Redfin Reports the Typical First-Time Homebuyer is 35 Years Old

The median age of first-time buyers dipped slightly from 2024 to 2025, from 36 to 35.
For repeat buyers, the median age is 47, down from a peak of 52.

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The typical first-time homebuyer was 35 years old in 2025, down from 36 the year before and down from a peak of 38 in 2018. That’s according to a new report from Redfin, the real estate brokerage powered by Rocket. Meanwhile, the typical repeat buyer was 47 years old, down from a historic peak of 52 the year before.

The small improvement in affordability from 2024 to 2025, along with a bit more inventory, brought the median homebuying age down. The average 30-year fixed mortgage rate was 6.6% in 2025, down from 6.72% in 2024, and while home-sale prices continued rising last year, price growth lost steam.

Affordability is improving in most major U.S. metros, and Redfin expects it to improve more throughout the year.

Gen Z’s homeownership rate ticked up to 27.1%, from 26.1% the year before, and millennials’ homeownership rate also improved a bit, to 55.4% from 54.9%.

It’s typically more difficult for young people to afford homes because they’re more likely to be first-time homebuyers, relying on their savings and salary to purchase homes without the benefit of equity from a prior sale. So a slight affordability improvement gives a few more young homebuyers a chance to break into the housing market, which explains why the median age fell slightly from 2024 to 2025. Going back further, it has generally gotten more difficult for young people to afford a home over the last few decades.

“Housing costs have steadily risen over the last few decades, especially in the last five years with the pandemic homebuying frenzy pushing up prices and the subsequent rise in mortgage rates,” said Chen Zhao, Redfin’s head of economics research. “Wages have increased, too, but not as quickly, making it more difficult to afford a home. But the typical age of first-time homebuyers hasn’t changed much in that span, suggesting that more millennials and Gen Zers are getting help from family to buy a home, or using other sources of income like money that would have gone to their retirement savings.”

One in five (19.6%) millennials who recently bought a home received a cash gift from family to help with their down payment, according to a November 2025 Redfin survey, as did 14.8% of Gen Zers. Roughly one in five recent buyers of both generations sold stock investments for their down payment, and 13% pulled money out of retirement funds early.

The median age of repeat homebuyers dropped to 47 in 2025 from a quarter-century peak of 52 the year before. Many of last year’s repeat buyers represented pent-up demand from 2024: Some were waiting for 2024’s sky-high mortgage rates to fall even a little bit before moving, and some simply grew accustomed to 6%-plus rates, making 2025 the year they made a move.

Why Redfin’s Estimate Differs From NAR’s

Redfin’s estimates of the median age of first-time and repeat homebuyers differ from the figures published by the National Association of Realtors (NAR) in November 2025. Redfin’s findings skew younger than those of NAR, which reported the median age of a first-time homebuyer as 40, and the median age of a repeat buyer as 62. Those figures have been widely cited in recent months—including by Redfin—which is part of what prompted the company to take a deeper look at the data.

Note that both Redfin and NAR’s findings point to the same long-term trend: Americans are buying homes later in life than they did a decade ago or two decades ago, even if the exact median age varies depending on how it’s measured.

But Redfin’s findings show that in recent years, the typical first-time homebuyer has gotten slightly younger: The median peaked at 38 in 2018, and has declined to 35, holding relatively steady over the last several years. NAR’s findings show that the typical first-time buyer has gotten older, going from 32 in 2018 to 40 today.

The difference largely comes down to methodology and data sources. Redfin’s analysis is based on the U.S. Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement (March Supplement), using data from 1976 through 2025. The survey is designed to be nationally representative of the U.S. population; it identifies homeowner households that have moved in the past year, and their stated reasons for doing so. Because the survey doesn’t directly ask whether someone is a first-time or repeat buyer, Redfin considers someone a first-time homebuyer if they said they moved because they wanted to own a home rather than rent, or to start their own household. Everyone else is counted as a repeat buyer. This method allows Redfin to distinguish between first-time and repeat buyers based on consistent definitions over time and further break down the trends by generation.

NAR’s estimates come from a survey of recent homebuyers conducted via mail and text messages, which reflects the experiences of respondents who purchased a home during a specific period and chose to participate in the survey. Estimates for mail-in surveys can skew older for several reasons, including differences in who responds, and the fact that older households may be more likely to purchase homes through traditional real estate channels captured by the survey. Older buyers may also be more likely to respond to mail-based surveys.

Both approaches are useful and answer slightly different questions. NAR’s survey specifically identifies first-time buyers and offers insight into the characteristics of people actively buying homes in today’s market, while Redfin’s Census-based approach provides a broader, population-level view of Americans moving to form their own households or become homeowners.

Other industry commentators have advised taking NAR’s findings on homebuying age with a grain of salt. The Federal Reserve Bank of New York reports a younger median homebuying age, as do other data sources, including the National Mortgage Database.

To view the full report, including charts, please visit: https://www.redfin.com/news/median-homebuying-age-2025/

About Redfin

Redfin is a technology-driven real estate company with the country's most-visited real estate brokerage website. As part of Rocket Companies (NYSE: RKT), Redfin is creating an integrated homeownership platform from search to close to make the dream of homeownership more affordable and accessible for everyone. Redfin’s clients can see homes first with on-demand tours, easily apply for a home loan with Rocket Mortgage, and save thousands in fees while working with a top local agent.

You can find more information about Redfin and get the latest housing market data and research at https://www.redfin.com/news. For more information about Rocket Companies, visit https://www.rocketcompanies.com.