Cities Where the Most People Own Their Homes

Nearly 85% of occupied homes in Livonia, Michigan, are owned by their residents, one of the highest homeownership rates in the country. Unlike the other cities on this list, very few of the homes in Livonia were built in 2000 or later, at just 4.0%. A very high share of Livonia’s homes, 31.6%, were built in the 1950s.

Maple Grove, Minnesota, residents are much less likely to experience economic hardships than those in most other cities. The poverty rate is just 4.2%, less than half of the 10.5% poverty rate in Minnesota and the 14.6% poverty rate in the United States. Also, most households in the city earn over $100,000 a year, which likely explains why most houses have over seven rooms. Nationwide, the median home has 5.5 rooms.

Estero, Florida, is one of just eight major cities in the United States in which more than 85% of occupied homes are owned by their residents. But unlike the rest of this list, Estero has a lot of vacant homes. Of the city’s 23,746 housing units, 38.7% sit vacant. It is important to note, however, that vacant homes are not considered when calculating the homeownership rate.

Generally, in the cities where the most homes are owned by their residents, the median home value is relatively high. This is not the case in Mentor, Ohio, where most homes sell for under $170,000, as compared to the U.S. median home value of $193,500. Mentor’s median home value, however, is still higher than the median home value across Ohio as a whole of $135,100.

Blaine, Minnesota, residents are among the most likely people in America to own the home they live in. The city seems to have a strong economy, with a median annual household income exceeding $80,000 and a poverty rate of 5.5%, both of which are highly favorable compared to national and state figures.