The widening mental health gap between American homeowners and renters: 2013–2023

This research aimed to investigate the evolving disparities in mental health between homeowners and renters in the United States between 2013 and 2023. This study analyzed trends in self-reported poor mental health days using a nationally representative dataset spanning from 2013 to 2023. The changes in reported poor mental health days between homeowners and renters over this period were compared. Multivariable regression models were employed to adjust for potential confounding demographic and socioeconomic factors and to quantify the widening gap in poor mental health days between the two groups. The findings revealed a significant divergence in mental health trends between homeowners and renters. After adjusting for demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, the adjusted difference in reported poor mental health days between renters and homeowners widened from 0.4 in 2013 to 1.3 days in 2023. This disparity was significantly more pronounced in states with high housing price growth compared to states with lower growth. This study highlights a widening mental health gap between American homeowners and renters. The results suggest a potentially increasing protective association of homeownership with mental well-being, while the growing challenges associated with renting, such as affordability and housing insecurity, may be contributing to a deterioration in renters' mental health.