The Generational Influence on the Homeownership Rate

The U.S. rate of homeownership may be declining due to changing ownership patterns among subsequent generations.

In this clip taken from a St. Louis Fed Dialogue with the Fed presentation, William Emmons looks at homeownership for different generations. He started with the actual ownership patterns of those born from 1916 to 1925 and ended with the projected patterns for those born from 1986 to 1995. For each generation, he tracked homeownership rates at various age ranges. He found the rate of homeownership has generally declined with successive generations.

Emmons is an assistant vice president and economist at the St. Louis Fed and the senior economic adviser at the St. Louis Fed’s Center for Household Financial Stability.

• Dialogue with the Fed: Is Homeownership Still the American Dream?
• On the Economy: The Homeownership Rate over the Past Decade
• On the Economy: Wealth Gaps Grow with Educational Attainment