The Oldest Americans Held More Real Estate Wealth Than Ever Before In 2025

Written by Posted On Monday, 16 March 2026 06:01
The Oldest Americans Held More Real Estate Wealth Than Ever Before In 2025 image by 123RF

The oldest Americans held 26% of America’s $48 trillion in real estate wealth as of the third quarter of 2025, the most recent period for which data is available, according to a new report from Redfin. That’s just shy of the prior quarter’s 26.1%—the highest level for 70+ year olds on record—and compares with 21.6% a decade earlier and 16.6% two decades earlier.

The share of real estate wealth held by 70+ year olds surpassed that of 40-54 year olds for the first time on record during the second quarter of 2025. At that time, 70+ year olds held 26.1% and 40-54 year olds held 25.9%. As of the third quarter, both groups held exactly 26%.

Prior to last year, the 40-54 age group consistently held a larger share of real estate wealth than the oldest Americans.

Younger Americans Have Seen Declines in Their Share of Real Estate Wealth

The 70+ age group is the only one that has seen consistent wealth gains over the years.

As mentioned earlier, the 40-54 year old cohort held 26% of real estate wealth in the third quarter. That’s down from 29.3% a decade earlier. The 55-69 year old group saw their share drop to 35.3% from 37.2% over the same period. The share held by the youngest Americans has flatlined; people under 40 held 12.6% of real estate wealth in the third quarter, little changed from 11.9% a decade earlier.

“Breaking into homeownership wasn’t an easy feat for baby boomers, who faced high inflation and high interest rates. But mortgage rates then entered a decades-long decline, fueling years of home price growth that benefited baby boomers,” said Redfin Chief Economist Daryl Fairweather. “Those home price gains, along with a rebound in mortgage rates in recent years, have pushed homeownership out of reach for many younger Americans.”

Younger Americans are also purchasing real estate later because they’re getting married later.

The good news is that affordability has already started to improve this year. Redfin predicted late last year that homebuyers would get some relief in 2026 as income growth outpaced home price growth. Home price growth has slowed significantly since the pandemic moving frenzy, and mortgage rates have come down in recent months. The average 30-year-fixed mortgage rate now sits at around 6%, just shy of the lowest level in over three years.

To view the full report, including charts, please visit:
https://www.redfin.com/news/real-estate-wealth-by-age

Rate this item
(0 votes)
Redfin

Redfin is a technology-driven real estate company with the country's most-visited real estate brokerage website. As part of Rocket Companies (NYSE: RKT), Redfin is creating an integrated homeownership platform from search to close to make the dream of homeownership more affordable and accessible for everyone. Redfin’s clients can see homes first with on-demand tours, easily apply for a home loan with Rocket Mortgage, and save thousands in fees while working with a top local agent. You can find more information about Redfin and get the latest housing market data and research at Redfin.com/news. For more information about Rocket Companies, visit RocketCompanies.com.

https://www.redfin.com

Realty Times

From buying and selling advice for consumers to money-making tips for Agents, our content, updated daily, has made Realty Times® a must-read, and see, for anyone involved in Real Estate.

Joomla! Debug Console

Session

Profile Information

Memory Usage

Database Queries