Americans Say Millennials, Not Boomers, Broke the Housing Market, New Data Finds

Americans of all generations say homeownership is more important than a job they love, retirement, marriage, or kids — but generations are deeply divided on views of the housing crisis.

ST. LOUIS, April 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Nearly a third of Americans (31%) blame millennials as the generation most responsible for the affordable housing crisis — ahead of boomers (27%), according to a new report from Clever Offers, a platform owned by Clever Real Estate that allows home sellers on tight timelines to explore their selling options.

Millennials, however, see boomers as the generation most at fault (35%). Nearly two-thirds of millennials (61%) also blame the Trump administration for the housing crisis — 11 points more than boomers (50%).

Both generations also point the finger at inflation (93% of boomers and 91% of millennials) and high interest rates (91% of boomers and 89% of millennials).

Although 80% of Americans say the U.S. is facing an affordable housing crisis, only 21% of boomers would be willing to pay higher taxes to address it.

In contrast, 39% of millennials support higher taxes to improve housing affordability, and they are also more likely than boomers to back more government policies that address housing (87% vs. 75%).

Twice as many millennials (30%) as boomers (15%) believe it's too late to fix the housing crisis. However, 60% of millennial renters still feel optimistic about owning a home, compared to just 38% of boomers.

Among renters, 84% of millennials aspire to own a home, with 52% calling homeownership their top goal — compared to 52% and 27% of boomers, respectively.

Overall, 71% of renters say they couldn't currently afford to put any money toward a down payment. Gen X is the most housing-cost-burdened, with 47% spending over half their income on housing.

Although 77% of Americans say homeownership is unaffordable, 90% consider it part of the American dream, outranked only by quality healthcare (91%), a comfortable retirement (91%), and freedom of speech (92%).

Read the full report at: https://cleveroffers.com/research/home-ownership-by-generation

About Clever Offers
Clever Offers is a platform that empowers sellers who need to sell quickly or for cash to compare their options and make informed decisions. Clever Offers' free service connects sellers with vetted cash buyers and top local realtors, allowing them to evaluate traditional cash offers alongside options such as cash offers with a second payment upon resale, listing on the MLS for as little as 7 days, and standard open-market listings.

About Clever
Clever Real Estate is a technology company that produces educational real estate content reaching over 10 million readers annually, and its nationwide agent matching service has a 5.0-star Trustpilot rating across 3,500+ customer reviews. Since launching in 2017, Clever has reached $12.5 billion in real estate sold, matched 155,000+ customers with realtors, and saved consumers over $180 million on commission fees. Clever's network spans 16,000 agents across all 50 states.

Please contact Nicole Lehman at  [email protected] with any questions or to arrange an interview.

CONTACT:                                                                                                                                         
Nicole Lehman
Clever Real Estate
[email protected] 
724-719-0406

SOURCE Clever Offers