U.S. Home Ownership Rate Rises to Highest Point in Eight Years
The great American dream of home ownership is alive and well. The latest results of the Housing Vacancy Survey (HVS) provided by the U.S. Census Bureau shows how Americans place immense value in homeownership, and it is continuing to grow in the United States.
After declining to a 25-year low of 63.5% in 2016, the results indicate that the U.S. Homeownership rate increased to 65.3% for the first quarter of 2020, a level last seen in 2012.
With current social conditions, homeownership will most likely reflect a whole new way of life that has puts a premium on spending time at home and having the security that comes that comes with having a safe place for our families to live. Add to that some of the most attractive home mortgage rates of all time, and it’s easy to see why the numbers should continue to grow for the foreseeable future. Yet they still have a long way to reach this century’s high point of 69.1% in late 2004
The Bottom Line
If you’re considering buying a home, there’s no better time to connect with a professional at Duke Warner Realty to set a plan that can help you get one step closer to achieving your dream.
Why is the rate increasing? The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) explained:
“Strong owner household formation with around 2.7 million homeowners added in the first quarter has driven up the homeownership rate, especially under the decreasing mortgage interest rates and strong new home sales and existing home sales in the first two months before the COVID-19 pandemic hit the economy.”
The NAHB also emphasizes the year-over-year increase in each generational group:
“The homeownership rates among all age groups increased in the first quarter 2020. Households under 35, mostly first-time homebuyers, registered the largest gains, with the homeownership rate up 1.9 percentage points from a year ago. Households ages 35-44 experienced a 1.2 percentage points gain, followed by the 55-64 age group (a 0.9 percentage point increase), the 45-54 age group (a 0.8 percentage point gain), and the 65+ group age (up by 0.2 percentage point).” (See chart below):
