Homeowners Staying in Homes an Average of 8.6 Years

Arlington, VA, February 10, 2026-“Homeowners are remaining in their homes for the longest time since at least the turn of the millennium,” according to Axios.

• At the end of 2025, U.S. homesellers had been in their abodes for 8.6 years on average, the longest time in data dating back to 2000 (back when it was 4.2 years).
• The time homeowners are keeping their houses has increased in nearly every major metro area over that period, industry data provider ATTOM said.

“That can make it hard for buyers, but the change may be coming to the housing market: Realtor.com found that homeowners with mortgage rates of 6+% recently surpassed the share with rates below 3% for the first time since 2020, giving fewer owners a reason not to move. “And the Wall Street Journal reports that a Redfin analysis showed that ~62% of last year’s buyers snagged a home for below the original listing price-the highest proportion since 2019.”