, on Monday, Oct. 10, 2022. US mortgage rates last week jumped to a 16-year high, marking the seventh-straight weekly increase and spurring the worst slump in home loan applications since the depths of the pandemic. Chet Strange/Bloomberg/Getty Images Spring homebuying and selling season is here. Are you ready?

In addition, bias in home appraisals can also disadvantage Black home buyers and home owners.

NAR looked at home appraisal data from the Federal Housing Finance Agency and compared the valuation of homes located in areas that had a low level of minority residents and areas that had a high level and found that more homes were undervalued in areas with high levels of minority residents.

In 2021, 23.3% of homes in high-minority areas experienced undervaluation, while 13.4% of homes in low-minority areas did. NAR estimated that the median appraisal value was 11% lower in areas with more compared to homes in areas with fewer minorities.

Black Americans are more cost burdened

Among all races, Black homeowners spend more of their income in order to own their homes, according to the NAR report.

Generally, a common financial rule of thumb is to not spend more than 30% of your income on housing costs. Nearly 30% of Black homeowners are at that threshold, accounting for 2 million families. Only 21% of White home owners are cost burdened in that way.

Many Black renters who are trying to become homeowners are also cost burdened, making saving for a home difficult. Over half of Black renters spend more than 30% of their income on rent. And about 30% of Black renters spend more than 50% of their income on rent, representing nearly 2.5 million households.

By comparison, only 22% of White renters spend over half of their income on rent. This translates to about 5.1 million White renter households.

According to the report, the driver of Black renter households being more cost-burdened is that although they have a lower income — typically about 30% lower — than White renters, their monthly rent isn’t significantly lower than that of White renters.

The median income of Black renters was $32,600, compared to $45,310 for White renters in 2021 and the average monthly rent was $1,050 for White households, compared to $855 for Black renter households. While rental cost is expected to rise even further in 2023, the report said, it will be more difficult for Black renter households to save for a down payment for a home purchase.

With mortgage rates double what they were a year ago, more buyers, including Black home buyers, have been pushed out of home ownership. With average rates for a 30-year, fixed-rate loan currently at 6.5%, few renters can currently afford to buy the typical home.

While 17% of White renters can afford to buy the median-priced home, only 9% of Black renters can do so nationwide, NAR estimated, and concluded the homeownership gap between White and Black households will continue to persist.

The gulf between Black homeowners and White is actually getting bigger, not smaller | CNN Business (2024)

FAQs

The gulf between Black homeowners and White is actually getting bigger, not smaller | CNN Business? ›

While more Americans own homes today than a decade ago and the rate is increasing across all races, the gap between Black homeownership rates and that of any other race or ethnic group is even larger now than in 2011, according to a new analysis by the National Association of Realtors.

Is the racial homeownership gap larger now than a decade ago? ›

The homeownership rate for White Americans in 2021 was 72.7%, but the rate for Black Americans was 44%, according to NAR's analysis of the most recent data. The homeownership rate for Asian Americans was 62.8% and for Hispanic Americans, it was 50.6%.

What is the black homeownership rate compared to white homeowners? ›

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.

Why is black homeownership so low? ›

Historical discrimination through exclusionary housing policies and practices, plus a dwindling supply of housing and a variety of other factors have limited Black families from purchasing homes at the same rate as their White counterparts.

What percentage of US homeowners have no mortgage? ›

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%.

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.

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 is the average black home income? ›

The median household income for Black U.S. households in 2021 is $46,400, which means half of households headed by a Black person earn more than that and half earn less. Broader analysis shows that 52% of Black U.S. households earn less than $50,000, while 48% make $50,000 or more.

What demographic owns the most homes? ›

Homeowner rates by race and ethnicity

Homeownership statistics by race show that the highest rates of homeownership are held by White households.

Are black homes devalued? ›

Neighborhoods with a majority of Latino or Hispanic, Asian American, or white residents do not experience home price devaluation, using the same model. Appraisal bias explains a fraction of the devaluation of homes in Black neighborhoods: approximately 9% to 19%, depending on modeling approaches.

What race owns the most homes in America? ›

The homeownership rate for White Americans in 2021 was 72.7%, but the rate for Black Americans was 44%, according to NAR's analysis of the most recent data. The homeownership rate for Asian Americans was 62.8% and for Hispanic Americans it was 50.6%.

What city has the most Black home ownership? ›

'” Charleston and Columbia were the top city-level markets for African-American homeowners in the U.S. – 58 and 55 percent, respectively. Greenville's rate of 48 percent Black homeownership in 2021 was the most improved in the state since 2016, up by nearly 10 percent.

Where is Black homeownership highest? ›

South Carolina was the top state for Black homeownership at 52.5%, followed by Maryland at 51.7% and Mississippi at 51%. The worst state was North Dakota at 5.2%, Wyoming at 17.5% and Montana at 19.7%.

How many Americans are debt-free? ›

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

How many Americans own their house free and clear? ›

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.

