2025 Data: Nearly Two-Thirds of Boomer Homeowners Have No Plans to Sell

Most Boomers Never Plan to Sell | Boomer Home Sellers Expect Hefty Profits | Why Former Owners Sold | Boomers, Younger Generations, and Housing Policy | Non-Homeowner Regrets | Who Boomers Blame for the Affordable Housing Crisis | First Time Buyers: Boomers vs. Today

Baby boomers, a dominant force in America’s cultural and economic landscape for decades, are getting older. Even the youngest members of the generation are in their 60s, and many are retired or within striking distance of this coveted achievement.

Although their impact on the worlds of business and culture may be waning as millennials and Gen Z move more firmly into adulthood, there’s one aspect of American life where they maintain a powerful influence: the housing market.

For years, analysts and experts have wondered when boomers might sell their homes and speculated on what impact it would have when they do.

Unfortunately, we’re unlikely to find out anytime soon. New research from Clever Offers found that 61% of boomer homeowners say they never plan to sell their home and intend to live in it the rest of their lives. 

That’s up seven percentage points from last year, while the number of boomer owners who say they expect to sell in the next five years has dropped from 15% to just 10%. 

Even hefty profit expectations aren’t enough to convince them to put their homes up for sale. The survey of 1,000 Americans born between 1946 and 1964 also found more than two-thirds of boomer homeowners (68%) expect to make $100,000 or more in profit if they sold their homes today. 

Meanwhile, boomers also pushed back on beliefs that they’re responsible for the current high price of housing, sounded off on younger generations, and showed their support for some potentially controversial housing-related policies. 

These are just a few of the insights from this diverse group of older Americans, three-quarters of whom (77%) currently own homes. Over 1 in 8 (13%) once owned homes did but no longer do, providing a unique and often underexplored perspective on homeownership. In addition, those 10% who reached their 60s without ever owning a home also weigh in, revealing how this decision has impacted their lives. 

Read on to learn more about how boomers will impact the housing market in their golden years and how they feel about younger generations who live around them.

Nearly 2 in 3 Boomer Homeowners Never Plan to Sell Their Homes

In the battle between potentially lucrative profit and the comfort of their homes, there’s little doubt where most boomer homeowners land: 61% say they never plan to sell their homes and will spend the rest of their lives there. Since last year, that has risen by seven percentage points from an already considerable 54%.

Meanwhile, only 1 in 10 boomer homeowners (10%) plan to put their homes on the market in the next five years, down from 15% in 2024. 

These numbers suggest roughly 90% of the substantial number of homes owned by boomers won’t hit the market until at least the 2030s. Perhaps more concerningly, the percentage of never-sellers is trending in the wrong direction for those predicting a “silver tsunami” of boomer-owned homes to help with increasingly strained housing affordability. 

The reasons for this reluctance are pretty simple: Most have no reason to leave. Just 21% of boomers say their needs or preferences have changed over time in a way that their home no longer meets. 

More specifically, 55% of boomer owners say they prefer to age in place, 44% point to their paid-off mortgage, and 36% simply don’t want to start over at their older age. The number of boomers aging in place has risen eight percentage points from the 47% who said so last year, while the number who say they couldn’t afford a new home has grown five points, from 25% in 2024 to 30% in 2025. 

Meanwhile, some may simply not know where to go. Almost half of boomers (49%) are concerned about the rising cost of living in traditional retirement destinations, such as Florida and Arizona. 

Among the substantial number of boomer owners who say they plan to spend the rest of their lives in their homes, there’s just one thing that could change a majority of minds: a serious health issue, which 57% say would force them to reconsider. 

That’s 18 percentage points higher than the second most common issue: the home becoming difficult to maintain (39%). About a third would also reconsider if they faced financial hardship (30%) or lost their spouse or partner (30%). 

Still, around 1 in 4 (24%) say there’s absolutely nothing that could make them consider selling their home. 

Nearly Half of Boomer Homeowners Would Consider Themselves Failures If They Didn’t Own a Home

To many boomers, owning a home is a fundamental part of the American dream, one they’ve heard promoted essentially their entire lives. 

It’s likely a key reason why 89% of boomers believe buying a home is almost always a good decision. But underneath this topline number, there’s a dramatic split between current homeowners and those who don’t own a home. Boomer homeowners are nearly unanimous on this topic, with 93% agreeing, compared to just 74% of non-owners, a nearly 20 percentage point gap. 

