How Immigrants Have Impacted The U.S. Housing Market

The U.S. has 42 million immigrants, accounting for 13 percent of the total population, and 41 percent of immigrants owned homes in 2016. This means that a lot of homeowners are on edge when it comes to new policies and regulations regarding immigration.

Realtor.com explored how immigrants have affected the housing market over the last three decades.

Immigrant homeownership rates lag below native-born ownership rates (66 percent), and it usually takes an immigrants between five to 10 years after arrival to buy homes at similar rates as native-born Americans. Immigrants have tended to buy homes where the opportunity is: Struggling cities, such as in the Rust Belt, where other residents are leaving and homes can be purchased for a reasonable price.

Once they move in, many start businesses, spend money locally, and increase the demand for housing—all of which lead to the stabilization or boost in property values.

Immigrants who are faring well, such as high-earning, skilled workers living in Silicon Valley, aren’t too concerned about tightening immigration policies from the Trump Administration, but working-class immigrants, primarily from Mexico, fear that they may lose their homes.

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