50 Cities Where Homeowners Stay Rooted the Longest

There’s a certain feeling associated with the word “home.” One of safety, stability and permanence — and for a lucky few, the notion of “home” becomes reality. But for many others, getting to that place is a lifelong search. Instead of moving year after year, from house to house, one way you might be able to locate that town of your dreams is to look for places where a lot of other people have already laid down roots.

That’s why GOBankingRates conducted a study to find out which American cities have the most residents who have been around a long time. The study found locales with the highest percentage of homeowners who have held the deed on their place for at least 30 years.

Only you know what makes for an ideal city. The 50 places on this list, however, provide a solid starting point if you’re looking for a good place to call home.

Chicago

• Total population: 2,718,555
• Median home value: $260,700
• Number of homeowners: 474,852
• Homeowners who moved in before 1990: 112,996
• Percentage of homeowners who moved in before 1990: 24%

El Paso, Texas

• Total population: 680,354
• Median home value: $136,600
• Number of homeowners: 133,227
• Homeowners who moved in before 1990: 31,888
• Percentage of homeowners who moved in before 1990: 24%

Pasadena, California

• Total population: 141,246
• Median home value: $731,100
• Number of homeowners: 23,396
• Homeowners who moved in before 1990: 5,614
• Percentage of homeowners who moved in before 1990: 24%

Glendale, California

• Total population: 200,372
• Median home value: $735,000
• Number of homeowners: 24,302
• Homeowners who moved in before 1990: 5,852
• Percentage of homeowners who moved in before 1990: 24%

Read: People in These States Are Having the Hardest Time Paying Rent

Milwaukee

• Total population: 596,886
• Median home value: $122,500
• Number of homeowners: 96,005
• Homeowners who moved in before 1990: 23,199
• Percentage of homeowners who moved in before 1990: 24%

Oakland, California

• Total population: 421,042
• Median home value: $644,100
• Number of homeowners: 65,178
• Homeowners who moved in before 1990: 15,785
• Percentage of homeowners who moved in before 1990: 24%

Richmond, Virginia

• Total population: 223,787
• Median home value: $226,800
• Number of homeowners: 37,956
• Homeowners who moved in before 1990: 9,207
• Percentage of homeowners who moved in before 1990: 24%

Sunnyvale, California

• Total population: 152,323
• Median home value: $1,157,700
• Number of homeowners: 25,936
• Homeowners who moved in before 1990: 6,302
• Percentage of homeowners who moved in before 1990: 24%

Kansas City, Kansas

• Total population: 152,069
• Median home value: $107,500
• Number of homeowners: 31,100
• Homeowners who moved in before 1990: 7,611
• Percentage of homeowners who moved in before 1990: 24%

Miami

• Total population: 451,214
• Median home value: $309,600
• Number of homeowners: 50,887
• Homeowners who moved in before 1990: 12,457
• Percentage of homeowners who moved in before 1990: 24%

New Orleans

• Total population: 389,648
• Median home value: $249,800
• Number of homeowners: 73,037
• Homeowners who moved in before 1990: 17,939
• Percentage of homeowners who moved in before 1990: 25%

St. Louis

• Total population: 311,273
• Median home value: $147,100
• Number of homeowners: 60,920
• Homeowners who moved in before 1990: 14,974
• Percentage of homeowners who moved in before 1990: 25%

Norfolk, Virginia

• Total population: 245,592
• Median home value: $201,900
• Number of homeowners: 38,029
• Homeowners who moved in before 1990: 9,368
• Percentage of homeowners who moved in before 1990: 25%

Hialeah, Florida

• Total population: 237,285
• Median home value: $201,200
• Number of homeowners: 33,302
• Homeowners who moved in before 1990: 8,219
• Percentage of homeowners who moved in before 1990: 25%

Augusta, Georgia

• Total population: 196,807
• Median home value: $114,500
• Number of homeowners: 37,069
• Homeowners who moved in before 1990: 9,149
• Percentage of homeowners who moved in before 1990: 25%