Along the same lines, 84% of boomers overall see owning a home as a symbol of financial security, but just 75% of non-owners believe this, compared to 87% of owners. Even more dramatically, nearly half of boomer homeowners (44%) would consider themselves a failure if they didn’t own a home, nearly 3x the number of non-owners who feel this way (17%). 

This strong affinity for homeownership is likely linked to the effects it's had on many owners' lives. The most common impact of homeownership this group cited isn’t anything financial – it’s the stability owning a home provides (65%). Around a quarter also point to homeownership helping them stay close to family (29%) or maintain community and social connections (22%).  

That’s not to say financial concerns aren’t important to these boomer homeowners and former owners. A substantial 41% also say owning a home has made retiring easier, and 26% say it’s improved their finances overall. 

Fewer than 1 in 10 current or former boomer homeowners reported any single negative impact on their lives from owning a home. Most commonly, this involved having to give up time doing things they enjoy to maintain their home (9%) or not being able to travel as much (9%). Only 4% reported that it harmed their finances. 

Almost half of boomer homeowners (49%) say they have no regrets at all about homeownership. That's nearly 4x the highest actual regret, which was underestimating the full cost of homeownership, such as property taxes, insurance, and maintenance (13%). 

This was followed by just 1 in 10 whose biggest regret was buying a home that required too much maintenance (10%) or not making extra payments on their home to shorten the mortgage term (10%). 

Notably, the fourth most selected regret was not buying a home sooner (9%). Only about 1 in 20 boomer owners chose seemingly common hazards such as buying a house that’s too big (5%), too small (5%), in the wrong area (5%), or during a seller’s market (3%). 

More than 8 in 10 Boomers Say They Would Regret Giving Up Their Homes for a Retirement Community

It’s easy to get comfortable in your home, especially if you’ve been there as long as many boomers have. Most have become quite attached, with two-thirds of homeowners (66%) saying buying their home was one of their greatest financial achievements, compared to only 29% who say it’s just a place to live and nothing more.

Just 1 in 20 (5%) consider their homes a burden they’re stuck with. 

Even if they were offered free rent for life in another home in their community in exchange for their home equity, only a third (35%) would take it. A similarly modest percentage (33%) say they’d be open to selling their home and moving into an accessory dwelling unit or in-law suite on a family member's property.

Even if aging often requires changes and compromises in how older people live, boomers don’t seem thrilled about this reality. About 83% of boomers say they would regret giving up their independence if they had to sell their home and move in with family or to a retirement community. A small but substantial 1 in 8 boomer homeowners (12%) are also concerned their families will force them to sell. 

Regardless of the often-fraught situation behind it, this could result in a larger number of boomer-owned homes hitting the market than even boomers themselves expect. 

Meanwhile, 80% of boomers, including 85% of homeowners, would prefer to stay in their current home for as long as possible rather than downsize to a smaller one. Even if the government offered a tax incentive to do it, just half of boomer homeowners (50%) would even consider downsizing.

With many boomers entering the final decades of their lives, some are looking ahead to what might happen with their homes when they’re gone. Nearly two-thirds of boomer homeowners (63%) say they’ve considered leaving their home directly to a descendant in their will. 

Some, unfortunately, aren’t expecting this process to go smoothly, with nearly 1 in 5 (18%) concerned about conflicts among their heirs about what would happen to their home. 

Meanwhile, 56% of boomer homeowners say they’d sell their home below market value to a family member if they needed it — a huge potential windfall for buyers facing increasingly unaffordable prices. 

Still, being responsible for a home isn’t always a good thing. More than 1 in 4 boomer homeowners (29%) are worried about burdening their families with their homes after their death. 

Just Over a Third of Boomer Home Sellers Expect to Downsize

Among boomer homeowners who do plan to sell in the future, the most common next step is simply downsizing, which 36% plan to do. However, more than a quarter (28%) expect to move into a retirement home or assisted living facility. 

Fewer than 1 in 10 expect to live with their families, including 4% who plan to move into an in-law suite or accessory dwelling unit and 5% who plan on living directly with their children or relatives. This figure has seen a significant decline over the past few generations. 

Notably, the number who plan to buy a different home without downsizing has fallen by nearly half, from 17% last year to 9% this year. This may reflect a growing realization about the cost of similar homes and the logistics of affording them on a retired budget. 

Even among those who have come to terms with moving, most aren’t thrilled about it. A whopping 86% of boomer homeowners with plans to sell have concerns about the process, most commonly the time and effort it requires to move (55%). 

