Financial Self-Sufficiency
Homeownership Rate, by Race/Ethnicity, 2017-21


Homeownership Rate, by Race/Ethnicity, 2017-21

What does this measure?

The number of owner-occupied units (not rented) as a percent of all occupied units (not vacant) for various racial and ethnic groups.

Why is this important?

Historically, members of some racial and ethnic groups have suffered discrimination in buying homes and accessing home mortgages. A home is a vital financial asset for a family and an investment in both the local neighborhood and surrounding community.

How is our county doing?

Essex County had greater racial and ethnic disparities in homeownership rates than the nation. In 2017-21, 70% of Asian and white residents in Essex County owned their homes. Significantly higher than those for Black or African American residents (38%) and Hispanic residents (31%). Nationwide, homeownership was substantially higher among African American and Hispanic residents, at 43% and 49%, respectively, compared to Essex. The County's rates were similar to Massachusetts as a whole, except that a smaller share of Asian residents owned homes at the state level (55%).

Since 2000, the County's homeownership rate among Asian residents increased the most, by 19 percentage points, compared to increases of 13 points among African American and 10 points among Hispanic residents. The rate was steady for white residents.

Disparities differed among communities in Essex County. In Lawrence, the white homeownership rate (32%) was almost than half that of the County, while the Hispanic rate (24%) was 7 points lower. In Lynn, African American and Hispanic rates were similar to the County, while rates were lower among Asian and white residents, at 42% and 60%, respectively.

How do we compare to similar counties?

Compared to Essex, 2017-21 homeownership rates were higher for all racial and ethnic groups in Lake, IL, but especially so among Hispanic (58%) and white (80%) residents. In Middlesex, MA, rates were similar for most groups except Asian residents, who had a lower rate (57%) than Essex. Westchester, NY had similar disparities, but its rates were higher for Hispanics (37%), and slightly higher for white residents (73%).

Why do these disparities exist?

A variety of research has shown how disparities in homeownership are connected to racial inequities within systems beyond housing, including financial services, labor market and intergenerational wealth. Historic practices including redlining, exclusionary mortgage practices and restrictive covenants barring property from being owned by members of specific groups directly locked people out of homeownership. These had intergenerational effects when people of color were unable to benefit from wealth transfers of home equity as white homebuyers can. Since Black and Latino households generally have lower wages and wealth accumulation, they have less resources for down payments and higher debt to income ratios. With lower credit scores than other racial/ethnic groups, communities of color may be less likely to qualify for mortgages as underwriting standards increase. Many in the Black and Latino community may lack information about the home buying process and choose to stay renters. Discrimination during the home buying process also influences whether people of color buy a house. Researchers have found that during the search process, people of color were shown fewer houses and provided less information than whites.

Notes about the data

The multiyear 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. However, because the information came from a survey, the samples responding to the survey were not always large enough to produce reliable results, especially in small geographic areas. CGR has noted on data tables the estimates with relatively large margins of error. Estimates with three asterisks have the largest margins, plus or minus 50% or more of the estimate. Two asterisks mean plus or minus 35%-50%, and one asterisk means plus or minus 20%-35%. For all estimates, the confidence level is 90%, meaning there is 90% probability the true value (if the whole population were surveyed) would be within the margin of error (or confidence interval). The survey provides data on characteristics of the population that used to be collected only during the decennial census. Data for this indicator are released annually in December.

Homeownership Rate, by Race/Ethnicity, 2017-21
AsianBlack or African AmericanHispanicWhite
Essex County, MA70%38%31%70%
Amesbury23%******0%******29%******70%
Beverly53%******2%******34%******62%
Gloucester3%******37%******36%******64%
Haverhill70%****36%****28%**65%
Lawrence57%******44%**24%32%
Lynn42%**36%31%60%
Methuen89%****61%****48%79%
Newburyport47%******89%******79%******77%
Peabody75%******35%****40%**68%
Salem67%****18%******17%**56%
Andover83%100%******52%****81%
Boxford100%******N/A******100%******97%
Danvers80%******25%******42%******73%
EssexN/A******N/A******N/A******81%
Georgetown100%******100%******25%******78%
Groveland100%******N/A******100%******91%
Hamilton38%******N/A******100%******84%
Ipswich51%******0%******40%******76%
Lynnfield100%****56%******33%******86%
Manchester0%******N/A******100%******76%
Marblehead83%******6%******69%****81%
Merrimac39%******N/A******0%******81%
Middleton100%******100%******100%******91%
Nahant59%******100%******0%******83%
Newbury100%******N/A******0%******89%
North Andover83%**26%******29%******73%
RockportN/A******N/A******60%******68%
RowleyN/A******0%******N/A******80%
Salisbury49%******N/A******89%******81%
Saugus88%****31%******69%****80%
Swampscott76%******45%******58%******74%
Topsfield100%******N/A******70%******87%
Wenham100%******N/A******N/A******87%
West NewburyN/A******N/A******94%******92%
Middlesex County, MA57%28%34%67%
Lake County, IL71%39%58%80%
Westchester County, NY66%37%37%73%
Massachusetts55%35%30%68%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau
Notes: Multiyear results are from rolling American Community Survey. * Margin of error between 20% & 35% of estimate; ** margin of error between 35% & 50%; *** margin of error greater than 50%. The Census Bureau asks people to identify their race (white, African-American, etc.) separate from their ethnicity (Hispanic or non-Hispanic). So the totals for these categories cannot be added together, as people show up in both a racial and ethnic group.




