As of 2023, 65.2% of American households own their homes, according to the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 1-Year Estimates. Homeownership is shaped by mortgage rates, housing supply, income levels, and demographic shifts. This page is updated annually when new Census data becomes available.
65.2%
131,332,360
39.8%
Number of Households in the US
In 2023, there were approximately 131,332,360 occupied households in the United States. This figure represents all housing units with at least one current resident and serves as the denominator for calculating the national homeownership rate.
What Percentage of Americans Own Their Homes?
65.2% of occupied housing units in the United States are owner-occupied as of 2023. This means roughly 85,628,699 households own their home, while the remaining 34.8% rent.
Percentage of Homes Owned Free and Clear
Among owner-occupied households, 39.8% own their home free and clear, meaning they have no mortgage or loan against the property. While many people assume most homeowners have paid off their mortgage, the majority still carry housing debt.
Historical Homeownership Rate in the United States
The U.S. homeownership rate has fluctuated significantly over the past six decades, shaped by economic cycles, federal policy, and demographic shifts. It peaked at 69.2% in 2004 during the housing bubble, then fell sharply to 63.4% by 2016 following the financial crisis, the lowest rate since the 1960s. Since then it has partially recovered, reaching 65.2% as of 2023.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau Housing Vacancy Survey (HVS) via Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED). Annual figures represent the average of four quarterly readings.
Homeownership Rate by State
Homeownership rates vary widely across the country. In 2023, Maine had the highest rate at 74.4%, while District of Columbia had the lowest at 39.1%, a spread of 35.3 percentage points.
| Rank# | StateState | Total HouseholdsHouseholds | Owner-OccupiedOwners | Renter-OccupiedRenters | Homeownership Rate (%)Rate % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maine | 616,085 | 458,444 | 157,641 | 74.4% |
| 2 | Michigan | 4,107,809 | 3,028,591 | 1,079,218 | 73.7% |
| 3 | Delaware | 412,048 | 303,131 | 108,917 | 73.6% |
| 4 | West Virginia | 743,644 | 546,870 | 196,774 | 73.5% |
| 5 | Vermont | 279,612 | 204,730 | 74,882 | 73.2% |
| 6 | Idaho | 733,244 | 531,631 | 201,613 | 72.5% |
| 7 | New Hampshire | 569,493 | 412,231 | 157,262 | 72.4% |
| 8 | South Carolina | 2,177,733 | 1,577,358 | 600,375 | 72.4% |
| 9 | Minnesota | 2,344,432 | 1,687,695 | 656,737 | 72% |
| 10 | Iowa | 1,337,243 | 959,743 | 377,500 | 71.8% |
| 11 | Wyoming | 247,368 | 176,197 | 71,171 | 71.2% |
| 12 | Mississippi | 1,166,617 | 829,160 | 337,457 | 71.1% |
| 13 | Indiana | 2,754,881 | 1,940,443 | 814,438 | 70.4% |
| 14 | Alabama | 2,051,545 | 1,438,756 | 612,789 | 70.1% |
| 15 | Utah | 1,167,591 | 818,033 | 349,558 | 70.1% |
| 16 | Pennsylvania | 5,324,209 | 3,697,771 | 1,626,438 | 69.5% |
| 17 | South Dakota | 378,559 | 262,639 | 115,920 | 69.4% |
| 18 | New Mexico | 856,580 | 593,413 | 263,167 | 69.3% |
| 19 | Montana | 472,867 | 327,344 | 145,523 | 69.2% |
| 20 | Kentucky | 1,853,603 | 1,274,521 | 579,082 | 68.8% |
| 21 | Missouri | 2,556,271 | 1,758,041 | 798,230 | 68.8% |
| 22 | Puerto Rico | 1,277,486 | 873,896 | 403,590 | 68.4% |
| 23 | Florida | 8,966,402 | 6,103,429 | 2,862,973 | 68.1% |
| 24 | Louisiana | 1,833,915 | 1,248,223 | 585,692 | 68.1% |
| 25 | Maryland | 2,384,715 | 1,619,478 | 765,237 | 67.9% |
| 26 | Wisconsin | 2,495,539 | 1,694,748 | 800,791 | 67.9% |
| 27 | Virginia | 3,402,670 | 2,307,077 | 1,095,593 | 67.8% |
| 28 | Arizona | 2,907,014 | 1,967,704 | 939,310 | 67.7% |
| 29 | Illinois | 5,071,288 | 3,416,749 | 1,654,539 | 67.4% |
| 30 | Tennessee | 2,889,226 | 1,943,282 | 945,944 | 67.3% |
| 31 | Ohio | 4,917,309 | 3,300,279 | 1,617,030 | 67.1% |
