Survey Shows 'Clear Preference for Homeownership'

The desire to own a home remains strong in America, but as with many ideals, it is evolving. A new Zillow survey finds that 94 percent would own a home if money were no object.

The U.S. homeownership rate is currently about 64 percent, so having enough money remains an important factor for many. Breaking out the survey data by housing type, Zillow finds that most Americans who want to own a home want to own a single-family detached home, at 82 percent. This is especially true in Denver, St. Louis, and Seattle as more than 85 percent of respondents want to live in this housing type, whereas Chicagoans, New Yorkers, and Minneapolitans prefer single-family attached homes.

Transportation plays a major role in where people want to live as well. Young adults were more likely to say their ideal home is close to public transit – 35 percent, compared to 28 percent of middle-aged adults and 25 percent of older adults – although more young adults (37 percent) still said they prefer highway access. In that age group, Asians and blacks were somewhat more likely to value access to public transit (45 percent and 40 percent, respectively) than Hispanics and Whites (33 percent and 32 percent, respectively).

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