A home is often a family's greatest financial asset. Owning a home is a traditional part of the American dream and a typical entry point into the middle class. Homeownership is an important factor for neighborhood stability and civic participation.

In 2016-20, 68% of housing units in the region were owner-occupied, higher than the national figure of 64% and much higher than the state share of 54%.

Monroe was the county with the lowest homeownership rate in the region in 2016-20, at 63%. Wayne had the highest, at 78%, followed by Wyoming at 77%. The homeownership rate in the City of Rochester was the lowest among communities in Monroe County, at 36% in 2016-20. The rate was highest in Rush, at 95%, followed by Hamlin and Riga, both at 89%. Rates also were lower, though not to the same extent as in Rochester, in the cities of Geneva (46%), Batavia and Canandaigua (both at 49%).

From 2000 to 2016-20, the national homeownership rate declined by 2 percentage points and the state rate was essentially unchanged. The region's homeownership rate also was essentially flat since 2000. Rates for individual counties were mostly steady from 2000 to 2011-15, with slight decreases through 2016-20. Rochester's homeownership rate had decreased 4 percentage points since 2000; Geneva, 8 points; and Batavia, 6 points.

Multi-year figures are from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey. The bureau combined five years of responses to the survey to provide estimates for smaller geographic areas and increase the precision of its estimates. The survey provides data on characteristics of the population that used to be collected only during the decennial census. Data for this indicator are expected to be released in the fourth quarter.