| 32 | Kansas | 1,188,340 | 792,366 | 395,974 | 66.7% |
| 33 | Alaska | 276,852 | 183,575 | 93,277 | 66.3% |
| 34 | Nebraska | 813,864 | 539,532 | 274,332 | 66.3% |
| 35 | North Carolina | 4,392,669 | 2,913,467 | 1,479,202 | 66.3% |
| 36 | Arkansas | 1,232,871 | 816,038 | 416,833 | 66.2% |
| 37 | Georgia | 4,150,138 | 2,742,232 | 1,407,906 | 66.1% |
| 38 | Colorado | 2,428,261 | 1,594,191 | 834,070 | 65.7% |
| 39 | Connecticut | 1,442,969 | 948,121 | 494,848 | 65.7% |
| 40 | Oklahoma | 1,589,105 | 1,034,153 | 554,952 | 65.1% |
| 41 | Rhode Island | 443,980 | 283,990 | 159,990 | 64% |
| 42 | New Jersey | 3,538,457 | 2,255,452 | 1,283,005 | 63.7% |
| 43 | North Dakota | 338,059 | 215,363 | 122,696 | 63.7% |
| 44 | Washington | 3,101,265 | 1,975,569 | 1,125,696 | 63.7% |
| 45 | Oregon | 1,752,050 | 1,111,597 | 640,453 | 63.4% |
| 46 | Texas | 11,260,645 | 7,048,369 | 4,212,276 | 62.6% |
| 47 | Hawaii | 493,898 | 308,421 | 185,477 | 62.4% |
| 48 | Massachusetts | 2,800,984 | 1,744,474 | 1,056,510 | 62.3% |
| 49 | Nevada | 1,224,685 | 740,187 | 484,498 | 60.4% |
| 50 | California | 13,699,816 | 7,658,458 | 6,041,358 | 55.9% |
| 51 | New York | 7,809,267 | 4,221,669 | 3,587,598 | 54.1% |
| 52 | District of Columbia | 334,673 | 130,934 | 203,739 | 39.1% |
Homeownership Rate by City
Among the 50 most populous U.S. cities, homeownership rates are consistently well below the national average, reflecting the dominance of rental housing in dense urban cores. Mesa, Arizona leads the top 50 at 66.2%, while New York, New York has the lowest rate at 32.5%, less than half the national average.
| Rank# | CityCity | StateState | PopulationPop. | Total HouseholdsHouseholds | Owner-OccupiedOwners | Renter-OccupiedRenters | Homeownership Rate (%)Rate % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | New York | 8,258,035 | 3,394,750 | 1,103,749 | 2,291,001 | 32.5% |
| 42 | Miami | Florida | 455,955 | 201,102 | 67,079 | 134,023 | 33.4% |
| 2 | Los Angeles | California | 3,820,963 | 1,460,167 | 512,104 | 948,063 | 35.1% |
| 25 | Boston | Massachusetts | 652,442 | 288,129 | 103,391 | 184,738 | 35.9% |
| 17 | San Francisco | California | 808,988 | 372,027 | 138,176 | 233,851 | 37.1% |
| 22 | Washington | District of Columbia | 678,972 | 334,673 | 130,934 | 203,739 | 39.1% |
| 44 | Long Beach | California | 449,496 | 176,407 | 72,301 | 104,106 | 41% |
| 45 | Oakland | California | 436,508 | 182,014 | 74,993 | 107,021 | 41.2% |
| 9 | Dallas | Texas | 1,302,859 | 536,727 | 224,644 | 312,083 | 41.9% |
| 4 | Houston | Texas | 2,311,461 | 942,146 | 399,545 | 542,601 | 42.4% |
| 15 | Columbus | Ohio | 909,074 | 394,905 | 167,387 | 227,518 | 42.4% |
| 11 | Austin | Texas | 979,700 | 475,680 | 206,765 | 268,915 | 43.5% |
| 18 | Seattle | Washington | 755,081 | 364,627 | 159,514 | 205,113 | 43.7% |
| 31 | Milwaukee | Wisconsin | 561,369 | 227,173 | 99,526 | 127,647 | 43.8% |
| 29 | Memphis | Tennessee | 618,655 | 257,188 | 115,483 | 141,705 | 44.9% |
| 46 | Minneapolis | Minnesota | 425,142 | 198,866 | 90,983 | 107,883 | 45.8% |
| 3 | Chicago | Illinois | 2,664,454 | 1,179,081 | 545,540 | 633,541 | 46.3% |
| 8 | San Diego | California | 1,388,312 | 537,532 | 250,612 | 286,920 | 46.6% |
| 19 | Denver | Colorado | 716,577 | 342,996 | 161,601 | 181,395 | 47.1% |
| 30 | Baltimore | Maryland | 565,239 | 259,385 | 124,163 | 135,222 | 47.9% |
| 49 | Tampa | Florida | 403,361 | 169,317 | 81,100 | 88,217 | 47.9% |
| 37 | Atlanta | Georgia | 510,826 | 233,047 | 112,465 | 120,582 | 48.3% |
| 41 | Raleigh | North Carolina | 482,425 | 211,433 | 105,644 | 105,789 | 50% |
| 48 | Tulsa | Oklahoma | 410,915 | 173,905 | 86,952 | 86,953 | 50% |
| 14 | Charlotte | North Carolina | 911,307 | 375,680 | 188,489 | 187,191 | 50.2% |
Homeownership Rate by Age
Homeownership rises steadily with age, typically peaking in the 65–74 age bracket. Younger households face barriers including student debt, lower savings, and higher home prices relative to entry-level incomes.