Rochester, New York

• Total population: 207,778
• Median home value: $85,600
• Number of homeowners: 31,226
• Homeowners who moved in before 1990: 7,735
• Percentage of homeowners who moved in before 1990: 25%

Savannah, Georgia

• Total population: 145,342
• Median home value: $162,100
• Number of homeowners: 23,346
• Homeowners who moved in before 1990: 5,829
• Percentage of homeowners who moved in before 1990: 25%

Shreveport, Louisiana

• Total population: 193,785
• Median home value: $156,100
• Number of homeowners: 39,663
• Homeowners who moved in before 1990: 9,932
• Percentage of homeowners who moved in before 1990: 25%

New York

• Total population: 8,443,713
• Median home value: $573,300
• Number of homeowners: 1,029,840
• Homeowners who moved in before 1990: 258,124
• Percentage of homeowners who moved in before 1990: 25%

Fullerton, California

• Total population: 139,866
• Median home value: $642,500
• Number of homeowners: 23,662
• Homeowners who moved in before 1990: 6,019
• Percentage of homeowners who moved in before 1990: 25%

Garden Grove, California

• Total population: 174,010
• Median home value: $529,900
• Number of homeowners: 25,594
• Homeowners who moved in before 1990: 6,513
• Percentage of homeowners who moved in before 1990: 25%

Santa Ana, California

• Total population: 333,499
• Median home value: $466,100
• Number of homeowners: 35,321
• Homeowners who moved in before 1990: 8,998
• Percentage of homeowners who moved in before 1990: 25%

Fayetteville, North Carolina

• Total population: 209,867
• Median home value: $138,100
• Number of homeowners: 35,815
• Homeowners who moved in before 1990: 9,128
• Percentage of homeowners who moved in before 1990: 25%

Columbus, Georgia

• Total population: 196,670
• Median home value: $152,600
• Number of homeowners: 35,016
• Homeowners who moved in before 1990: 9,032
• Percentage of homeowners who moved in before 1990: 26%

Worcester, Massachusetts

• Total population: 185,195
• Median home value: $222,800
• Number of homeowners: 29,807
• Homeowners who moved in before 1990: 7,689
• Percentage of homeowners who moved in before 1990: 26%

Newark, New Jersey

• Total population: 280,463
• Median home value: $235,400
• Number of homeowners: 21,947
• Homeowners who moved in before 1990: 5,701
• Percentage of homeowners who moved in before 1990: 26%

Los Angeles

• Total population: 3,959,657
• Median home value: $605,500
• Number of homeowners: 506,115
• Homeowners who moved in before 1990: 132,098
• Percentage of homeowners who moved in before 1990: 26%

Memphis, Tennessee

• Total population: 653,248
• Median home value: $106,000
• Number of homeowners: 117,728
• Homeowners who moved in before 1990: 30,766
• Percentage of homeowners who moved in before 1990: 26%

Hampton, Virginia

• Total population: 135,583
• Median home value: $191,300
• Number of homeowners: 30,167
• Homeowners who moved in before 1990: 7,963
• Percentage of homeowners who moved in before 1990: 26%

Toledo, Ohio

• Total population: 278,193
• Median home value: $86,000
• Number of homeowners: 60,476
• Homeowners who moved in before 1990: 16,067
• Percentage of homeowners who moved in before 1990: 27%

San Francisco

• Total population: 870,044
• Median home value: $1,029,300
• Number of homeowners: 135,275
• Homeowners who moved in before 1990: 36,449
• Percentage of homeowners who moved in before 1990: 27%

Mobile, Alabama

• Total population: 191,485
• Median home value: $133,100
• Number of homeowners: 41,870
• Homeowners who moved in before 1990: 11,455
• Percentage of homeowners who moved in before 1990: 27%

Yonkers, New York

• Total population: 199,745
• Median home value: $404,400
• Number of homeowners: 34,791
• Homeowners who moved in before 1990: 9,537
• Percentage of homeowners who moved in before 1990: 27%