However, more than 1 in 3 are concerned about not being able to find another affordable home (36%) or one that meets their needs (36%). Around a quarter or more of boomer future sellers are also concerned about:

• Having to become familiar with a new area (31%)
• Noisy neighbors (26%)
• Having to find new doctors and health care providers (24%)

Two-Thirds of Boomer Homeowners Expect Six-Figure Profits From Their Home Sales

Despite the widespread disinterest in selling, just 15% of boomers believe their generation is contributing to the affordable housing crisis by holding onto their homes. But other numbers may tell a different story. 

More than two-thirds of boomer homeowners (68%) expect to make $100,000 or more in profit if they sold their homes today. Nearly 1 in 8 (11%) think they’d clear half a million dollars in profit or more. In contrast, just 16% believe they’d profit less than $50,000.

All of these numbers are relatively close to 2024 levels, a sign that older homeowners may view the real estate market as stalling out in recent months. 

The number who expect six-figure profits is particularly notable because an identical 68% of those who have owned homes say they paid less than $100,000 for their first homes. 

Over a third (36%) paid under $50,000. About 89% paid under $200,000, and a whopping 98% spent less than $400,000, a shade under the median sale price for an American home in the second quarter of 2025. 

This might seem hard to believe to modern buyers. However, in 1964, when the oldest boomers turned 18, the median American home sold for just $18,500. This had risen to just $30,200 in 1973 and $66,400 when the youngest boomers began hitting their 18th birthdays in 1982.  

It’s also important to keep the lofty profit expectations of boomers in context: 62% of boomer homeowners say they’ve gained more wealth from their homes than from their careers. 

Almost three-quarters of boomers seem to recognize the good fortune of when they were born, with 72% agreeing that their generation got lucky buying homes when they did. 

Meanwhile, two-thirds (65%) concede they couldn’t afford to buy a different home now, considering interest rates and current home prices, and just 15% say they would have been able to afford a home if they faced a real estate market like today’s when they were in their 20s. 

Around 70% say they feel sorry for younger generations trying to buy today. This may explain why an identical 70% would let an adult child move back in with them to save up for a house.

Just don’t count on much financial support beyond that. Only 23% plan to or have given money to their children or other relatives specifically to help buy a home, similar to the 20% of boomers who say they got corresponding financial boosts from their parents for their home purchase. 

Meanwhile, over three-quarters (77%) would be OK with their children or grandchildren moving further away if it meant they could afford a home.

Still, even if they feel sorry for younger buyers, 60% of boomers say their generation doesn’t have a responsibility to make housing more affordable for future generations.

Around a Third of Boomers Who Formerly Owned Homes Sold Because of Affordability Issues

The most common reason that boomers once owned a home but no longer do is a generally positive one: a lifestyle change, such as a desire to travel or move around, cited by 1 in 4 boomer former homeowners (25%). Another quarter of this group (25%) say they prefer to rent.

However, nearly as many seem to have been pushed out of homeownership by common downsides, such as the inability to afford their home (22%). At the same time, 16% also said they simply wanted to spend less than their expensive home was costing them. Together, these financially motivated individuals make up approximately 30% of former boomer owners. 

Nearly another quarter no longer own homes because they required too much upkeep (22%). 

Broad Boomer Support to Lower Their Property Taxes and Protect Their Home Values – Even If Younger Generations Pay the Price

When it comes to the housing market, it’s abundantly clear who boomers care most about: themselves and their fellow boomers, even at the expense of generations likely containing their kids and grandkids. 

Almost three-quarters of boomers (73%) say they value stability in their community over affordability for younger generations to move in. Meanwhile, 59% of boomer homeowners would vote for a political candidate who prioritizes protecting home values, even if it meant fewer people could afford homes. That’s a stark difference from the 49% of boomer non-homeowners who feel the same. 

Even if they’d like to keep their home values high, many boomers don’t seem interested in paying the taxes that go with those lofty valuations. Roughly two-thirds of boomers (67%) believe senior homeowners should be exempt from paying property taxes, even if that means younger home buyers have to pay more.

Boomers' views seem more complex in other cases. Although almost 2 in 3 boomers (65%) think the government needs to do more to help first-time home buyers, just 1 in 8 boomer homeowners (12%) say they care if staying in their home prevents younger people from entering the housing market.

Views can diverge widely on these policy-focused questions based on whether a boomer owns a home. For example, 51% of boomer homeowners believe the government shouldn't have more systems to help young homeowners because they didn't help them, a stunning 22 percentage points higher than the number of non-homeowners who feel the same (29%). 

