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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 MilestonesDid I get married early or late?
🎯Life MilestonesAm I having kids early or late?
🎯Life MilestonesHave I traveled enough?
🎯Life MilestonesDo I get enough vacation?
💼CareerDo I spend too much on vacations?
🌟LifestyleIs my vocabulary big enough?
🎓EducationAm I paying too much at the vet?
🐾PetsWhen 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.