Homeownership Sets Record in 2nd Quarter

Homeownership edged up to a record during the second quarter, as gains for white households offset declines among blacks and Latinos, the government said. The U.S. homeownership rate was 67.2% in the latest quarter, beating the previous high of 67.1% in the first quarter, the Department of Housing and Urban Development said. By ethnicity, 73.7% of white households owned homes in the second quarter, up from 73.4% in the first quarter. About 47.2% of black households owned homes in the second quarter, down from 47.8% in the prior period. Homeownership among Latinos was 45.4% compared with 45.7% in the previous quarter. The record homeownership level comes even as the median home price reached a record high of $139,800 in June.