How many Americans live mortgage free? ›

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.

Which minority group has the highest homeless population? ›

Racial minorities experience homelessness at a disproportionate rate. For example, black or African Americans make up 13% of the general population but 40% of the homeless population. Indigenous people across the country continue to experience homelessness at even higher rates.

Which racial group has the highest average income? ›

70% of the Indian-American population in America holds a bachelor's degree. Harsh Goenka has explained why Indians are the highest-earning ethnic group in the USA. The chairman of RPG Enterprises shared a chart that shows Indian Americans having the highest median household income in the country.

What gender buys more houses? ›

Single women own roughly 10.7 million homes, compared to 8.1 million for single men, according to a recent analysis from LendingTree that looked at 2021 Census data.

How many Americans own 2 homes? ›

How Many Homes in the U.S. are Second Homes? Through our analysis we found that there are at least 2.64 million second homes in the U.S. that are for seasonal, recreational, or occasional use. How many homes are there in the United States?

Is the US housing market in trouble? ›

Are we in a housing bubble right now? While a housing price correction is expected, we aren't in a housing bubble. Demand for homes remains high, and there are fewer home sellers than there were in 2022. And while the market is cooling, experts don't expect an actual housing crash or a housing bubble burst in 2023.

What is the home ownership rate 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).

How much income do you need to buy a $650000 house? ›

To determine whether you can afford a $650,000 home you will need to consider the following 4 factors. Based on the current average for a down payment, and the current U.S. average interest rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage you would need to be earning $126,479 per year before taxes to be able to afford a $650,000 home.

How much house can I afford if I make $70,000 a year? ›

If you're an aspiring homeowner, you may be asking yourself, “I make $70,000 a year: how much house can I afford?” If you make $70K a year, you can likely afford a home between $290,000 and $360,000*. That's a monthly house payment between $2,000 and $2,500 a month, depending on your personal finances.

How much does a couple need to make to buy a $300 K house? ›

How much do I need to make to buy a $300K house? To purchase a $300K house, you may need to make between $50,000 and $74,500 a year. This is a rule of thumb, and the specific salary will vary depending on your credit score, debt-to-income ratio, type of home loan, loan term, and mortgage rate.

What race owns the most businesses? ›

As has long been the case, White Americans accounted for a large majority (86%) of firms whose ownership was classifiable by race and ethnicity in 2020. These firms brought in 93% of all revenue from classifiable companies that year.

What family owns the most property? ›

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.

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 are the disadvantages of a black house? ›

A black house may also fade unevenly—if the south side of the house is exposed to constant harsh sun rays, it could fade quicker than other sides, making the exterior look uneven.

Why are black houses becoming popular? ›

Absorb Heat from Sun

Black houses ultimately absorb a lot of heat from the sun because they are not reflective. There are both advantages and disadvantages to this. When a black house absorbs heat, it will be easier to keep it warm in the winter. This can help to lower your heating costs.

What devalues a house the most? ›

8 things that will devalue your home
  • It's important to every homeowner that their property retains its value. ...
  • 1) Poor workmanship. ...
  • 2) An increase in crime levels. ...
  • 3) A substandard kitchen. ...
  • 4) Noise pollution. ...
  • 5) Uninspiring exterior. ...
  • 6) How silent are the neighbours? ...
  • 7) Not energy efficient enough.

What race has fatherless homes in US? ›

57.6% of black children, 31.2% of Hispanic children, and 20.7% of white children are living absent their biological fathers.

What race has the highest numbers of poor in the United States? ›

While the poverty rate for the population as a whole is 11.6% the rate varies greatly by race. Blacks have the highest poverty rate at 19.5% and Non-Hispanic whites have the lowest at 8.1%.

What percentage of American homes are owned by China? ›

How have Chinese and Canadian investments developed over time? The share of Chinese investors in the U.S. real estate market remained somewhat constant until 2018 when it hovered at around 15 percent, before dropping to 11 percent in 2019 and then six percent in 2021.

What is the richest Black town? ›

See the 10 Most Affluent African-American Neighborhoods in America
  • View Park-Windsor Hill, California. Photo: Getty Images. ...
  • Baldwin Hills, California. David Wall Photo/Getty Images. ...
  • Ladera Heights, California. ...
  • Mitchellville, Maryland. ...
  • Fort Washington, Maryland. ...
  • Kettering, Maryland. ...
  • Woodmore, Maryland. ...
  • Friendly, Maryland.
Jul 7, 2017

What is the most Black town in the US? ›

List
CityStateBlack alone %
JacksonMississippi78.86%
DetroitMichigan77.69%
BirminghamAlabama68.40%
Miami GardensFlorida63.50%
62 more rows

Where is the largest Black community in the US? ›

The New York metropolitan area has the largest Black metropolitan population.

