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[BUSINESS] · United States · 6 sources

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Part of situation: Global housing market affordability and wealth gap (19 clusters)

United States housing market faces supply gaps and wealth disparities

housing affordability U.S. Census Bureau wealth gap rental crisis homeownership

The United States is experiencing a paradoxical housing market characterized by both significant shortages in desirable regions and an abundance of vacant homes in declining or seasonal areas. U.S. Census Bureau data indicates that homes sitting vacant for part of the year increased to approximately 4.3 million units in 2024. While many metropolitan areas struggle to meet demand, rural and nonmetropolitan regions face excess vacancies due to population decline and aging residents.

This housing landscape is driving a widening wealth gap, particularly among Americans in their 30s. Between 2022 and 2025, the median net worth of homeowner-led households in this age group rose by 31%, while the net worth of non-homeowners fell by 32%.

Affordability remains a critical issue across various income levels. Approximately 22.6 million renter households nationwide spend more than 30% of their income on housing, with roughly 12.1 million spending over half of their earnings. The rental cost burden is increasingly affecting middle-income earners, with those earning between 60% and 80% of their area’s median income seeing the largest relative increase in cost-burden rates compared to the previous year.

Entities

Enterprise Community Partners · Federal Reserve · Harvard University · U.S. Census Bureau · United States

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

  • [○ 1 SOURCE] Homes vacant for part of the year increased to approximately 4.3 million units in 2024. www.theepochtimes.com
  • [○ 1 SOURCE] Renters earning 60% to 80% of their area’s median income saw a 5% increase in their cost-burden rate compared to the previous year. nypost.com
  • [○ 1 SOURCE] National vacancy rates were reported at 7.3 percent for rental housing and 1.2 percent for homeowners as of Q2 2026. www.theepochtimes.com
  • [○ 1 SOURCE] Roughly 12.1 million renter households spend more than half of their income on housing. nypost.com
  • [○ 1 SOURCE] Median net worth for homeowner-led households in their 30s rose 31% from 2022 to 2025. www.businessreport.com
  • [○ 1 SOURCE] The share of households earning 30% to 60% of area median income spending over half their income on housing rose from 34% to 36% in one year. nypost.com
  • [○ 1 SOURCE] Median net worth for non-homeowner households in their 30s fell 32% from 2022 to 2025. www.businessreport.com
  • [○ 1 SOURCE] More than 22.6 million renter households in the U.S. spend over 30% of their income on housing. nypost.com

Sources

America’s rent crisis is creeping up the income ladder — and middle-class households are feeling the squeeze [nypost.com]
Aldi Vs Trader Joe's: Which Sells Cheaper Produce In 2026? - Daily Meal [www.thedailymeal.com]
How long does it take to save up for a starter home? Twice as long as it did in 2019 [www.lpm.org]
Airbnb and Rent Prices: Did Short Term Rentals Raise Housing Costs? [balleralert.com]
For Americans in their 30s, the housing divide is becoming a wealth divide [www.businessreport.com]
Why America Has a Housing Shortage Alongside an Abundance of Empty Homes [www.theepochtimes.com]