This likely reflects a desire among non-owners to help future generations avoid ending up in the same situation, even as current homeowners feel relatively satisfied about how the present system works. 

Amid high-profile efforts by the Trump administration to cut government programs, the importance of two in particular is quite clear among boomer homeowners. Nearly half of them (49%) are worried that changes to Social Security or Medicare could force them to sell their homes, while 38% say they wouldn’t be able to afford their homes if those benefits were reduced. 

Another 41% say they’d still be able to afford it but only with some sacrifices and lifestyle changes, an unwelcome reality for those looking to enjoy their golden years in comfort. Meanwhile, as many face the high costs of long-term care, almost half of boomer homeowners (42%) are concerned they’ll have to sell their homes to pay for it. 

Overall, boomers are relatively evenly split in their views of the role of the federal government in housing. About a third each say there should be less government regulation (32%) or that the current amount is appropriate (30%). Meanwhile, 25% think there should be more government regulation, while 14% don’t believe the government has a significant impact on the market. 

Diverse, Widespread Concerns Exist Among Boomer Homeowners and Non-Owners Alike

Boomers are often quite satisfied with their homeownership experience, but that doesn’t mean it comes without worries and concerns. 

Financial issues dominate the wide-ranging list of potential worries facing aging Americans, including roughly three-quarters of all boomers (homeowners and non-owners alike) concerned about the rising cost of living in their community (77%) and increasing property taxes (74%). Two-thirds (67%) are concerned about having to make expensive repairs to their home, such as the roof or HVAC. 

Others focus on their changing abilities or new risks they face in old age. These range from the 73% who are concerned about their ability to maintain their home to the 65% who are worried about staying mentally and socially active as they age in place.

Nearly half (44%) also have accessibility concerns about their homes, a factor of increasing importance for many older Americans. A majority (58%) are also worried about experiencing a medical emergency with no one nearby.

When it comes to homeowners in particular, it’s an even grimmer picture. Compared to 2024, boomer homeowners are more concerned about all 11 items surveyed. 

A troubling 69% say they’re worried about maintenance and upkeep costs, up 10 percentage points from last year amid concerns over persistent inflation and tariff-related price hikes. 

Meanwhile, two-thirds (66%) are concerned about their physical ability to keep up with maintenance and repairs, which could result in significantly higher costs to hire others to take care of tasks they once handled themselves. 

Rising utility costs are also worrisome to a growing portion of older owners, with the percentage concerned growing from 42% to 54% over the past year. 

It’s more than just financial concerns confronting boomer homeowners, too. Although just 1 in 4 boomer homeowners (25%) are concerned about changes to their neighborhood or city, that’s up 10 percentage points since 2024 (15%).

Fewer Boomers Who Have Never Owned a Home Regret It Than in 2024

As boomers who never owned a home reflect on their lives, there’s a relatively even split on the issue of homeownership. A 55% majority of those who never owned a home say they regret this, although just 17% say they actually had the opportunity to do so and regret not taking it. 

Notably, the number of boomer non-homeowners with regrets is down 11 percentage points from the number who said they regretted not buying in our 2024 study (66%). This likely reflects a somewhat less optimistic picture for homeowners in 2025 compared to recent years, as rapid price appreciation has slowed in most markets, and insurance and property taxes are taking up an increasing portion of monthly housing costs.   

The top reason boomer non-owners were never able to buy is a common one. Almost two-thirds (64%) simply couldn’t afford it. That’s mentioned more than twice as frequently as the second-place response — that they didn’t want the responsibility (26%).

More than 1 in 4 never-owners are in that situation mainly by choice, with 26% saying they prefer to rent. There’s a significant gap in perceptions about renting depending on whether boomers own a home: 80% of non-homeowners say it’s easier to rent than own, compared to just 48% of owners. 

Personal issues are also relatively common. About 14% say homeownership wasn’t compatible with their lifestyle, and 13% moved around too much. 

Homeownership is often one of the best ways for the typical person to grow their wealth slowly and steadily over decades. However, some financial experts counter that money not spent on buying and maintaining a home can also provide long-term security if socked away into other investments. 

Nevertheless, just 1 in 12 boomer non-homeowners (8%) are apparently following this strategy, prioritizing other financial goals. 

Boomer non-owners have mixed views on what their life would have been like if they’d been able to purchase a home at some point. The most common response, selected by 37%, is that they’d have more stability in their life. Another quarter (27%) think they’d have a better retirement.

