The typical first-time homebuyer in the U.S. was 35 years old in 2025, down slightly from 36 the year before, according to a new report from real estate brokerage Redfin released Wednesday.
The median age of first-time buyers dipped from 36 in 2024 to 35 in 2025, and is down from a peak of 38 in 2018. For repeat buyers, the median age fell to 47, down from a historic peak of 52.
Redfin attributed the modest shift to a slight easing in housing affordability. 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, price growth slowed.
“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.”
Redfin’s figures differ from those of the National Association of Realtors, which reported the median age of a first-time buyer as 40 in its November 2025 survey. Both organizations, however, point to the same long-term trend: Americans are buying homes later in life than they did a decade or two ago, even if the exact median age varies by methodology. The Federal Reserve Bank of New York and other data sources have also reported figures closer to Redfin’s estimates.
Despite the small dip in buyer age, affordability remains a significant barrier for younger Americans. NAR estimates that a 10-year delay in homeownership could mean losing roughly $150,000 in equity on a typical starter home over a lifetime.
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