Homeownership Amongst Stamford’s Young Adults Slumps to 50.96%

The degree to which young people are locked out of the Stamford housing market has been revealed in new statistics. 

A local landlord was asking me the other week to what effect homeownership rates in Stamford in the early to middle age range had affected the demand for rental property in Stamford. I knew anecdotally that it affected the Stamford rental market, but I wanted evidence to back it up.  

Since the Millennium, overall general homeownership in the 25 to 44 year old age range in Stamford has reduced from 70.47% to 50.96%

The following graph shows the four age ranges of 25-29yrs, 30-34yrs, 35-39yrs and 40-44 yrs, and shows the homeownership rate has proportionally fallen the most for the youngest (25-29yrs) age range.

The landlord suggested this deterioration in homeownership across the age groups could be down to the fact that more of those born in the 1980’s and 1990’s (over those born in the 1960’s and 1970’) are going to University and entering the job market at an older age or that those young adults are living with their parents longer.

I read some national homeownership statistics of different age groups with the same number of years after they left education (rather than at the same age) and that gave an identical dip to the graph above. Neither are these declines in homeownership related with a significant increase in the number of young adults living with their parents.

Again, nationally, that has hardly changed over the last 20 years as the percentage of 30 year olds living with their parents only increased from 22% of those born in the early ‘70s to 23% of those born in the early ‘80s.

With the local authority not building council houses, Housing Associations strapped for cash to build new properties and the younger generation not buying, there is only one way these youngsters can obtain a roof over their head and have a home of their own - through the private landlord sector. Now with the new tax rules and up and coming licensing rules, landlords will have to work smarter to ensure they make the investment returns they have in the past.

If you ever want to pick my brains on the future direction of the Stamford rental market, drop me line or pop in next time you are passing my office. 


David Crooke, Owner & MD