Springfield, Massachusetts

• Total population: 154,596
• Median home value: $154,300
• Number of homeowners: 25,885
• Homeowners who moved in before 1990: 7,186
• Percentage of homeowners who moved in before 1990: 28%

Baltimore

• Total population: 614,700
• Median home value: $168,100
• Number of homeowners: 112,897
• Homeowners who moved in before 1990: 31,631
• Percentage of homeowners who moved in before 1990: 28%

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

• Total population: 225,362
• Median home value: $183,700
• Number of homeowners: 41,839
• Homeowners who moved in before 1990: 11,811
• Percentage of homeowners who moved in before 1990: 28%

Huntington Beach, California

• Total population: 200,606
• Median home value: $749,900
• Number of homeowners: 44,405
• Homeowners who moved in before 1990: 12,584
• Percentage of homeowners who moved in before 1990: 28%

Akron, Ohio

• Total population: 198,314
• Median home value: $84,200
• Number of homeowners: 42,863
• Homeowners who moved in before 1990: 12,420
• Percentage of homeowners who moved in before 1990: 29%

Jackson, Mississippi

• Total population: 168,862
• Median home value: $99,700
• Number of homeowners: 31,295
• Homeowners who moved in before 1990: 9,088
• Percentage of homeowners who moved in before 1990: 29%

Dayton, Ohio

• Total population: 140,782
• Median home value: $74,300
• Number of homeowners: 27,144
• Homeowners who moved in before 1990: 7,909
• Percentage of homeowners who moved in before 1990: 29%

Torrance, California

• Total population: 146,392
• Median home value: $736,000
• Number of homeowners: 30,063
• Homeowners who moved in before 1990: 8,845
• Percentage of homeowners who moved in before 1990: 29%

Philadelphia

• Total population: 1,575,522
• Median home value: $168,900
• Number of homeowners: 315,097
• Homeowners who moved in before 1990: 94,701
• Percentage of homeowners who moved in before 1990: 30%

Syracuse, New York

• Total population: 143,293
• Median home value: $96,700
• Number of homeowners: 21,415
• Homeowners who moved in before 1990: 6,529
• Percentage of homeowners who moved in before 1990: 30%

Metairie, Louisiana

• Total population: 143,481
• Median home value: $232,200
• Number of homeowners: 36,914
• Homeowners who moved in before 1990: 11,401
• Percentage of homeowners who moved in before 1990: 31%

Buffalo, New York

• Total population: 257,518
• Median home value: $101,800
• Number of homeowners: 45,208
• Homeowners who moved in before 1990: 14,424
• Percentage of homeowners who moved in before 1990: 32%

Birmingham, Alabama

• Total population: 212,021
• Median home value: $105,600
• Number of homeowners: 41,164
• Homeowners who moved in before 1990: 13,325
• Percentage of homeowners who moved in before 1990: 32%

Pittsburgh

• Total population: 303,587
• Median home value: $133,400
• Number of homeowners: 65,158
• Homeowners who moved in before 1990: 21,612
• Percentage of homeowners who moved in before 1990: 33%

Honolulu

• Total population: 350,003
• Median home value: $655,900
• Number of homeowners: 57,229
• Homeowners who moved in before 1990: 19,177
• Percentage of homeowners who moved in before 1990: 34%

Cleveland

• Total population: 387,398
• Median home value: $76,200
• Number of homeowners: 69,942
• Homeowners who moved in before 1990: 23,897
• Percentage of homeowners who moved in before 1990: 34%

Detroit

• Total population: 677,155
• Median home value: $60,400
• Number of homeowners: 123,411
• Homeowners who moved in before 1990: 46,260
• Percentage of homeowners who moved in before 1990: 37%

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About the Author

Joel Anderson

Joel Anderson is a business and finance writer with over a decade of experience writing about the wide world of finance. Based in Los Angeles, he specializes in writing about the financial markets, stocks, macroeconomic concepts and focuses on helping make complex financial concepts digestible for the retail investor.

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