US Homeownership Duration Reaches 25-Year Peak
American homeowners are experiencing a significant trend in homeownership duration. Recent statistics from ATTOM indicate that, by the end of 2025, homeowners had held their properties for an average of 8.6 years. This marks a substantial increase from the early 2000s, where the average tenure was just 4.2 years. Such an extended duration has not been seen in the past quarter-century.
Key Factors Influencing Homeownership Duration
The rising lengths of homeownership can be linked to several factors:
- Ultra-low mortgage rates established during the pandemic.
- Consistently high home prices.
- Limited housing inventory impacting market dynamics.
Rob Barber, CEO of ATTOM, pointed out that this trend is widespread among major metropolitan areas. Coastal regions and cities in the Northeast tend to exhibit the strongest effects, with many homeowners remaining in their properties for over a decade.
Metropolitan Areas with Longest Homeownership Durations
Some of the cities experiencing the longest ownership periods include:
- Barnstable, Massachusetts: 14.1 years
- Springfield, Massachusetts: 13.5 years
- New Haven, Connecticut: 13.4 years
Cities with Shorter Homeownership Durations
Conversely, certain areas are seeing shorter tenures:
- Provo, Utah: 6.9 years
- Crestview, Florida: 7 years
- Oklahoma City, Oklahoma: 7.3 years
Future Outlook for Homeowners
Despite the overall increase in homeownership duration, Rob Barber noted that markets known for historically longer or shorter cycles have maintained their relative positions. Notably, recent changes in the mortgage landscape are causing shifts in this trend.
For the first time since 2020, indications show that more homeowners now possess mortgage rates of 6% or higher compared to those with rates below 3%. This shift may encourage some homeowners to consider selling their properties and moving in the near future.
As the housing market evolves, patterns of homeownership are likely to continue changing. This may lead to new opportunities and challenges for both buyers and sellers in the coming years.
