Fed analysis upends state-by-state homeownership rankings

A Federal Reserve economist finds that the traditional owner-occupancy rate—often used to gauge how many Americans own homes—underestimates ownership because many people live in homes owned by family or friends. When counting people in owner-occupied homes (the ‘household ownership’ metric), Wyoming and Maine rise to the top, while the old leader West Virginia (about 75% owner-occupied) and nearby Delaware fall in the rankings, with Delaware dropping to 16th. Hawaii has the largest gap between the two measures due to high housing costs and multigenerational households. The Washington Post links to the full state-by-state rankings for both measures.