Homebuyer affordability stabilizes as 3.2 million renters can now afford a typical home
JA
Jude Ashworth
Zillow · Apr 9, 2026
Source: DojiDoji Data Terminal
The number of ownership-ready renters aged 29 to 43 reached 3.2 million in 2024, marking the first stabilization since a collapse in buying power wiped out nearly 2 million households between 2021 and 2023. This shift follows a period of rapid pandemic-era home value increases and a subsequent spike in mortgage rates. In 2024, 20.4% of renter households in this prime age bracket could afford a typical home with a 5% downpayment, up from 20.2% in 2023.
Typical U.S. mortgage payments were 4.4% lower in March 2026 than a year earlier, which increased the buying power of a median-income household by roughly $20,000. Despite this, typical U.S. home values in 2024 remained 49% higher than in 2019. Because prices remain elevated, home sales have stayed sluggish.
Zillow
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