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 st...