Regional disparities in homeownership trajectories: impacts of affordability, new construction, and immigration

In contrast to the 1980s, we find substantial increases in the homeownership rates of young adults in the 1990s. Focusing on the younger half of the baby boom generation, aged 35 to 44 in 2000, we explore the factors that caused steeper trajectories into homeownership in some metropolitan areas. Factors include prices and incomes, housing construction relative to employment growth, and rates of household formation and immigration. Homeownership gains are modeled separately for whites, blacks, Asians, and Hispanics. Our findings highlight the importance of household formation on regional homeownership rates. Evidence shows greater homeownership gains in areas with greater rent increases, indicating lower relative costs of owning, and with greater price increases, indicating greater investment incentives. Our findings also underscore the importance of keeping housing construction consistent with employment growth. Finally, the effect of immigration was especially important for Hispanics, sharply depressing homeownership in regions with more recently arrived immigrants.