Jonathan Jones

While baby boomers comprise just over 20% of the U.S. population, they account for nearly 38% of homeowners nationwide. However, baby boomer homeownership rates vary across local and state markets. Researchers calculated the percentage of owner-occupied households that are headed by baby boomers, then ranked locations accordingly.

The U.S. is short between 2.3 and 6.5 million housing units relative to the needs of the current population. And with fewer new homes coming onto the market, many buyers are increasingly competing for older homes. Researchers calculated the median age of residential housing units based on the year each unit was built, and ranked U.S. cities and states accordingly.

For many years, the typical monthly costs of buying a home were well below typical rents in the U.S. But as of November 2023, the typical monthly payment for a home in the U.S. was more than 22% higher than the typical monthly rent. Researchers compared the cost of buying a home now with renting one in over 300 U.S. cities and ranked locations accordingly.

Refinancing a mortgage can help reduce monthly payments or provide some much needed liquidity, but the proportion of households that refinance their mortgage varies considerably across the country. Our researchers ranked U.S. states and metros according to the number of mortgage refinances originated in 2022 per 1,000 households with a mortgage.

Over the past decade, which has included recoveries from both the Great Recession and the COVID-19 recession, U.S. home values grew by more than 100%. To find the locations with the largest increases, researchers analyzed Zillow data and compared median home prices in 2023 to 2013.

Nationally, plumbers earn about 30% more than the typical worker—but more localized data shows a highly regional industry. We ranked U.S. states and metros according to the median annual wage for plumbers, adjusted for the cost of living.

The year-over-year change in rental prices leaped from a recent low of 1.8% in Q2 2021 to 8.6% in Q2 2023. Now, nine states have median market rents topping $2,000 per month. Here are the states and metros with the highest rent prices in the nation.

While mortgage delinquency rates remain low nationally, the concentration of delinquent mortgages varies significantly by location. We ranked U.S. states and metros based on the percentage of mortgages at least 30 days delinquent.

Investing in home improvements varies by location due to factors such as cost of living, local economic conditions, and the housing market. Our researchers ranked U.S. states and metros according to the number of home improvement loans taken out per 1,000 owner-occupied households.

We calculated the proportion of jobs requiring no communication, seldom communication, or occasional communication within each occupation and ranked those occupations accordingly.

Multi-family housing plays a crucial role in bolstering housing availability in states with substantial urban populations. Nationally, approximately 28% of the current housing stock falls under the multi-family category, although this figure exhibits significant regional disparities. Looking at new units authorized by building permits in 2022, researchers identified the states and metros building the most multi-family housing.

Demand for electricians will grow significantly faster than the overall job growth rate in the coming years, as more of the nation's energy infrastructure transitions to renewable sources. These are the best-paying U.S. states and metros for electricians.

Some U.S. locations prove more favorable to young adults seeking homeownership than others. We calculated the share of all home purchase loans taken out by applicants under 25 years old in 2022, then ranked metros and states accordingly.

The average cost per square foot of a manufactured home is $85, roughly half the $168 cost per square foot of a site-built home. For lower- and middle-income families, this more affordable option has significant appeal. Our researchers identified the U.S. states investing the most manufactured housing.

On a national level, construction workers are well-compensated for their hard work, but wages vary widely by location. Here we explore which cities pay the most.