{"id":321249,"date":"2026-06-24T12:58:36","date_gmt":"2026-06-24T16:58:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/beta.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/?post_type=short-read&p=321249"},"modified":"2026-06-24T12:58:46","modified_gmt":"2026-06-24T16:58:46","slug":"buying-a-home-has-gotten-harder-for-young-adults-in-most-us-metro-areas","status":"publish","type":"short-read","link":"https:\/\/beta.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/short-reads\/2026\/06\/24\/buying-a-home-has-gotten-harder-for-young-adults-in-most-us-metro-areas\/","title":{"rendered":"Buying a home has gotten harder for young adults in most U.S. metro areas"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Visitors
Visitors at Alamo Square Park, across from San Francisco’s iconic “Painted Ladies” homes. (Stephen Lam\/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Young adults in the United States are facing tough economic headwinds. For many, rising costs and a challenging job market<\/a> are making it harder to afford basic expenses. That can make owning a home feel further out of reach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

About nine-in-ten adults younger than 40 (89%) say it\u2019s harder for young adults today to buy a home than it was for their parents\u2019 generation, according to a new Pew Research Center survey. Young adults are also less likely than older ones to say buying a home is a very good investment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

About this research<\/summary>\n

This Pew Research Center analysis focuses on how home affordability has changed since 2019 for households headed by adults younger than 40. It explores the changes for the United States overall and for 160 metropolitan areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why did we do this?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Pew Research Center<\/a> does high-quality research to help the public, the media and decision-makers understand important topics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to most national house price indexes, the average price of a home in the U.S. has increased significantly since 2019. But the national increase may not accurately reflect increases at the local level. In addition, home affordability depends on how much household incomes have increased, not just on the price of housing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We took those factors into account in this analysis to paint a fuller picture of housing affordability. We focused on those under 40 because a lot of the national conversation on affordability centers on young adults.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How did we do this?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

We measured the change in the national median home price by using the Owner-Occupied Real Estate OFHEO Purchases Only Price Index. The national median household income of household heads younger than 40 is based on the Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement<\/a> (ASEC). Household incomes are adjusted for household size and scaled to reflect a three-person household. The ASEC microdata files are from IPUMS CPS<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The COVID-19 pandemic hampered data collection in 2020 and 2021, so the Census Bureau (which conducts the ASEC) weighted the ASEC to adjust for this. Our analysis used these weights, which are called entropy balance weights<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Inflation adjustments use the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) less shelter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The analysis of the monthly costs of home ownership follows Harvard\u2019s Joint Center for Housing Studies<\/a>. In addition to principal and interest, other costs include 1.15% property taxes, 0.35% property insurance and 0.55% mortgage insurance fees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The metropolitan analysis of home values and young adults\u2019 household incomes is based on the U.S. Census Bureau\u2019s American Community Survey<\/a> (ACS). It excludes homeowners who live in mobile homes, boats, tents or vans. The microdata files are from IPUMS USA<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Public views on homeownership are based on a Pew Research Center survey of 10,091 U.S. adults conducted May 4-17, 2026. Everyone who took part is a member of the Center\u2019s American Trends Panel<\/a>. The surveys represent the views of all U.S. adults.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are our survey questions used for this analysis<\/a>, the detailed responses<\/a> and the survey methodology<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n

\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
For young adult households in the U.S., home prices have increased much faster than incomes<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
National median home price and median income for households headed by those under 40, in 2024 dollars<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\"Chart\"<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
Note: Data is labeled for the years 1975, 2019 and 2024. Median home price is based on the 2024 median home value from the ACS and the Owner-Occupied Real Estate OFHEO Purchases Only Price Index. Household income is size-adjusted and scaled to reflect a three-person household. All figures are rounded to the nearest $100.<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
Source: Pew Research Center analysis of 2024 American Community Survey (IPUMS) and the 1976-2025 Current Population Survey, Annual Social and Economic Supplement (IPUMS)<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
PEW RESEARCH CENTER<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

Share this chart<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t