Series Factoid #3: Mobility in America Continues to Decline: Mobility Among Owners Vs. Renters-2015 to 2016

August 25, 2017  by Jane Chero in General   

This is the third factoid in a series of four factoids that give a snapshot of current movers and what factors might determine mobility at this time in America – age, marital status, owning versus renting, and poverty status. With only 11.2 percent of people moving from 2015 to 2016, American mobility is at an all-time record low. The previous two factoids focused on age of movers and marital status while this factoid centers around mobility of homeowners versus renters.

Just over one-third of the population lives in renter-occupied units. As expected, renters of housing units change residence much more often than owners of housing units. Of the 108.2 million renters from 2015 to 2016, 24.8 millions were movers (22.9 percent), compared to just 5 percent of owners. Only 10.3 million people in owner-occupied units moved last year, while 196.4 million homeowners remained in the same residence. Renters accounted for more than two thirds (70.6 percent) of movers from 2015 to 2016. The next and final factoid of this series will look at the mobility of Americans based on Poverty Status.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, General Mobility by Tenure