Homeownership Rate Remains Flat as Affordability Strains New Buyers

The U.S. homeownership rate remains at a plateau, holding at 65.0% in the second quarter of this year, according to the latest data from the the Housing Vacancy Survey.

The homeownership rate was unchanged from a year ago, and not statistically different than the rate in the first quarter of 2026 (65.3%), the U.S. Census Bureau report shows.

The stagnant trend reflects the difficult fundamentals in the housing market. Younger people are still struggling to attain homeownership given a limited supply of reasonably priced homes.

"The rate continues to plateau in a narrow low- to mid-65% band, with affordability pressures and limited supply showing little sign of easing their grip on the market," says Realtor.com® senior economist Hannah Jones.

The homeowner vacancy rate ticked up to 1.2% while the rental vacancy rate remained at 7.3%, which is also the same. The recent stabilization suggests inventory recovery may be leveling off in the near term.

Renting, the data shows, remains an important pressure valve for the housing market. Principal cities saw higher rental vacancy at 8%, while 6.9% of rentals were vacant in the suburbs and 5.8% in nonmetro areas.

While homeownership retains its structural problems, renting remains the accessible and more flexible option. National rental vacancy rates remain in the range most experts consider healthy, reflecting adequate turnover to meet demand from movers.

Regional differences remain pronounced. The South sees the highest vacancies, at 9.5% for renters and 1.5% for homeowners. The Midwest follows at 6.9%, while the Northeast and West sat at 5.9% and 5.3%, respectively. The Northeast was the only part of the country where rental vacancy rose year over year.

Homeownership among those under age 35 declined to 35.2%, which is 1.6% below the first quarter and 1.2% below the same time last year. Because all the other age groups stayed the same, the data points to the struggle buyers face trying to get entry-level homes.

And the homeownership rate for non-Hispanic white householders edged up to 74.5%. Asian, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander householders declined to 58.6%. For all other racial groups, the number sat at 54.4%. Hispanic homeownership remained steady at 48.1%, while Black homeownership improved to 45.4%.