> Almost 70 percent of Americans own their own home[0]. This interpretation appears to significantly misconstrue the article's source data. > Q: How is homeow

> Almost 70 percent of Americans own their own home[0]. This interpretation appears to significantly misconstrue the article's source data. > Q: How is homeownership rate calculated? > A: According to the U.S Census Survey, the homeownership rate is computed by dividing the number of owner-occupied housing units by the number of occupied housing units or households. That's the rate of homes that are owned, NOT the rate of people who own homes. If I live in a house I own, and you live in a rented apartment shared with 98 other people, this metric would call that a 50% ownership rate (1/2 housing units) instead of the much more sane interpretation of 1% (1/100 people). If my adult children live with me because they can't afford their own homes, this site lumps them in with homeowners because they're part of a "household". People who cannot afford to buy homes very famously often live with roommates, partners, or their parents. I'm sorry, but that's just not a salient interpretation.