Number of Homeowners by Race/Ethnicity, 2017-21
AsianBlack or African AmericanHispanicWhite
Essex County, MA6,2914,46917,100171,414
Amesbury18******0******50******4,752
Beverly226******5******236******9,711
Gloucester4******90******128******8,018
Haverhill203****331****1,394**13,361
Lawrence276******816**5,4714,025
Lynn637**1,7803,85112,201
Methuen756****609****2,16110,522
Newburyport40******25******154******5,563
Peabody329******236****866**13,758
Salem287****120******572**9,249
Andover1,630101******404****8,608
Boxford20******0******61******2,711
Danvers126******44******175******7,524
Essex0******0******0******1,083
Georgetown26******14******19******2,433
Groveland16******0******36******2,265
Hamilton41******0******28******2,054
Ipswich39******0******46******4,108
Lynnfield188****32******26******3,636
Manchester0******0******24******1,495
Marblehead92******1******257****6,349
Merrimac23******0******0******1,979
Middleton33******26******21******2,770
Nahant13******25******0******1,322
Newbury44******0******0******2,178
North Andover592**57******205******6,986
Rockport0******0******15******2,203
Rowley0******0******0******1,819
Salisbury38******0******178******2,902
Saugus417****128******446****7,363
Swampscott90******29******131******4,188
Topsfield66******0******43******1,803
Wenham21******0******0******1,107
West Newbury0******0******102******1,368
Middlesex County, MA40,1518,15413,574322,503
Lake County, IL13,4776,58623,202151,074
Westchester County, NY13,29420,12427,607171,528
Massachusetts89,66961,59780,1591,461,266

Source: U.S. Census Bureau
Notes: Multiyear results are from rolling American Community Survey. * Margin of error between 20% & 35% of estimate; ** margin of error between 35% & 50%; *** margin of error greater than 50%. The Census Bureau asks people to identify their race (white, African-American, etc.) separate from their ethnicity (Hispanic or non-Hispanic). So the totals for these categories cannot be added together, as people show up in both a racial and ethnic group.




Homeownership Rate, by Race/Ethnicity, 2000
AsianBlack or African AmericanHispanicWhite
Essex County, MA51%25%21%68%
Beverly33%25%33%61%
Gloucester45%23%21%60%
Haverhill43%34%20%63%
Lawrence39%21%20%40%
Lynn36%23%18%53%
Methuen70%34%30%74%
Newburyport32%30%54%67%
Peabody55%47%22%73%
Salem42%10%13%53%
Andover72%45%45%80%
Boxford100%N/A100%97%
Danvers85%36%68%78%
Essex46%N/AN/A71%
GeorgetownN/AN/AN/A86%
GrovelandN/A100%N/A87%
Hamilton36%100%76%84%
Ipswich0%N/A43%73%
Lynnfield100%47%69%95%
ManchesterN/AN/AN/A71%
Marblehead46%21%100%76%
Merrimac0%N/A0%83%
Middleton47%N/AN/A86%
Nahant64%0%0%69%
NewburyN/A44%100%81%
North Andover71%57%40%73%
Rockport0%0%0%65%
Rowley0%N/AN/A77%
Salisbury100%42%100%68%
Saugus74%19%74%80%
Swampscott100%42%38%77%
Topsfield100%N/AN/A89%
WenhamN/AN/AN/A85%
West NewburyN/A100%0%93%
Middlesex County, MA44%29%26%65%
Lake County, IL73%43%58%82%
Westchester County, NY53%33%26%69%
Massachusetts41%31%21%66%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau
Notes: Multiyear results are from rolling American Community Survey. * Margin of error between 20% & 35% of estimate; ** margin of error between 35% & 50%; *** margin of error greater than 50%. The Census Bureau asks people to identify their race (white, African-American, etc.) separate from their ethnicity (Hispanic or non-Hispanic). So the totals for these categories cannot be added together, as people show up in both a racial and ethnic group.




Number of Homeowners by Race/Ethnicity, 2000
AsianBlack or African AmericanHispanicWhite
Essex County, MA2,3761,5174,633166,851
Beverly4738769,291
Gloucester3223287,429
Haverhill11214128313,220
Lawrence2511992,4705,463
Lynn44575379013,416
Methuen2035032911,361
Newburyport88344,968
Peabody956410812,933
Salem128411708,259
Andover46135458,340
Boxford300222,459
Danvers4121287,274
Essex600906
Georgetown0002,199
Groveland0801,768
Hamilton2119192,140
Ipswich00243,827
Lynnfield259243,898
Manchester0001,536
Marblehead247186,376
Merrimac0001,830
Middleton9001,965
Nahant18001,092
Newbury08162,000
North Andover27134586,710
Rockport0002,244
Rowley0001,509
Salisbury15882,052
Saugus8610467,765
Swampscott425154,318
Topsfield14001,829
Wenham0001,096
West Newbury0801,286
Middlesex County, MA12,1064,7144,640324,585
Lake County, IL5,4165,96611,256149,579
Westchester County, NY6,77814,9259,931174,950
Massachusetts29,76735,64425,8191,410,466

Source: U.S. Census Bureau
Notes: Multiyear results are from rolling American Community Survey. * Margin of error between 20% & 35% of estimate; ** margin of error between 35% & 50%; *** margin of error greater than 50%. The Census Bureau asks people to identify their race (white, African-American, etc.) separate from their ethnicity (Hispanic or non-Hispanic). So the totals for these categories cannot be added together, as people show up in both a racial and ethnic group.




INDICATORS TREND | ESSEX COUNTY