Historical Census of Housing Tables: Homeownership
Owning one's home has long been considered a part of the American
Dream.  If so, we have been much better off in recent decades
than we were in the early 20th century.  In 2000, about 66
percent of American households owned their own homes; at the dawn
of the century, less than half could make that claim.
Homeownership rates declined slowly but steadily from 1900 to
1920.  There was a jump in the 1920's, largely fueled by the
economy of the Roaring 20's.  Then, the Great Depression drove
the homeownership rate to its lowest level of the century -- 43.6
percent in 1940.
The post-World War II surge was remarkable.  A booming economy,
favorable tax laws, a rejuvenated home building industry, and
easier financing saw homeownership explode nationally, topping 60
percent in just two decades.
Even so, individual States have seen ups and downs not always
closely related to national trends.  Look at the strange journey
of North Dakota.  In 1900, it had the highest homeownership rate
(80 percent) ever recorded by a single State for any decennial
census.  Then, the rate fell, even during the 1920's.  By 1940,
its rate had fallen to about 50 percent.  Afterward, it leaped
back rapidly to well over 60 percent in a mere decade.  Some of
its neighbors -- South Dakota, Nebraska, and Iowa -- show a similar
trend.
Many southern States had very low homeownership rates with little
change in the early years of the 20th century, saw a tremendous
boom after World War II, and now stand above the national
average.  Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and South
Carolina are good examples of this trend.
Some States have always had high homeownership rates -- over 50
percent.  These are found in the Rocky Mountains, the Midwest,
and northern New England.  Look at Utah (the only State where the
rate has never been under 60 percent), Michigan, and Maine.
The Middle Atlantic States (New Jersey, New York, and
Pennsylvania) illustrate well the jump from 1920 to 1930, the
subsequent fall in 1940, and the post-World War II boom.  By the
way, New York, in 1990, had more owned than rented homes for the
first time this century in a decennial census.
There are other things worthy of some note.  West Virginia has
been the homeownership leader the past three censuses.  The
District of Columbia has never had a rate even approaching 50
percent in this century.  California reached its high water mark
in 1960 at 58.4 percent.
HOMEOWNERSHIP RATES
	2020	2010	2000	1990	1980	1970	1960	1950	1940	1930	1920	1910	1900
