High costs and tight pay trap millennials in rent cycle. They want homes. They just can’t buy them.

Nearly half of millennials say the cost of living keeps them from buying a home.

“Forty-five percent of people aged 23 to 38 say high living costs stop them from owning a house,” Bankrate said in a survey.
https://www.bankrate.com/surveys/down-payment-survey-september-2019/

Only 38% of Gen X and 31% of Baby Boomers said the same. Bankrate also found that more millennials are pulling money from their retirement savings to help with down payments.
https://www.bankrate.com/mortgages/millennials-and-homebuying/

Another report shared by Barron’s said, “58% of non-homeowner millennials think they’ll never be able to afford a home.”
https://www.barrons.com/advisor/articles/never-buy-a-home-cac908a1

Zillow added that the average first-time buyer is now in their late 30s. Many feel stuck renting because home prices keep rising, and wages have not caught up.
https://www.zillow.com/research/zillow-home-buying-trends-2024-32569/

Even though 74% of millennials still say owning a home is part of the American Dream, the numbers show they are falling behind.