Median Homeowner Lives in Their Home for 12 Years

Seattle, WA, March 4, 2026-The typical U.S. homeowner stays put in their house for 12 years, the longest median tenure since 2022. That’s according to a new report from Redfin, the real estate brokerage powered by Rocket. 

Homeowner tenure peaked at 13.4 years in 2020, then gradually declined each year until 2024. The declines were driven by the pandemic-driven homebuying and selling frenzy, when record-low mortgage rates and remote work motivated many Americans to move. Tenure inched up from 11.8 years in 2024 to 12 years in 2025 as home sales slowed due to high housing costs.

Still, homeowners are holding onto their houses for nearly twice as long as they were in the early aughts. In 2005, for instance, the typical homeowner stayed put for 6.5 years before selling. Over the next decade-plus, people stayed in their homes longer as the American population grew older. Baby boomers and Gen Xers became increasingly likely to age in place because they’re financially incentivized to stay put-many older people own their homes free and clear, and those who do have a mortgage likely have a much smaller payment than a homebuyer would today. Older people also typically have less reason than younger people to relocate; for instance, they’re not as likely to move for a new job or grow their families. 

Homeowners hanging onto their houses for a long time can be an obstacle for first-time homebuyers. A 2024 Redfin analysis found that empty-nest baby boomers own 28% of America’s three-bedroom-plus homes, twice as many as millennials with kids. While it’s understandable that older Americans want to hold onto their low housing payments-or no housing payment-the flip side is that it depletes inventory of starter homes and pushes home prices higher. 

“High mortgage rates and home prices perpetuate a cycle that locks up housing inventory,” said Chen Zhao, Redfin’s head of economics research. “It can keep existing homeowners in place and financially discourage them from moving to a different home or a different neighborhood, which drives prices up even higher for first-timers trying to break into the market. But there is good news: Homebuying affordability has improved as mortgage rates have come down, dropping below 6% for the first time in over three years last week. And home-price growth has lost steam, and we expect it to improve more. That should push more Americans to move.”