US	63.1%	65.1%	66.2%	64.2%	64.4%	62.9%	61.9%	55.0%	43.6%	47.8%	45.6%	45.9%	46.5%
AL	67.7%	69.7%	72.5%	70.5%	70.1%	66.7%	59.7%	49.4%	33.6%	34.2%	35.0%	35.1%	34.4%
AK	63.9%	63.1%	62.5%	56.1%	58.3%	50.3%	48.3%	54.5%	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA
AZ	65.3%	66.0%	68.0%	64.2%	68.3%	65.3%	63.9%	56.4%	47.9%	44.8%	42.8%	49.2%	57.5%
AR	65.0%	67.0%	69.4%	69.6%	70.5%	66.7%	61.4%	54.5%	39.7%	40.1%	45.1%	46.6%	47.7%
CA	54.5%	55.9%	56.9%	55.6%	55.9%	54.9%	58.4%	54.3%	43.4%	46.1%	43.7%	49.5%	46.3%
CO	64.5%	65.5%	67.3%	62.2%	64.5%	63.4%	63.8%	58.1%	46.3%	50.7%	51.6%	51.5%	46.6%
CT	64.2%	67.5%	66.8%	65.6%	63.9%	62.5%	61.9%	51.1%	40.5%	44.5%	37.6%	37.3%	39.0%
DE	70.8%	72.1%	72.3%	70.2%	69.1%	68.0%	66.9%	58.9%	47.1%	52.1%	44.7%	40.7%	36.3%
DC	38.3%	42.0%	40.8%	38.9%	35.5%	28.2%	30.0%	32.3%	29.9%	38.6%	30.3%	25.2%	24.0%
FL	65.1%	67.4%	70.1%	67.2%	68.3%	68.6%	67.5%	57.6%	43.6%	42.0%	42.5%	44.2%	46.8%
GA	62.9%	65.7%	67.5%	64.9%	65.0%	61.1%	56.2%	46.5%	30.8%	30.6%	30.9%	30.5%	30.6%
HI	58.8%	57.7%	56.5%	53.9%	51.7%	46.9%	41.1%	33.0%	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA
ID	70.4%	69.9%	72.4%	70.1%	72.0%	70.1%	70.5%	65.5%	57.9%	57.0%	60.9%	68.1%	71.6%
IL	64.6%	67.5%	67.3%	64.2%	62.6%	59.4%	57.8%	50.1%	40.3%	46.5%	43.8%	44.1%	45.0%
IN	68.4%	69.9%	71.4%	70.2%	71.7%	71.7%	71.1%	65.5%	53.1%	57.3%	54.8%	54.8%	56.1%
IA	70.4%	72.1%	72.3%	70.0%	71.8%	71.7%	69.1%	63.4%	51.5%	54.7%	58.1%	58.4%	60.5%
KS	65.3%	67.8%	69.2%	67.9%	70.2%	69.1%	68.9%	63.9%	51.0%	56.0%	56.9%	59.1%	59.1%
KY	66.4%	68.7%	70.8%	69.6%	70.0%	66.9%	64.3%	58.7%	48.0%	51.3%	51.6%	51.6%	51.5%
LA	65.5%	67.2%	67.9%	65.9%	65.5%	63.1%	59.0%	50.3%	36.9%	35.0%	33.7%	32.2%	31.4%
ME	71.1%	71.3%	71.6%	70.5%	70.9%	70.1%	66.5%	62.8%	57.3%	61.7%	59.6%	62.5%	64.8%
MD	65.0%	67.5%	67.7%	65.0%	62.0%	58.8%	64.5%	56.3%	47.4%	55.2%	49.9%	44.0%	40.0%
MA	60.4%	62.3%	61.7%	59.3%	57.5%	57.5%	55.9%	47.9%	38.1%	43.5%	34.8%	33.1%	35.0%
MI	70.9%	72.1%	73.8%	71.0%	72.7%	74.4%	74.4%	67.5%	55.4%	59.0%	58.9%	61.7%	62.3%
MN	70.6%	73.0%	74.6%	71.8%	71.7%	71.5%	72.1%	66.4%	55.2%	58.9%	60.7%	61.9%	63.5%
MS	68.2%	69.6%	72.3%	71.5%	71.0%	66.3%	57.7%	47.8%	33.3%	32.5%	34.0%	34.0%	34.5%
MO	66.0%	68.8%	70.3%	68.8%	69.6%	67.2%	64.3%	57.7%	44.3%	49.9%	49.5%	51.1%	50.9%
MT	67.3%	68.0%	69.1%	67.3%	68.6%	65.7%	64.0%	60.3%	52.0%	54.5%	60.5%	60.0%	56.6%
NE	65.6%	67.2%	67.4%	66.5%	68.4%	66.4%	64.8%	60.6%	47.1%	54.3%	57.4%	59.1%	56.8%
NV	56.8%	58.8%	60.9%	54.8%	59.6%	58.5%	56.3%	48.7%	46.1%	47.1%	47.6%	53.4%	66.2%
NH	70.5%	71.0%	69.7%	68.2%	67.6%	68.2%	65.1%	58.1%	51.7%	55.0%	49.8%	51.2%	53.9%
