Grand Rapids, Detroit among highest homeownership rates of major American cities

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich — Recent data from the U.S. Census Bureau show that two Michigan cities have some of the highest homeownership rates among the 75 largest metropolitan areas in America.

First quarter homeownership rates for 2025 were recently released by the U.S. Census and Grand Rapids continues to be ranked among the top cities. Detroit slipped out of the top 10 cities for the first time in nearly a year, but still stayed among the cities with higher rates.

For Detroit, the data also includes homeownership rates from Warren and Dearborn. And for Grand Rapids, the data also includes rates from Wyoming.

Highest homeownership rates in major American cities – Q1 2025

1. North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, Fla. – 82.3%
2. Rochester, N.Y. – 81.9%
3. Cape Coral-Fort Myers, Fla. – 78.2%
4. Albuquerque, N. Mex. – 76.4%
5. Charleston-North Charleston-Summerville, S.C. – 75.4%
6. Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, Pa.-N.J. – 74.2%
7. Columbia, S.C. – 74.0%
8. Syracuse, N.Y. – 73.4%
9. Cincinnati, Ohio-Ky.-Ind. – 73.1%
10. Grand Rapids-Wyoming, Mich. – 73.1%
11. Baton Rouge, La. – 72.9%
12. Pittsburgh, Pa. – 72.7%
13. Nashville-Davidson-Murfreesboro-Franklin, Tenn. – 72.6%
14. Louisville/Jefferson County, Ky.-Ind. – 71.8%
15. Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, N.Y. – 71.3%
16. Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, Minn.-Wis. – 71.1%
17. Knoxville, Tenn. – 70.3%
18. Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, Mich. – 69.9%
19. Greensboro-High Point, N.C. – 69.8%
20. Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, Fla. – 69.6%

In the first quarter of 2025, Michigan as a whole ranks 12th among states in homeownership rates.

Highest homeownership rates among states – Q1 2025

1. West Virginia – 79.2%
2. Maine – 77.2%
3. Delaware – 76.1%
4. South Carolina – 75.4%
5. Kentucky – 74.2%
6. Mississippi – 74.1%
7. New Hampshire – 73.7%
8. Wyoming – 73.5%
9. New Mexico – 72.9%
10. Vermont – 72.8%
11. Alabama – 72.6%
12. Michigan – 72.3%
13. Minnesota – 72.1%
14. Iowa – 71.9%
15. Ohio – 70%
16. Montana – 69.9%
17. Kansas – 69.7%
18. Louisiana – 69.7%
19. Pennsylvania – 69.7%
20. Indiana – 69.6%

If you go back to 2020, Detroit was ranked higher than Grand Rapids in homeownership rates, but that has changed through 2025, with Detroit’s homeownership rates dropping by a couple of percentage points and Grand Rapids’ rate improving by a couple of percentage points…

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