Where young adults are house hunting

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.

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.

This story was produced by SmartAsset and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.