Federal Reserve Economist Challenges U.S. Homeownership Rate with New Metric
A new metric developed by Erik Hembre, an economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, suggests that the U.S. homeownership rate is significantly lower than commonly reported. Traditionally, the homeownership rate is cited at about 65%, but Hembre's homeowners-to-population ratio (HPOP) indicates it may be closer to 53%. This metric considers U.S. adults aged 18 and up and assesses how many live in homes they personally own. The discrepancy arises from adults living in someone else's owner-occupied home, such as grown children with parents, roommates, or elderly parents with adult children. 
