In 2022, researchers found that just over 40 percent of homeowners older than 64 had a mortgage, a jump from roughly 25 percent a generation ago. Ultralow mortgage rates were a big driver of the increase, said Jennifer Molinsky, project director of the center's housing and aging society program.
U.S. homeownership rate for householders over 65 years old 2011-Q3 2024. The U.S. homeownership rate for householders over 65 years of age fluctuated between 78.8 percent and 80.9 percent since 2011. In the third quarter of 2024, approximately 79 percent of people over 65 years of age inhabited an owner-occupied home.
Those under 35 years old represented 12% of Canada's mortgage borrowers, while those 65 and older held 14% of mortgages. That's an odd skew, and not just because the 20-34 year old population is slightly larger than those 65+, or the fact that households are carrying mortgages into their golden years.
There is no specific age to pay off your mortgage, but a common rule of thumb is to be debt-free by your early to mid-60s.
An unmortgaged home was once a retirement perk
Mark Iwry, nonresident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. But that pattern is changing. In the Michigan study, researchers found that the share of retirement-age homeowners with mortgages rose from 38% to 51% in a generational span of about 25 years.
50-59-year-olds are the time when people tend to pay down their debt rapidly – and increase their retirement savings. 60-69-year-olds are or are close to being mortgage-free. However, it's becoming more common for retirees to carry a mortgage.
If you're 65, you're not too old to buy a house — provided you have the finances to make a down payment, cover your monthly mortgage payments, and keep up with expenses like maintenance and property taxes. In fact, the Equal Credit Opportunity Act forbids mortgage lenders from discriminating based on age.
According to a recent report from the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University, over 40% of homeowners over 64 had a mortgage in retirement.
Buying a home after 60 can make sense if you have sufficient monthly income and find an affordable home. In addition, if you're physically capable of maintaining the home or can pay for extra help, homeownership won't become burdensome.
Nearly 58 million adults age 65 and older lived in the U.S. in 2022, accounting for 17.3% of the nation's population.
A growing percentage of American homeowners have no mortgage on their property. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, nearly 40% of homes in the country were mortgage-free last year.
But debt more than quadrupled in households headed by people aged 65 to 74 in that period (from $10,150 to $45,000 per household, on average), and for those 75 and up it has increased sevenfold (from just under $5,000 to $36,000).
Mortgage-Paying Habits of Average Americans
For example, according to the Census Bureau, fewer than 28% homeowners below retirement age have paid off their homes completely, as opposed to almost 63% of those 65 or older.
There is no age limit for obtaining a 30-year mortgage, thus allowing older borrowers the opportunity to secure long-term financing for a home. However, it is essential to consider factors such as financial stability, retirement plans and overall health when deciding if this type of mortgage is the right choice.
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"Shark Tank" investor Kevin O'Leary has said the ideal age to be debt-free is 45, especially if you want to retire by age 60. Being debt-free — including paying off your mortgage — by your mid-40s puts you on the early path toward success, O'Leary argued.
The number of people older than 65 with an outstanding mortgage in their residence increased from 1.2 million to 1.5 million between 2016 and 2021 according to Statistics Canada, although the agency noted they don't measure whether others residing in the home are contributing to mortgage payments.
While many older homeowners own their properties free and clear of a mortgage payment, this is not a feasible reality for many seniors. In fact, more than 10.5 million Americans at or over the age of 65 still pay into a forward mortgage loan, according to a study conducted by LendingTree.
According to some experts, the optimal range for home-ownership is between 10% and 30% of your net worth. Rental properties and passive income: Rental properties are another common and attractive form of real estate.
Older Homes Tend To Have Higher Maintenance Costs
From faulty plumbing to sloping floors, there's no shortage of projects to do in existing homes – and these projects don't come cheap. But smart home buyers can capitalize on the lower upfront costs of these homes to supplement future maintenance costs.
In the third quarter of 2023, the average size of a mortgage amounted to 338,522 Canadian dollars, down from 366,163 in the second quarter of 2022, when the highest figure was recorded. Mortgages varied in size in different metropolitan areas, with Toronto and Vancouver seeing the highest value of new mortgages.
For example, if you plan to travel frequently in retirement, you may want to aim for 90% to 100% of your pre-retirement income. On the other hand, if you plan to pay off your mortgage before you retire or downsize your living situation, you may be able to live comfortably on less than 80%.
One of the most significant benefits of paying off your mortgage is the peace of mind that comes with owning your home outright. Without a mortgage, you don't have to worry about monthly payments, which can be especially comforting in retirement or during economic downturns.