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'Rent forever' | A growing number of millennials don't want to buy a home

There appears to be no rush for Sacramento millennial renters to buy a home. It's estimated 46% haven’t even started saving for a down payment.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The number of millennial renters with no eyes on buying a home continues to grow, according to a study by Apartment List.

In 2018, the number of millennial renters planning to "rent forever" was at 10.7%, however, that's increased to 12.3% this year. Apartment List says the Sacramento area has a slightly higher rate at roughly 14%, which was described as a "significant but moderate" rate compared to the national average and other California cities.

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While the Sacramento area found itself in the top 10 cities with millennials planning to rent forever, the top 10 also included San Francisco and was topped by San Jose.

  • San Jose - 18.2%
  • San Francisco - 17.2%
  • Sacramento - 13.8%
  • San Diego - 12.3%
  • National Average - 12.3%
  • Riverside - 11.8%

Still, that leaves about 86% of Sacramento millennials interested in buying a home. However, Apartment List went on to say nearly half of those interested haven't begun saving for a down payment. 

  • National - 48% with $0 in down payment savings
  • Sacramento Metro - 46% with $0 in down payment savings

Nationwide, only 25% of millennial renters are prepared to put down 10% on a median-priced starter home in the next five years. Sacramento millennials came in slightly below that average. That figure places Sacramento millennials a bit behind some of the other large cities in California. 

  • San Francisco - 21%
  • Los Angeles - 21%
  • Sacramento - 23%
  • San Diego - 24%

According to Apartment List, the biggest factor is affordability. Roughly 69% of the millennials forgoing home ownership said renting is the only form of housing they can afford, and, even with aspiring homeowners, 70% are waiting because they can't afford to buy a house.

RELATED: Sacramento renters have access to less than a third of apartments, study shows

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