Nearly 4 Million American Homes Now House Multiple Generations, New Realtor.com® Report Finds

New report finds multigenerational homes command a 65% price premium yet still attract significantly more buyer interest than standard listings

AUSTIN, Texas, May 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- With Mother's Day around the corner, nearly 3 million owner-occupied homes across the country have at least two mothers living under one roof among the nearly 4 million multigenerational households according to a new Realtor.com^® report. This report finds that multigenerational living is quietly reshaping American housing demand, with sellers asking for 65% more for multigenerational homes amid high competition, especially in Southern and Eastern markets where supply is thin. Multigenerational houses are homes whose descriptions include keywords such as  'guest house,' 'in-law suite' or 'granny-flat.'

"Multigenerational living is a meaningful force in the housing market," said Hannah Jones, senior economic research analyst at Realtor.com^®. "A sense of shared purpose and care is at the heart of multigenerational living, a housing arrangement that is quietly shaping American family life. What stands out in this data is that buyers are not being deterred by the higher price tags. The demand is strong and in a few parts of the country, the supply is struggling to keep up."

In 2024, 4.5% of all owner-occupied households were multigenerational, defined as containing three or more generations, which was up from 4.3% in 2019. The typical multigenerational household includes five people sharing a four-bedroom home, with a median annual household income of $131,000.

Multi-Generational Homes Are Not Cheap and Demand Is High

In 2025, the median list price for a multigenerational house on Realtor.com^® was $709,000, roughly 65% higher than the $429,900 median for a standard listing. Some of the premium is due to the fact that multigenerational homes are typically larger-sized. However, even on a per-square-foot basis, these homes ask $262 per-square-foot versus $215 for standard homes, a 22% premium driven by specialized features such as in-law suites, secondary kitchens, and dual entries, as well as their concentration in high-cost coastal markets.

Even with higher price tags, multigenerational listings received 13.5% more page views than standard homes and sold in the same median timeframe 59 days. This suggests demand is keeping pace with the higher price point.

California Dominates Supply. The Midwest and South Are Starved for It.

Regionally, the supply picture is dramatically uneven. Western metros account for the highest share of multigenerational home listings, averaging around 14%, compared to 6.1% in the South, 5.3% in the Northeast, and just 2.9% in the Midwest. All five of the top metros by multigenerational listing share are in California: Los Angeles (23.7%), San Diego (22.7%), San Jose (18.0%), San Francisco (17.4%), and Riverside (14.9%).

In California, multigenerational homes are more common and priced accordingly. In Los Angeles, the premium over a standard listing is just 1.6%. In San Francisco, it is 8.4%. Cultural tradition, housing costs, and an existing stock of purpose-built or adapted homes have made extended family living a mainstream option there.

The story is entirely different in the Midwest and parts of the South. Detroit, Cleveland, and Buffalo rank among the lowest metros for multigenerational listing share — 2.0%, 3.1%, and 2.5%, respectively — yet buyers in those see asking price premiums of 120%, 107%, and 94% over standard listings when a multigenerational home does come up for sale. Detroit listings attract 82% more page views than standard homes. Cleveland is close behind at 78%.

"In markets like Detroit and Cleveland, multigenerational homes are a rare find, and when one hits the market, buyers respond," said Jones. "The strong demand and steep premiums we are seeing in inventory-constrained markets point to a real mismatch between what buyers are looking for and what is actually available. For sellers in these markets, this type of home can be a significant asset."

Who Lives in Multigenerational Homes?

Multigenerational households reflect the diversity of American family life. Among owner-occupied multigenerational households, 44.9% are White, 25.8% are Hispanic, 13.5% are Black, and 11.1% are Asian. The arrangement is most prevalent in urban markets in the West and along the East Coast.

"While the share of multigenerational households held steady over the past decade, the number of families choosing to live this way grew from 3.2 million to 3.9 million between 2014 and 2024, a sign that multigenerational living is becoming an increasingly common choice for American families as high housing and childcare costs create strong reasons for co-living," said Jiayi Xu,  an economist at Realtor.com^®.

Among the 100 largest metros, Urban Honolulu, HI sees the highest share of multigenerational households at 12.1%, followed by Riverside, CA (10.9%), Stockton, CA (10.1%), McAllen, TX (10.1%), and Bakersfield, CA (8.8%). In addition, Bakersfield, CA, Riverside, CA, Stockton, CA  are also the markets seeing the fastest growth in share of multigenerational households over the past 10 years.

What Does This Means for Buyers and Sellers?

For buyers seeking a multigenerational home, timing and location strategy matter. Realtor.com^®'s Market Clock offers a market-specific look at the market to help families plan their search and sellers maximize their opportunity during peak demand windows.

50 Largest Metros Multigenerational Listing Data

Methodology

Data sources include ACS 1-Year Estimates and Realtor.com® listing data. We define multigenerational households following the Census Bureau's definition — those households containing three or more generations. For the purpose of the research, we only focus on owner-occupied households.  Realtor.com® filtered its 2025 active listing database for for-sale single-family homes and condos, excluding rental properties, pending sales, and deleted records. A keyword-based classification model scanned property descriptions for terms such as "ADU," "guest house," "in-law suite," and "granny flat" to isolate properties marketed for multihousehold living. Performance metrics were aggregated across 50 major metropolitan statistical areas and the national level, measuring median list prices, price per square foot, days on market, and listing page views to compare multigenerational and standard property segments.

About Realtor.com^®

Realtor.com® pioneered online real estate and has been at the forefront for over 25 years, connecting buyers, sellers, and renters with trusted insights, professional guidance, and powerful tools to help them find their perfect home. Recognized as the No. 1 site trusted by real estate professionals, Realtor.com® is a valued partner, delivering consumer connections and a robust suite of marketing tools to support business growth. Realtor.com® is operated by News Corp [Nasdaq: NWS, NWSA] [ASX: NWS, NWSLV] subsidiary Move, Inc.

Media Contact: Mallory Micetich, [email protected]

SOURCE Realtor.com