Some areas are home to many transient residents who move every few years. Others have many people who have stayed in the same place for a long time, putting down deep roots and becoming a part of their communities.
According to This Old House, these metro areas have the largest percentages of long-time homeowners who have been in their homes for 24 years or longer.
Methodology
For this campaign, This Old House analyzed data from the American Community Survey and the U.S. Census Bureau to identify which states and cities had the longest-tenured and oldest and youngest homeowners. They also surveyed 1,008 homeowners about their future residence plans and why they planned to stay or move. Baby boomers comprised 15.3% of the respondents; 32.9% were Generation X; 46.6% were millennials; the remaining 5.2% were Generation Z. They collected the survey data on Dec. 18, 2023. The margin of error for this study was 3% at a 95% confidence level.
Johnstown, Pennsylvania
In this area, people like to put down roots and keep them growing. Short-term homeowners in this area make up only 14.9% of homeowners. Ones who have stayed in their home for at least 24 years make up 49.7%.
Weirton-Steubenville, West Virginia-Ohio
Homeowners in this area who have been in their homes for only five years or less makeup 17.9% of the total. However, those who have stayed in their homes long term are 42.8% of the local homeowners.
Scranton-Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
In this metro area, it’s common for people to live in their homes for just five years or less, with 18.7% of homeowners doing this. However, it’s more than twice as common to stay for a long time. Among homeowners, 41% stay in their homes for at least 24 years.
Wheeling, West Virginia-Ohio
This area has long-tenured homeowners who buy a home and stay put for decades. About 40.8% of homeowners do this. About 18.4% of them live in their homes for under six years.
Pittsfield, Massachusetts
Following close behind Wheeling, the Pittsfield area has 40.7% of its homeowners staying in their homes long-term. The short-term percentage staying less than six years is 20.9%.
Altoona, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania is full of metro areas where people stay in their homes for decades. In Altoona, 39.6% of homeowners stay at least 24 years. Those who stay five years or less are just 19.3% of homeowners.
Binghamton, New York
In this New York metro area, 39.4% of its homeowners stay put for at least 24 years once they’ve bought a house. About 19.9% of them stay for five years or even less.
Cumberland, Maryland-West Virginia
There’s something about West Virginia that drives people to grow deep roots. This area ties in with Binghamton, with 39.4% of homeowners staying for the long haul. About 23.7% stay in their home short term- one of the highest rates on this list.
Urban Honolulu, Hawaii
In the urban area of Honolulu, about 39.3% of the city’s homeowners stay put for a long time. However, about 21.9% of them stay in their home only for the short term of less than six years.
Elmira, New York
Elmira homeowners have a clear preference for staying in their homes for decades. About 39.1% of them stay in their homes for at least 24 years. Only about 18.6% stay in their homes for just a handful of years.
Albany, Georgia
In Albany, people tend to buy a home and put down roots. About 38.7% of them stay in their home for 24 years or longer. But a big percentage, about 26.4%, stay for only five years or less.
Bloomsburg-Berwick, Pennsylvania
Among homeowners in this area, it’s popular to stay in a home for a long time. About 38.1% of them stay in the same home for 24 or more years. More than half as many, 20.9%, only stay for up to five years.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
So many areas in Pennsylvania have deep roots, and Pittsburgh is one of them. In this city, 37.6% of homeowners remain in a home for more than 23 years. About 20.6% of them stay for less than six years.
Youngstown-Warren-Boardman, Ohio-Pennsylvania
In another area in Pennsylvania, this metro area has 37.6% of its homeowners stay in their homes long-term. About 20.3% of its homeowners stay in their homes for only a short time.
Parkersburg-Vienna, West Virginia
West Virginians know how to put down roots. About 37.5% of the homeowners in this metro area remain in their homes for 24 years or more. About 21% of them only stay for less than six years.
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