NJ	61.3%	65.4%	65.6%	64.9%	62.0%	60.9%	61.3%	53.1%	39.4%	48.4%	38.3%	35.0%	34.3%
NM	67.5%	68.5%	70.0%	67.4%	68.1%	66.4%	65.3%	58.8%	57.3%	57.4%	59.4%	70.6%	68.5%
NY	51.3%	53.3%	53.0%	52.2%	48.6%	47.3%	44.8%	37.9%	30.3%	37.1%	30.7%	31.0%	33.2%
NC	64.9%	66.7%	69.4%	68.0%	68.4%	65.4%	60.1%	53.3%	42.4%	44.5%	47.4%	47.3%	46.6%
ND	61.6%	65.4%	66.6%	65.6%	68.7%	68.4%	68.4%	66.2%	49.8%	58.6%	65.3%	75.7%	80.0%
OH	65.4%	67.6%	69.1%	67.5%	68.4%	67.7%	67.4%	61.1%	50.0%	54.4%	51.6%	51.3%	52.5%
OK	64.7%	67.2%	68.4%	68.1%	70.7%	69.2%	67.0%	60.0%	42.8%	41.3%	45.5%	45.4%	54.2%
OR	61.7%	62.2%	64.3%	63.1%	65.1%	66.1%	69.3%	65.3%	55.4%	59.1%	54.8%	60.1%	58.7%
PA	67.3%	69.6%	71.3%	70.6%	69.9%	68.8%	68.3%	59.7%	45.9%	54.4%	45.2%	41.6%	41.2%
RI	59.4%	60.7%	60.0%	59.5%	58.8%	57.9%	54.5%	45.3%	37.4%	41.2%	31.1%	28.3%	28.6%
SC	69.7%	69.3%	72.2%	69.8%	70.2%	66.1%	57.3%	45.1%	30.6%	30.9%	32.2%	30.8%	30.6%
SD	67.0%	68.1%	68.2%	66.1%	69.3%	69.6%	67.2%	62.2%	45.0%	53.1%	61.5%	68.2%	71.2%
TN	65.5%	68.2%	69.9%	68.0%	68.6%	66.7%	63.7%	56.5%	44.1%	46.2%	47.7%	47.0%	46.3%
TX	61.2%	63.7%	63.8%	60.9%	64.3%	64.7%	64.8%	56.7%	42.8%	41.7%	42.8%	45.1%	46.5%
UT	69.0%	70.4%	71.5%	68.1%	70.7%	69.3%	71.7%	65.3%	61.1%	60.9%	60.0%	64.8%	67.8%
VT	69.9%	70.7%	70.6%	69.0%	68.7%	69.1%	66.0%	61.3%	55.9%	59.8%	57.5%	58.5%	60.4%
VA	64.9%	67.2%	68.1%	66.3%	65.6%	62.0%	61.3%	55.1%	48.9%	52.4%	51.1%	51.5%	48.8%
WA	62.2%	63.9%	64.6%	62.6%	65.6%	66.8%	68.5%	65.0%	57.0%	59.4%	54.7%	57.3%	54.5%
WV	72.6%	73.4%	75.2%	74.1%	73.6%	68.9%	64.3%	55.0%	43.7%	45.9%	46.8%	49.5%	54.6%
WI	66.3%	68.1%	68.4%	66.7%	68.2%	69.1%	68.6%	63.5%	54.4%	63.2%	63.6%	64.6%	66.4%
WY	69.4%	69.2%	70.0%	67.8%	69.2%	66.4%	62.2%	54.0%	48.6%	48.3%	51.9%	54.5%	55.2%
Alaska and Hawaii are NOT included in 1950 US total;
the rate does not change if they are included.
Data for 1900-1930 are limited to households reporting tenure.
The rates for 1900 will not exactly match those given in some
earlier reports and briefs; the above 1900 rates include some
families living in institutions, boarding rooms, and other such
living quarters that have not been counted as households
from 1930 to the present.  Some earlier reports excluded these
quasi-households from the rates.  But, these types of households
are included in 1910 and 1920, so 1900 was made consistent
with the other early censuses.  If these quasi-households are
excluded, the homeownership in 1900 for the U.S. was 46.7%.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
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Last Modified: May 31, 2023