Rising home prices, combined with limited housing supply, have made it challenging for young adults to enter the housing market. According to a May 2026 Pew Research Center survey, nearly 9 in 10 younger Americans say it is harder for them to buy a home than it was for their parents. Nonetheless, younger buyers continue to aspire to homeownership, navigating an uneven landscape of affordability and opportunity. In some states, adults under 35 account for more than a quarter of mortgage applications. In others, that share is less than 15%.
To determine where younger Americans are most actively pursuing homeownership, SmartAsset analyzed mortgage applications in each of the 50 states over the preceding year using data from the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, calculating the share of applications filed by buyers younger than 35 relative to all applicants. The results offer a look at where the next generation of homeowners may be gaining the strongest foothold.
Key Findings
Younger Americans may be more likely to pursue homeownership where housing costs are lower. In each of the four states with the highest share of mortgage applications from adults younger than 35, the typical home value is less than $300,000: North Dakota (No. 1), West Virginia (No. 2), Nebraska (No. 3) and Iowa (No. 4).
Texas leads by total number of applications. While it only ranks No. 18 overall for the share of mortgage applications from adults younger than 35, the Lone Star State had the highest total number of such applications, 259,737.
Price may be less of a deterrent to younger Utahns. Among states where the typical home value exceeds $500,000, Utah is the only one where adults younger than 35 account for more than 21% of mortgage applications.
Young Delawareans lag in pursuit of homeownership. Delaware ranked No. 50, with adults younger than 35 accounting for just 13.4% of mortgage applications in 2025.
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How States Measure
Alabama
Percent of all applications by under 35s: 22%
Number of applications by under 35s: 51,932
Typical home value: $236,705
Alaska
Percent of all applications by under 35s: 24.3%
Number of applications by under 35s: 5,440
Typical home value: $390,107
Arizona
Percent of all applications by under 35s: 17.1%
Number of applications by under 35s: 61,242
Typical home value: $423,746
Arkansas
Percent of all applications by under 35s: 22.4%
Number of applications by under 35s: 30,266
Typical home value: $222,300
California
Percent of all applications by under 35s: 14.7%
Number of applications by under 35s: 170,434
Typical home value: $776,233
Colorado
Percent of all applications by under 35s: 20.2%
Number of applications by under 35s: 59,493
Typical home value: $543,271
Connecticut
Percent of all applications by under 35s: 18.3%
Number of applications by under 35s: 25,376
Typical home value: $441,466
Delaware
Percent of all applications by under 35s: 13.4%
Number of applications by under 35s: 7,406
Typical home value: $405,836
Florida
Percent of all applications by under 35s: 14.8%
Number of applications by under 35s: 159,429
Typical home value: $376,504
Georgia
Percent of all applications by under 35s: 17.9%
Number of applications by under 35s: 92,511
Typical home value: $333,559
Hawai‘i
Percent of all applications by under 35s: 13.6%
Number of applications by under 35s: 5,285
Typical home value: $830,219
Idaho
Percent of all applications by under 35s: 20.1%
Number of applications by under 35s: 20,382
Typical home value: $477,506
Illinois
Percent of all applications by under 35s: 21.7%
Number of applications by under 35s: 99,120
Typical home value: $290,210
Indiana
Percent of all applications by under 35s: 23.3%
Number of applications by under 35s: 76,028
Typical home value: $256,584
Iowa
Percent of all applications by under 35s: 25.6%
Number of applications by under 35s: 31,666
Typical home value: $234,891
Kansas
Percent of all applications by under 35s: 23.3%
Number of applications by under 35s: 25,209
Typical home value: $246,369
Kentucky
Percent of all applications by under 35s: 24.8%
Number of applications by under 35s: 47,476
Typical home value: $232,231
Louisiana
Percent of all applications by under 35s: 23.2%
Number of applications by under 35s: 35,607
Typical home value: $214,727
Maine
Percent of all applications by under 35s: 19%
Number of applications by under 35s: 11,807
Typical home value: $412,608
Maryland
Percent of all applications by under 35s: 16.6%
Number of applications by under 35s: 43,894
Typical home value: $431,934
Massachusetts
Percent of all applications by under 35s: 17.3%
Number of applications by under 35s: 42,812
