American homeowners are sitting tight—and for longer than at any point this century. New data from ATTOM shows sellers at the end of 2025 had owned their homes for an average of 8.6 years, more than double the 4.2 years seen in early 2000, per Axios. That’s “the longest off-market time for American homes in at least 25 years,” per the New York Post. The longer stays are largely tied to ultra-low mortgage rates locked in during the pandemic era, combined with still-elevated home prices and lean inventory. The pattern isn’t uniform, but it is widespread. ATTOM CEO Rob Barber says ownership periods have climbed in nearly every major metro, with the effect strongest in coastal and Northeastern cities, where owners frequently stay put for more than a decade.
Before selling in late 2025, homes in Barnstable, Mass. (14.1 years), Springfield, Mass. (13.5 years), and New Haven, Conn. (13.4 years) had some of the longest tenures among metros with at least 200,000 residents. On the other end, Provo, Utah (6.9 years), Crestview, Fla. (7 years), and Oklahoma City (7.3 years) posted the shortest ownership spans. Despite the overall rise, Barber notes that markets with historically longer or shorter cycles have mostly kept their relative positions. But there are signs of change on the horizon. For the first time since 2020, Realtor.com reports that more US homeowners now carry mortgage rates of 6% or higher than those with sub-3% loans—potentially setting the stage for more people to consider moving.
