Gen Z Is Trading Homeownership for the Stock Market
A surge in stock investing by Gen Z-ers alongside a shortage of young first-time home buyers suggests a fundamental shift in young people's finances.
People in Generation Z (born 1997-2012) have taken up investing in a big way.
Younger adults are entering the [investment] market earlier: the share of 25-year-olds in 2024 that used investment accounts was 37 percent, versus 6 percent for 25-year-olds in 2015, says an August report from JPMorganChase.
Meanwhile, the National Association of Realtors® reported in April,
This year, the share of Gen Z buyers and sellers aged 18 to 25 made up just 3% of buyers and 2% of sellers.
Owning a home has traditionally been the way for U.S. households to build wealth, said The Wall Street Journal.
Author's summary: Gen Z prefers stock market over homeownership.