What Is the Average Homeownership Tenure in the U.S.?
Homeownership tenure remains elevated in early 2026, with homeowners continuing to hold properties longer before selling. Homeowners who sold in the first quarter of 2026 had owned their homes for an average of 8.44 years, a slight decline from the 8.46 year average tenure recorded in the fourth quarter of 2025 but up from the 7.93 year average tenure in first quarter of 2025.
Homeownership Tenure by State – First Quarter 2026
Below is the complete state-by-state ranking of homeownership tenure from longest to shortest tenure in first quarter 2026 and the percentage of cash sales for each state.
1. Massachusetts
Average tenure: 12.70 years (up 2.4 percent quarter over quarter and up 2.7 percent year over year)
All-cash share: 37.5 percent (down 1.2 percent vs year ago)
2. Connecticut
Average tenure: 12.53 years (up 0.4 percent quarter over quarter and up 0.8 percent year over year)
All-cash share: 33.8 percent (down 4.5 percent vs year ago)
3. Rhode Island
Average tenure: 11.07 years (no change quarter over quarter and up 5.1 percent year over year)
All-cash share: 47.3 percent (up 3.9 percent vs year ago)
4. California
Average tenure: 10.96 years (up 2.5 percent quarter over quarter and up 3.6 percent year over year)
All-cash share: 34.1 percent (down 7.4 percent vs year ago)
5. Washington
Average tenure: 10.34 years (up 3.8 percent quarter over quarter and up 4.4 percent year over year)
All-cash share: 28.4 percent (down 4.3 percent vs year ago)
6. Oregon
Average tenure: 9.86 years (up 1.6 percent quarter over quarter and up 2.1 percent year over year)
All-cash share: 34.9 percent (down 9.9 percent vs year ago)
7. Maryland
- Average tenure: 9.72 years (up 5.5 percent quarter over quarter and up 14.0 percent year over year)
All-cash share: 27.7 percent (down 0.5 percent vs year ago)
8. New Hampshire
Average tenure: 9.72 years (up 4.6 percent quarter over quarter and up 4.9 percent year over year)
All-cash share: 47.6 percent (up 3.1 percent vs year ago)
9. New Jersey
Average tenure: 9.71 years (up 3.8 percent quarter over quarter and up 2.2 percent year over year)
All-cash share: 32.8 percent (down 4.1 percent vs year ago)
10. Hawaii
Average tenure: 9.28 years (up 3.1 percent quarter over quarter and up 8.2 percent year over year)
All-cash share: 75.8 percent (up 45.3 percent vs year ago)
11. Illinois
Average tenure: 9.14 years (up 4.1 percent quarter over quarter and up 2.5 percent year over year)
All-cash share: 40.6 percent (up 5.7 percent vs year ago)
12. Tennessee
Average tenure: 9.10 years (up 5.7 percent quarter over quarter and up 8.4 percent year over year)
All-cash share: 36.3 percent (down 4.5 percent vs year ago)
13. Arizona
Average tenure: 8.81 years (down 2.6 percent quarter over quarter and up 3.1 percent year over year)
All-cash share: 43.3 percent (down 6.8 percent vs year ago)
14. Alaska
Average tenure: 8.75 years (up 4.6 percent quarter over quarter and up 2.2 percent year over year)
15. Florida
Average tenure: 8.74 years (up 1.2 percent quarter over quarter and up 6.3 percent year over year)
All-cash share: 48.0 percent (no change vs year ago)
16. New York
Average tenure: 8.68 years (up 6.0 percent quarter over quarter and up 5.1 percent year over year)
All-cash share: 54.7 percent (up 5.9 percent vs year ago)
17. Nevada
Average tenure: 8.68 years (up 6.3 percent quarter over quarter and up 2.1 percent year over year)
All-cash share: 36.6 percent (down 6.2 percent vs year ago)
18. Pennsylvania
Average tenure: 8.34 years (up 4.2 percent quarter over quarter and up 4.8 percent year over year)
All-cash share: 37.7 percent (down 1.3 percent vs year ago)
19. New Mexico
Average tenure: 8.28 years (up 5.4 percent quarter over quarter and up 5.7 percent year over year)
20. Colorado
Average tenure: 8.00 years (up 5.1 percent quarter over quarter and up 7.3 percent year over year)
All-cash share: 41.6 percent (up 2.4 percent vs year ago)
21. Ohio
Average tenure: 7.86 years (up 4.1 percent quarter over quarter and up 5.5 percent year over year)
All-cash share: 50.3 percent (down 1.9 percent vs year ago)
22. Montana
Average tenure: 7.81 years (down 3.7 percent quarter over quarter and up 7.7 percent year over year)
23. Minnesota
Average tenure: 7.49 years (up 5.3 percent quarter over quarter and up 6.8 percent year over year)
All-cash share: 36.9 percent (down 0.4 percent vs year ago)
24. Texas
Average tenure: 7.47 years (down 1.4 percent quarter over quarter and up 0.7 percent year over year)
25. Michigan
Average tenure: 7.41 years (up 5.7 percent quarter over quarter and up 6.4 percent year over year)
All-cash share: 38.9 percent (down 3.8 percent vs year ago)
