Millennials in Expensive Markets Are Buying Homes Later — Here's What That Means If You're on the South Shore

New data from the National Association of Realtors paints a pretty clear picture: where you live has a massive impact on whether you own a home in your 30s — or whether you own one at all.

Nationally, just over half of households between ages 25 and 44 owned a home in 2024. But that number swings wildly depending on your market. In some smaller Midwest cities, nearly 8 in 10 Millennials own a home. In the most expensive metros in the country? Fewer than 1 in 3.

Greater Boston falls squarely in that second group.

The Expensive Market Reality

In markets like Los Angeles (30%), San Jose (34%), and San Francisco (37%), homeownership among younger households is well below the national average. The culprit isn't a lack of desire — it's the math. Strong job markets, high demand, and limited inventory have pushed home prices so far beyond what median incomes can support that many buyers simply wait longer.

And the data shows exactly that. In high-cost metros, the median age of first-time homebuyers in the 25–44 range is 38 to 41. In more affordable markets, it's 35 to 37. That's a 3-to-5-year delay on one of the most significant wealth-building milestones most people will experience.

The Greater Boston area reflects this same pattern. We're not in the same league as Los Angeles, but we're not Dubuque either. Prices have climbed, inventory remains tight, and a lot of Millennial buyers here have been sitting on the sidelines — not because they gave up, but because the timing hasn't felt right.

The South Shore Is a Different Conversation

Here's what the national data doesn't tell you: there are still pockets on the South Shore where Millennial homeownership is genuinely attainable — if you know where to look and how to approach it.

Markets like Brockton, parts of Stoughton, and Avon continue to offer entry-level and mid-range options that simply don't exist in Boston proper or on the outer suburbs of Route 128. For buyers who are flexible on town, willing to look at what a neighborhood is becoming rather than what it is today, and prepared to move when the right opportunity shows up — there's still a path here.

The buyers I talk to on the South Shore are smart and motivated. They're not looking for someone to tell them the market is impossible. They want someone who knows these communities well enough to help them find the opening.

What Millennial Buyers in This Market Should Be Thinking About

If you're in your late 20s or 30s and trying to get into a home in the Greater Boston or South Shore area, a few things are worth keeping in mind:

Waiting has a cost. The data shows buyers in expensive markets delay by nearly half a decade compared to buyers in affordable ones. That's not neutral time — that's equity you're not building, appreciation you're not capturing, and stability you're not locking in.

Your competition isn't going away. Inventory in this region is still historically low. The buyers who are positioned, pre-approved, and clear on what they want are the ones who win when a good home comes to market.

Flexibility is leverage. Buyers who are open to neighborhoods they might not have considered, or willing to do some light updating, consistently find more options than those who hold out for the perfect home in the perfect location.

The right information changes everything. A lot of buyers are making decisions based on national headlines that have nothing to do with Avon, Stoughton, or Brockton. What's happening on the South Shore is its own story — and it's worth understanding before you write the market off.

If you're a Millennial buyer on the South Shore trying to figure out whether now is the right time to make a move — or you know someone who is — I'm happy to have a no-pressure conversation about what the market actually looks like right now.