Young renters, state by state

Of the 40 states and the District of Columbia where we are licensed, the District of Columbia has the largest share of young households that rent: about 81.2 of every 100 households headed by someone aged 25 to 34. California, at about 72.4, and Hawaii, at about 67.8, come next. Iowa has the smallest share, about 44.6, followed by Michigan at about 46.1 and Minnesota at about 46.6. The national figure is about 58.8.

I put this table together for renters in their late twenties and early thirties weighing a first home. One option for a first home is an FHA loan, a mortgage insured by the Federal Housing Administration that accepts smaller down payments and lower credit scores than most conventional loans.

The table: 40 states and the District of Columbia

“Per 100” means out of every 100 households whose householder is aged 25 to 34. The margin of error is the Census Bureau’s, at 90 in 100 confidence. The typical rent is the Census median gross rent for all renter households in the state, in dollars a month.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, tables B25007 and B25064, read from data.census.gov on November 5, 2026. Shares and margins worked out by Fidelity Residential.

How the figures were worked out

• Per 100: renter households with a householder aged 25 to 34, divided by all households with a householder aged 25 to 34, times 100.
• Margins of error: from the Census Bureau’s own margins and its formulas for sums and proportions, so they are approximations.
• Typical rent: the Census median gross rent, which counts rent plus the utilities and fuels the renter pays. It covers renters of every age.

What it can and cannot tell you

• Five-year averages. These estimates pool 2020 to 2024, not today.
• Age of the householder. The age is that of the person the household is listed under, not every adult in it.
• Renting is not the same as wanting to buy. The table counts renters, not buying plans.
• Small places are less certain. In Delaware, Alaska, Montana, New Hampshire, Hawaii and New Mexico the margin is about 1.1 to 1.9 in 100.

What the table shows

• The West Coast and the Northeast run high. The District of Columbia, California, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Oregon and Nevada lead, with New Jersey, Texas, Washington and Florida close behind.
• The Midwest runs lower. Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota and Indiana have the smallest shares.
• Above and below the nation. Ten of the 41 are above the national figure of about 58.8 by more than their margins of error, and 28 are below it. Georgia, Colorado and Connecticut are within their margins of it.
• Three states hold about 29 in every 100 of the nation’s renter households aged 25 to 34: California (about 1.48 million), Texas (about 1.20 million) and Florida (about 0.68 million), of about 11.6 million in the country.
• New Jersey is seventh at about 62.0 in 100, about 287,000 households, level with Texas within the margins, with a typical rent of about 1,720 dollars a month against the national 1,413.

What it means for a first-time buyer

For a first home, an FHA loan is one option: it is made by a private lender, insured by the Federal Housing Administration, and accepts smaller down payments and lower credit scores than most conventional loans. Our page on FHA vs conventional loans compares the two.

Down payment assistance is money from a housing agency, or a program that works with government agencies, toward your down payment and, in some programs, closing costs, usually as a second loan with its own terms. Our page on home purchase loans explains the steps, and New Jersey buyers can read our pages on FHA loans in New Jersey and first-time buyers and down payment assistance in New Jersey.

Frequently asked questions

Why does the table show 40 states and the District of Columbia?

Fidelity Residential is licensed in 40 states and the District of Columbia, and the table covers those. The national figure covers the whole country.

Why ages 25 to 34?

The Census Bureau publishes tenure by the householder’s age in ranges. We chose 25 to 34 because it holds many of the households that have not yet bought a first home: nationally about 58.8 in every 100 of them rent.

Can down payment assistance help a first-time buyer?

It can cover some or all of a down payment at some programs, usually as a second loan with its own terms. A loan officer checks which programs fit the home and your household.

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