26. Nebraska
Average tenure: 7.32 years (up 3.0 percent quarter over quarter and up 2.9 percent year over year)
All-cash share: 28.8 percent (down 6.9 percent vs year ago)
27. Delaware
Average tenure: 7.25 years (down 4.7 percent quarter over quarter and up 8.9 percent year over year)
All-cash share: 43.9 percent (up 1.8 percent vs year ago)
28. Virginia
Average tenure: 7.20 years (up 2.0 percent quarter over quarter and up 6.4 percent year over year)
All-cash share: 33.2 percent (up 3.4 percent vs year ago)
29. Louisiana
Average tenure: 7.15 years (up 0.2 percent quarter over quarter and up 5.8 percent year over year)
30. Iowa
Average tenure: 7.11 years (down 0.5 percent quarter over quarter and down 0.5 percent year over year)
All-cash share: 28.6 percent (up 0.7 percent vs year ago)
31. North Dakota
Average tenure: 7.08 years (up 6.8 percent quarter over quarter and up 9.5 percent year over year)
32. Oklahoma
Average tenure: 7.07 years (up 3.8 percent quarter over quarter and up 4.8 percent year over year)
All-cash share: 43.4 percent (down 2.4 percent vs year ago)
33. Utah
Average tenure: 7.06 years (up 5.6 percent quarter over quarter and up 10.1 percent year over year)
34. North Carolina
Average tenure: 7.06 years (up 1.1 percent quarter over quarter and up 11.6 percent year over year)
All-cash share: 41.4 percent (down 0.5 percent vs year ago)
35. Wyoming
Average tenure: 6.95 years (up 4.7 percent quarter over quarter and up 9.1 percent year over year)
36. Vermont
Average tenure: 6.87 years (up 6.1 percent quarter over quarter and up 4.8 percent year over year)
37. Kansas
Average tenure: 6.83 years (up 4.8 percent quarter over quarter and up 4.2 percent year over year)
38. Missouri
Average tenure: 6.81 years (up 3.8 percent quarter over quarter and down 0.7 percent year over year)
39. Wisconsin
Average tenure: 6.75 years (up 2.6 percent quarter over quarter and up 3.2 percent year over year)
All-cash share: 43.2 percent (down 8.4 percent vs year ago)
40. South Carolina
Average tenure: 6.72 years (up 3.8 percent quarter over quarter and up 13.8 percent year over year)
All-cash share: 46.2 percent (down 2.7 percent vs year ago)
41. Arkansas
Average tenure: 6.61 years (up 2.8 percent quarter over quarter and down 0.1 percent year over year)
All-cash share: 38.5 percent (down 11.0 percent vs year ago)
42. Indiana
Average tenure: 6.56 years (up 4.8 percent quarter over quarter and up 8.7 percent year over year)
43. Alabama
Average tenure: 6.52 years (up 0.9 percent quarter over quarter and up 8.6 percent year over year)
All-cash share: 51.4 percent (up 0.9 percent vs year ago)
44. Idaho
Average tenure: 6.48 years (up 4.4 percent quarter over quarter and up 4.0 percent year over year)
45. Kentucky
Average tenure: 6.29 years (up 1.4 percent quarter over quarter and up 4.5 percent year over year)
All-cash share: 32.2 percent (down 14.4 percent vs year ago)
46. Georgia
Average tenure: 6.19 years (up 5.7 percent quarter over quarter and up 14.0 percent year over year)
All-cash share: 57.0 percent (up 7.3 percent vs year ago)
47. West Virginia
Average tenure: 6.13 years (up 3.8 percent quarter over quarter and up 6.7 percent year over year)
All-cash share: 36.9 percent (down 9.2 percent vs year ago)
48. Mississippi
Average tenure: 6.04 years (down 1.1 percent quarter over quarter and up 10.1 percent year over year)
49. South Dakota
Average tenure: 5.71 years (up 7.1 percent quarter over quarter and down 1.4 percent year over year)
50. Maine
Average tenure: 4.44 years (up 2.5 percent quarter over quarter and down 0.2 percent year over year)
What’s Driving Tenure Trends?
Longer homeownership tenure reflects a mix of factors shaping the housing market. Higher mortgage rates have made homeowners less likely to move, as many remain locked into historically low rates from prior years. Limited inventory and elevated home prices have also made finding an affordable next home more difficult, keeping potential sellers in place longer. Meanwhile, all-cash sales continue to account for roughly 40 percent of all transactions, indicating a sustained presence of equity-driven buyers, such as investors or downsizing homeowners, which continues to influence both mobility and overall market dynamics.
Conclusion
Homeownership tenure remained elevated in Q1 2026, with homeowners who sold during the quarter owning their properties for an average of 8.44 years. The state-level data shows continued variation in both tenure changes and all-cash sales activity, underscoring differences in homeowner mobility and buyer behavior across the country.
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