Homeownership Rates by State
65.2% of occupied homes in the United States are lived in by their owners — but the state range runs from 74.9% in West Virginia down to 54.4% in New York. This page ranks every state by the share of households that own rather than rent.
Top 10 Homeownership Rates
Homeownership is highest not where incomes are highest, but where homes are cheapest relative to what people earn. West Virginia and Maine top the ranking with modest home values that put ownership within reach of a median paycheck — the same states that lead the affordability ranking. The bottom of the list pairs expensive coastal states with New York, where dense, renter-heavy metros dominate the housing stock.
The rate measures households, not people: a state full of young renters saving toward a purchase and a state full of longtime owners can post the same income yet very different ownership rates, which is why age structure (see the oldest states ranking) and urbanization matter as much as price. For the cost side of the equation, see median home values by state.
Full Rankings
| # | State | Homeownership | Home Value | Median Income | Value-to-Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | West Virginia | 74.9% | $162,600 | $59,608 | 2.7x |
| 2 | Maine | 74.3% | $296,600 | $74,733 | 4.0x |
| 3 | Michigan | 73.2% | $231,600 | $72,875 | 3.2x |
| 4 | Vermont | 73.2% | $316,600 | $81,203 | 3.9x |
| 5 | Delaware | 73.0% | $352,000 | $84,954 | 4.1x |
| 6 | New Hampshire | 72.8% | $402,500 | $99,031 | 4.1x |
| 7 | Minnesota | 72.2% | $329,300 | $89,062 | 3.7x |
| 8 | Idaho | 72.1% | $418,600 | $77,800 | 5.4x |
| 9 | South Carolina | 71.9% | $259,000 | $69,324 | 3.7x |
| 10 | Wyoming | 71.8% | $309,700 | $76,176 | 4.1x |
| 11 | Iowa | 71.7% | $208,000 | $75,059 | 2.8x |
| 12 | Indiana | 70.5% | $218,200 | $71,957 | 3.0x |
| 13 | Utah | 70.3% | $489,400 | $95,166 | 5.1x |
| 14 | Alabama | 70.2% | $209,900 | $63,999 | 3.3x |
| 15 | Mississippi | 70.0% | $169,800 | $56,447 | 3.0x |
| 16 | New Mexico | 70.0% | $248,100 | $64,059 | 3.9x |
| 17 | Pennsylvania | 69.3% | $254,500 | $77,971 | 3.3x |
| 18 | Montana | 69.2% | $375,800 | $72,509 | 5.2x |
| 19 | South Dakota | 68.6% | $257,400 | $75,081 | 3.4x |
| 20 | Kentucky | 68.3% | $205,600 | $63,726 | 3.2x |
| 21 | Missouri | 68.1% | $230,300 | $70,702 | 3.3x |
| 22 | Wisconsin | 67.8% | $266,500 | $77,485 | 3.4x |
| 23 | Florida | 67.6% | $359,000 | $74,568 | 4.8x |
| 24 | Maryland | 67.6% | $419,900 | $103,678 | 4.1x |
| 25 | Louisiana | 67.4% | $216,500 | $60,756 | 3.6x |
| 26 | Arizona | 67.4% | $394,500 | $79,964 | 4.9x |
| 27 | Virginia | 67.3% | $383,700 | $93,170 | 4.1x |
| 28 | Ohio | 67.2% | $214,800 | $71,389 | 3.0x |
| 29 | Kansas | 67.2% | $217,200 | $74,275 | 2.9x |
| 30 | Illinois | 67.1% | $263,300 | $83,390 | 3.2x |
| 31 | Tennessee | 66.9% | $286,700 | $69,595 | 4.1x |
| 32 | Alaska | 66.8% | $352,900 | $92,788 | 3.8x |
| 33 | North Carolina | 66.6% | $288,900 | $72,388 | 4.0x |
| 34 | Nebraska | 66.5% | $238,600 | $76,475 | 3.1x |
| 35 | Connecticut | 66.5% | $366,900 | $95,781 | 3.8x |
| 36 | Arkansas | 66.4% | $188,000 | $60,773 | 3.1x |
| 37 | Colorado | 66.2% | $539,400 | $95,470 | 5.6x |
| 38 | Oklahoma | 65.8% | $199,800 | $65,039 | 3.1x |
| 39 | Georgia | 65.7% | $303,300 | $77,353 | 3.9x |
| 40 | New Jersey | 63.8% | $454,400 | $103,556 | 4.4x |
| 41 | Washington | 63.8% | $564,600 | $98,141 | 5.8x |
| 42 | Rhode Island | 63.6% | $404,200 | $87,796 | 4.6x |
| 43 | Oregon | 63.3% | $477,600 | $83,011 | 5.8x |
| 44 | Hawaii | 63.0% | $839,100 | $100,389 | 8.4x |
| 45 | North Dakota | 62.8% | $249,900 | $76,657 | 3.3x |
| 46 | Texas | 62.6% | $283,800 | $78,476 | 3.6x |
| 47 | Massachusetts | 62.5% | $562,100 | $103,960 | 5.4x |
| 48 | Nevada | 60.0% | $435,400 | $78,260 | 5.6x |
| 49 | California | 55.9% | $734,700 | $99,122 | 7.4x |
| 50 | New York | 54.4% | $423,800 | $85,974 | 4.9x |
| 51 | District of Columbia | 41.5% | $737,100 | $109,870 | 6.7x |
The District of Columbia is included for comparison, although it is not a state.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates.
About This Ranking
All figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates, the Bureau's most reliable dataset for state and local statistics. Because estimates pool five years of survey responses, they describe a recent period rather than a single moment, and small differences between closely ranked entries may fall within the survey's margin of error. Learn more about the data on our methodology page or at data.census.gov.
More National Rankings
Frequently Asked Questions
What state has the highest homeownership rate?
West Virginia has the highest homeownership rate in the US at 74.9% of occupied households, followed by Maine at 74.3%.
What state has the lowest homeownership rate?
New York has the lowest homeownership rate among the states at 54.4%, reflecting its large renter-heavy metropolitan areas.
What is the homeownership rate in the US?
65.2% of occupied housing units in the US are owner-occupied, according to the ACS 5-Year Estimates.