However, 32% of boomer non-homeowners think they’d be worse off financially, which is the second most common response. That’s six percentage points higher than those who say they’d be better off financially (26%). 

Although there’s more at play than simply homeownership, it’s vital to note the smaller group is likely correct, as research has suggested homeowners are roughly 40 times wealthier than renters. 

Almost another third (30%) believe they would have had to give up time doing things they enjoy to maintain their home. 

Three-Quarters of Boomers Are Tired of Being Blamed for the Lack of Affordable Homes

It would be fair to say many boomers are somewhat impressed with their own generation, at least when it comes to housing-related issues. Boomers overwhelmingly believe their fellow older Americans value homeownership the most, with 85% saying so, more than 9x the number who say the same about second-place Gen X (9%).

A similar 81% of boomers say their fellow older homeowners take the best care of their properties. Gen X is once again in a distant second place at 13%. Boomers are also far more likely to say they’d most trust their own generation to take good care of a home they’re selling, with 60% saying so compared to 28% for Gen X and 9% for millennials.

One of their more eyebrow-raising beliefs relates to their own impact on the housing market. Just over half of boomers (51%) say their generation is least responsible for the current lack of affordable housing, and 76% say they’re tired of their generation being blamed and made to feel guilty about the housing crisis.

They most commonly blame millennials, with 32% saying that age group is most responsible for the affordable housing crisis. That may be due, in part, to the 35% plurality who see millennials as having the most influence on current housing market trends. Combined with the 21% who selected Gen Z, 53% of boomers blame the youngest home-owning generations for the lack of affordable housing.

Only 1 in 4 boomers (25%) point their finger at their own generation as most responsible for the affordable housing crisis, and nearly half (42%) think boomers should still be leading housing policy, even as the youngest among them are now in their early 60s.  Barely a quarter think younger generations, such as millennials (20%) or Gen Z (7%), should take the reins on housing policy. 

Boomers Believe Younger Generations Face a Tougher Housing Market – But Have Little Sympathy for Them

Despite their rosy views of themselves, respondents also conceded boomers had the easiest time buying homes in their 20s. About 65% say so, over 3x the number who believe this about Gen X (21%) and more than 6x those who say this about millennials (10%). 

More than half of boomers (54%) still think they have an advantage in the housing market, likely due to their decades of experience and often considerable equity. 

Almost half of boomers (48%) think Gen Zers have had the hardest time buying homes in their 20s, while 65% identified this group as facing the biggest challenges in affording homeownership. 

Unfortunately for Gen Z and millennials, there’s little sympathy beyond this. About two-thirds of boomers (65%) believe that younger generations could own a home if they were more responsible, and 57% say the same if they tried harder. Another 58% believe younger people can’t afford homes because they won’t compromise on where they want to live. 

More than two-thirds of respondents (68%) say they’d least like to live next to Gen Zers — 5x the number who say this about millennials (13%) or their fellow boomers (13%). Meanwhile, about 70% of boomers believe Gen Z values homeownership the least, and 58% say this group takes the worst care of their homes. 

Although younger generations may assume buying a house was essentially the expectation for many older Americans, nearly half of boomers (47%) admit there was a point in their lives when they never thought they’d be able to own a home.  

A Widening Age Gap in First-Time Homeownership

One common complaint among younger generations has been that boomers were able to buy homes at far earlier ages than is typical today. The numbers back them up on this front and appear to be getting worse. 

Boomers who currently own a home or did in the past can be split roughly evenly between those who purchased their first property before they turned 30 (49%) and those who bought it after (51%).

In comparison, the median age for a first-time home buyer in 2024 was 38, a substantial increase. That number has also been rising in recent years. In comparison, almost three-quarters of current or former boomer homeowners (71%) had purchased a home by age 35, with 80% buying by 40. 

However, those struggling to buy in their 30s or even 40s can take some comfort in the fact that nearly 1 in 8 boomer homeowners or former owners (11%) didn’t buy their first home until after they turned 50. 

Methodology

Clever Offers surveyed 1,000 American adults born between 1946 and 1964, also known as the baby boomer generation, about their views on homeownership and the real estate market. It was conducted July 18, 2025. 

About Clever

Since 2017, Clever Real Estate has been on a mission to make selling or buying a home easier and more affordable for everyone. 12 million annual readers rely on Clever's library of educational content and data-driven research to make smarter real estate decisions—and to date, Clever has helped consumers save more than $190 million on realtor fees. Clever's research has been featured in The New York Times, Business Insider, Inman, Housing Wire, and many more.

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