📊 Am I Normal?
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🎯 Life Milestones

Am I behind on buying a home?

Compare when you bought your first home to the average.

years old

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Did I move out early or late?

🎯Life Milestones
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Did I get married early or late?

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Am I having kids early or late?

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Have I traveled enough?

🎯Life Milestones

When do people buy their first home?

The average first-time homebuyer in the US is now 36 years old (NAR 2024) — the oldest on record, up from 29 in 1981. Across developed nations, the trend is the same: home ownership is being pushed later and later.

Average age of first home purchase

  • United States: 36 (NAR 2024, up from 29 in 1981)
  • United Kingdom: 34
  • Canada: 36
  • Australia: 36
  • Germany: 41 (low homeownership culture)
  • Japan: 37

Why it's getting harder

  • Median home price is 5.4x median income (was 3.2x in 2000)
  • Average down payment: $62,000 (saving takes 6-10 years)
  • 37% of Millennials expect to rent forever
  • Student debt delays home buying by an average of 7 years

Sources: NAR Profile of Home Buyers (2024), Eurostat, OECD housing data, Zillow Housing Report.