What US city has the most black owned businesses? ›

Metros with the highest percentage of Black-owned businesses
Rank1
MetroAtlanta, GA
Total businesses116,798
Black-owned businesses8,663
% of Black-owned businesses7.4%
1 more row
Feb 6, 2023

What percentage of African Americans are renters? ›

Nationwide, about 58% of households headed by Black or African American adults rent their homes, as do nearly 52% of Hispanic- or Latino-led households, according to Pew Research Center's analysis of census data.

How to build Black wealth? ›

5 Methods For Thriving At Building Black Generational Wealth
  1. Know the Will Power of Financial Planning. ...
  2. Learn to Mind Your Own Black Business. ...
  3. Invest in the Stock Market and Real Estate. ...
  4. Become Fluent in Your Finances. ...
  5. Become Proactive in Reducing Student Loan Debt.
Feb 15, 2023

What is the average credit score in America? ›

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, Americans carry around $5,733 in credit card debt, according to TransUnion's latest report. But when you break it down by age, most carry more than that.

Which gender has more debt? ›

Borrowing. Experian compared debt balances among men and women and found that, on average: Men have 2% more credit card debt than women. Men have 20% more personal loan debt than women.

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 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.

What age do most people pay off their mortgage? ›

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.

What percentage of Americans retire with a mortgage? ›

The survey, "Retirement and Mortgages," by national mortgage banker American Financing, found 44 percent of Americans between the ages of 60 and 70 have a mortgage when they retire, and as many as 17 percent of those surveyed say they may never pay it off.

How many Americans are behind on their mortgage? ›

Key findings:

4% of people are behind on their mortgage payments.

What is the homeownership rate by race? ›

The homeownership rate for White Americans in 2021 was 72.7%, but the rate for Black Americans was 44%, according to NAR's analysis of the most recent data. The homeownership rate for Asian Americans was 62.8% and for Hispanic Americans it was 50.6%.

Why did inequality of household income increase in the United States in recent decades? ›

These include, in no particular order, technological change, globalization, the decline of unions and the eroding value of the minimum wage. Whatever the causes, the uninterrupted increase in inequality since 1980 has caused concern among members of the public, researchers, policymakers and politicians.

Why is the percent of millennials that own a home lower than it was in previous generations? ›

While those born between 1981 and 1996 are within traditional home-buying ages, factors such as higher education levels, increased rent prices, and more densely packed cities have all contributed to the slower rate of home purchases for this generation.

Which generation is currently the largest home buying segment of the population? ›

The latest report from the National Association of Realtors found that baby boomers are now the largest generation of homebuyers, beating out millennials for the first time in years. Combined, younger boomers (ages 58 to 67) and older boomers (ages 68 to 76), made up 39% of homebuyers in 2022.

What race owns the most real estate? ›

In 2019, the homeownership rate among white non-Hispanic Americans was 73.3%, compared to 42.1% among Black Americans. This 31.2 percentage point difference was the largest gap since the Census' time series began in 1994.

What race owns most of the land in America? ›

Who Owns the Land? Of all private U.S. agricultural land, Whites account for 96 percent of the owners, 97 percent of the value, and 98 percent of the acres.

What is the top 1 income in the world? ›

According to Credit Suisse, individuals with more than $1 million in wealth sit in the top 1 percent bracket. The billionaire class is $2.6 trillion richer than before the pandemic, even if billionaire fortunes slightly fell in 2022 after their record-smashing peak in 2021.

What is the top 1 of income in the US? ›

If you want to be a part of the 1% top earners in the US, you'll need an annual income of more than half a million dollars. American households need an annual gross income of $597,815 to be considered the highest-earning 1% in the country, a January 13 analysis by personal finance website SmartAsset found.

What generation owns the most homes in the US? ›

WASHINGTON (March 28, 2023) – The share of baby boomers has surpassed millennials and now makes up the largest generation of home buyers, according to the latest study from the National Association of Realtors®.

Why millennials don t want to buy houses? ›

One reason millennials aren't buying houses is simply because the money just isn't there and the rates are just too high. According to Daniel Pitner, a real estate agent out of Glendale, Arizona, “The current interest rate environment has made homeownership extremely expensive on a monthly basis.

What percent of Gen Z owns a home? ›

Overall, 26% of adult Gen Zers own their home. That's compared with 79% of baby boomers, the highest share of any generation, followed by Gen X (71%) and millennials (52%).

What generation group is the most affluent in America? ›

Baby boomers have the highest household net worth of any US generation. Defined by the Federal Reserve as being born between 1946 and 1964 (currently in the ages between 59 and 77), baby boomers are in often in the sunset of their career or early into retirement.

Which generation is most likely to downsize? ›

Baby boomers also have been motivated to downsize and move closer to family. Baby boomers—people ages 58 to 76—accounted for 53% of sellers and 39% of buyers between July 2021 and June 2022, the most of any generation, NAR's report shows.

Do millennials own more than rent? ›

A recent study from apartment search website and research blog RentCafe reveals that the generation transitioned from renter to owner, with 52% of millennials, born between 1981 and 1996, owning a home in 2022.

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