Gen Z views on homeownership ‘should concern everyone’ in housing
About 16 million Gen Zers identify as LGBTQ+ — and many don’t rank homeownership as a key step toward attaining the “American Dream,” a recent report found.
A large group of young adults does not view homeownership as an essential measure of personal success, according to an LGBTQ+ Real Estate Alliance report released earlier this month.
The organization's 2026 report explores how Gen Zers view major life milestones, based on a survey of 389 alliance members and consumers, about 73% of whom identify as LGBTQ+.
In addition to detailing the general hurdles LGBTQ+ Gen Zers are expected to face as they move toward their goals, the report sheds light on how housing's next big generation of buyers values homeownership in particular.
How Gen Z ranks homeownership: Survey respondents were asked to rank six life milestones — including homeownership, marriage and career stability — associated with attaining the American Dream. While homeownership topped the list for heterosexual Gen Zers, "living in a safe community" occupied the No. 1 spot for LGBTQ+ respondents — and homeownership ranked last.
According to the report, fewer than 1 in 5 LGBTQ+ respondents (16.8%) and only a slightly larger share of heterosexual respondents (22.6%) said they "definitely" believe that owning a home "will remain part of the 'American Dream' for LGBTQ+ individuals."
Delayed milestones compared to straight peers: LGBTQ+ Gen Zers "will likely fall behind heterosexual peers" in various career and financial strivings, the report said, including "access to homeownership."
Citing recent National Association of Realtors data indicating that the median first-time homebuyer age has now climbed to 40, the report found that nearly 70% of all respondents believe heterosexual Gen Zers will buy their first home at or before age 34 while nearly 87% believe that group will do so before turning 40. In contrast, about 43% and nearly 72% of respondents think LGBTQ+ Gen Zers will reach the same milestone by ages 34 or 40, respectively.
Disparities in financial help: "Less financial support from family" was the top-cited reason for the belief that LGBTQ+ individuals will fall behind. Nearly 4 in 5 respondents (78.9%) said they think heterosexual individuals are "more likely" to receive an inheritance, help with a down payment or other form of family financial assistance, a view that was felt even more strongly among LGBTQ+ respondents (88.1%).
Concerns about housing discrimination and career stability were also listed as possible reasons for delayed homeownership, as was starting a family later in life.
Why it matters: Gen Zers — individuals born from 1997 to 2012 — account for about 21% of the U.S. population, according to 2023 U.S. Census Bureau data released last year. With a recent Gallup poll finding that more younger people — including 23% of people under 30 — are identifying as LGBTQ+, the Alliance estimates that this subset of Gen Zers totals about 16 million.
The report's findings "should concern everyone involved in housing, real estate sales, and public policy," LGBTQ+ Real Estate Alliance President Tommie Wehrle said in the report. "We cannot afford to leave such a sizable number of people behind."