Homeownership is directly related to income and can also be related to socio-demographic characteristics such as race/ethnicity. Discrimination and discriminatory policies of the past have created generational wealth gaps and disparities amongst communities, leading to a need for intentional and active systemic changes.
For this measure, we are defining homeownership as the percent of households in the region that are living in owner-occupied housing units.
Go to: Homeownership Map | Homeownership Now | Homeownership Trend
Homeownership Map
Percent of households living in owner-occupied housing units
Source(s): U.S. Census Bureau, 2018-2022 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table S2502; U.S. Census Bureau, Geography Division 2020 TIGER/Line Shapefiles
Insights & Analysis
- Kitsap County has the highest homeownership rates (70%), followed by Snohomish (69%), Pierce (65%), and King (56%).
- The five census tracts tied with the highest rates of homeownership (98-99%) are in Snohomish County (Woodway and Edmonds Waterfront, Maltby, east of Silver Lake), Pierce County (Lake Tapps), and King County (Sammamish).
- Snohomish County is the only county that does not have any census tracts with 0% homeownership, while there are 4 tracts in King, 2 in Kitsap, and 2 in Pierce. The census tract with the lowest homeownership rate in Snohomish (14%) is in Everett, east of Paine Field.
Homeownership Now
Source(s): U.S. Census Bureau, 2018-2022 American Community Survey 5-Year Public Use Microdata Sample
Insights & Analysis
- The regional homeownership rate for households with lower income (below 200% federal poverty level) were highest in Kitsap County (44%) followed by Snohomish (39%), Pierce (38%), and King (29%).
- The largest difference in homeownership rates between people of color and white non-Hispanic people is in Pierce County (20 percentage points), while the smallest difference is in Snohomish County (10 percentage points).
- King County is the only county where limited English proficient households have lower homeownership rates (39%) than the region’s homeownership rate for households with limited English proficiency (41%).
Homeownership Trend
Source(s): U.S. Census Bureau, 2008-2012, 2013-2017, 2018-2022 American Community Survey 5-Year Public Use Microdata Sample
Insights & Analysis
- The difference in homeownership rates for people of color and white non-Hispanic people over time has shifted the greatest in King and Snohomish counties (-4 percentage points), while decreasing slightly in Kitsap County (-1 percentage point), and remaining unchanged in Pierce County.
- Between 2012 and 2022, the lowest homeownership rates for people of color have consistently been in King and Pierce counties (with a slight increase in Pierce in 2022), while the highest rates have been in Snohomish County.
- The difference in homeownership rates of people with a disability compared to those living without has narrowed between 2012 and 2022 in all counties except Pierce, where there has been almost no difference.