Typical home value: $661,755
Michigan
Percent of all applications by under 35s: 22.5%
Number of applications by under 35s: 94,242
Typical home value: $263,590
Minnesota
Percent of all applications by under 35s: 24.3%
Number of applications by under 35s: 50,992
Typical home value: $350,891
Mississippi
Percent of all applications by under 35s: 22.9%
Number of applications by under 35s: 26,255
Typical home value: $194,242
Missouri
Percent of all applications by under 35s: 23.1%
Number of applications by under 35s: 63,203
Typical home value: $265,398
Montana
Percent of all applications by under 35s: 20%
Number of applications by under 35s: 8,345
Typical home value: $467,919
Nebraska
Percent of all applications by under 35s: 25.7%
Number of applications by under 35s: 19,947
Typical home value: $279,080
Nevada
Percent of all applications by under 35s: 16.6%
Number of applications by under 35s: 23,517
Typical home value: $447,225
New Hampshire
Percent of all applications by under 35s: 18.5%
Number of applications by under 35s: 11,758
Typical home value: $510,709
New Jersey
Percent of all applications by under 35s: 16%
Number of applications by under 35s: 59,260
Typical home value: $571,373
New Mexico
Percent of all applications by under 35s: 24%
Number of applications by under 35s: 19,504
Typical home value: $317,474
New York
Percent of all applications by under 35s: 18.9%
Number of applications by under 35s: 81,235
Typical home value: $510,449
North Carolina
Percent of all applications by under 35s: 19.5%
Number of applications by under 35s: 107,640
Typical home value: $337,273
North Dakota
Percent of all applications by under 35s: 28.3%
Number of applications by under 35s: 6,551
Typical home value: $286,406
Ohio
Percent of all applications by under 35s: 22%
Number of applications by under 35s: 114,730
Typical home value: $244,844
Oklahoma
Percent of all applications by under 35s: 23.5%
Number of applications by under 35s: 38,723
Typical home value: $221,765
Oregon
Percent of all applications by under 35s: 16.5%
Number of applications by under 35s: 27,275
Typical home value: $501,661
Pennsylvania
Percent of all applications by under 35s: 18.6%
Number of applications by under 35s: 93,107
Typical home value: $286,387
Rhode Island
Percent of all applications by under 35s: 17.8%
Number of applications by under 35s: 8,575
Typical home value: $504,793
South Carolina
Percent of all applications by under 35s: 20.1%
Number of applications by under 35s: 58,977
Typical home value: $305,174
South Dakota
Percent of all applications by under 35s: 25.1%
Number of applications by under 35s: 7,390
Typical home value: $319,255
Tennessee
Percent of all applications by under 35s: 20.8%
Number of applications by under 35s: 71,613
Typical home value: $334,075
Texas
Percent of all applications by under 35s: 22.7%
Number of applications by under 35s: 259,737
Typical home value: $302,187
Utah
Percent of all applications by under 35s: 23.7%
Number of applications by under 35s: 40,765
Typical home value: $540,993
Vermont
Percent of all applications by under 35s: 19.3%
Number of applications by under 35s: 4,285
Typical home value: $394,227
Virginia
Percent of all applications by under 35s: 18.7%
Number of applications by under 35s: 74,338
Typical home value: $414,320
Washington
Percent of all applications by under 35s: 19.9%
Number of applications by under 35s: 64,236
Typical home value: $604,087
West Virginia
Percent of all applications by under 35s: 26.5%
Number of applications by under 35s: 16,133
Typical home value: $174,876
Wisconsin
Percent of all applications by under 35s: 21.7%
Number of applications by under 35s: 53,076
Typical home value: $333,909
Wyoming
Percent of all applications by under 35s: 22.9%
Number of applications by under 35s: 5,745
Typical home value: $363,685
Methodology
Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) snapshot data from the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau was analyzed for 2025, the most recent year available. For each state, the number and share of conventional mortgage records involving applicants younger than 35 were calculated by combining the under-25 and 25-to-34 age categories. The data reflects HMDA-reportable mortgage activity submitted by covered financial institutions and includes applications that were originated, denied, withdrawn, incomplete or otherwise resolved; cash purchases are not included. The typical home value in each state was sourced from Zillow’s Home Value Index for all homes using April 2026 data. Source data providers are not affiliated with, and do not endorse or sponsor, this study or its findings.
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