Change in Homeownership Rate by Age Group
Comparing 2023 to 2013 reveals how homeownership trends have shifted over the past decade across different age groups.
Homeownership Rate by Generation
The generational homeownership gap is one of the most discussed trends in housing. Baby Boomers have had decades to build equity and pay down mortgages, while Millennials entered the housing market during a period of rising prices and tighter lending. The chart below maps Census age brackets to generational cohorts.
Homeownership Rate by Race and Ethnicity
Homeownership rates vary significantly across racial and ethnic groups in the United States, reflecting longstanding differences in income, wealth accumulation, access to credit, and historical housing policy. Non-Hispanic White households have the highest rate at 73.1%, while Black households have the lowest at 44.7%, a gap of 28.4 percentage points that has persisted for decades despite fair housing legislation.
The homeownership gap between white and Black Americans has widened slightly since 1960, from 26 percentage points to approximately 29 percentage points today, according to data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Researchers cite income disparities, lower credit scores, and historical discrimination in lending and neighborhood development as contributing factors.
Homeownership Rate by Education Level
Educational attainment is one of the strongest predictors of homeownership in the United States. Householders with a bachelor's degree or higher own homes at a rate of 72%, nearly 22.1 percentage points higher than those without a high school diploma (49.9%). Higher education is closely tied to income levels, job stability, and credit access, all of which affect the ability to qualify for and sustain a mortgage.
Single Homeownership by Gender
Single women own more homes than single men in 47 of 50 states, based on a LendingTree analysis. Single women own approximately 11.1 million homes compared to 8.4 million owned by single men, a gap of 2.7 million units. Despite earning less on average than men, single women have historically placed a higher priority on homeownership as a financial and stability goal. The three states where single men own more homes than single women are Alaska, North Dakota, and South Dakota, where male-dominated industries drive higher male concentrations.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the current US homeownership rate?
As of 2023, the U.S. homeownership rate is 65.2%, according to the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey. This means approximately 85,628,699 of the 131,332,360 occupied households in the United States are owner-occupied.
What state has the highest homeownership rate?
Maine has the highest homeownership rate among U.S. states at 74.4%, according to 2023 ACS data. States with high ownership rates tend to have lower home prices, lower population density, and older demographics.
What state has the lowest homeownership rate?
New York has the lowest homeownership rate among U.S. states at 54.1%. Washington D.C., while not a state, has the lowest rate of any U.S. jurisdiction at 39.1%.
What percentage of homeowners own their home outright with no mortgage?
Approximately 39.8% of owner-occupied homes in the United States are owned free and clear, meaning the homeowner has no mortgage or outstanding loan against the property. This figure is often surprising, as many assume most homeowners still carry mortgage debt.
Which generation has the lowest homeownership rate?
Gen Z has the lowest homeownership rate of any generation at approximately 27.1%, reflecting the challenges younger Americans face entering the housing market, including rising home prices, student debt, and stricter lending requirements compared to previous generations at the same age.
Which city has the lowest homeownership rate?
New York, New York has the lowest homeownership rate among the 50 largest U.S. cities at 32.5%, reflecting the dominance of rental housing in dense urban markets.
Has homeownership increased or decreased over time?
The U.S. homeownership rate has remained relatively stable over the past 60 years, ranging between 63% and 69%. It peaked at 69.2% in 2004 during the housing bubble and fell to 63.4% by 2016 following the financial crisis. As of 2023 it stands at 65.2%, representing a partial recovery.