The LGBT Homeownership Gap: Evidence from the 2023 American Housing Survey

We use the nationally representative American Housing Survey, which first asked about sexual orientation and gender identity in 2023, to analyze homeownership disparities for households with a Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, or Transgender (LGBT) respondent (hereafter, LGBT households). We find that 54.2% of LGBT households own their homes, compared with 66.1% of non-LGBT households. LGBT households own at lower rates at every income level. Regression results show that LGBT households have 23% lower odds of homeownership after controlling for age, income, race and ethnicity, and other characteristics. The homeownership gap is concentrated among households below age 50.