Two-thirds of consumers surveyed still say owning a home is a goal, and some are pushing that dream three to five years down the road as housing costs eat into household budgets. That tension between wanting a home and being able to afford one is playing out in Fresno County, where the median sold price hit $430,000 in August.
The findings come from a new housing affordability report from Experian, examined in a report by ABC30 looking at how inflation is reshaping homeownership goals nationwide. Christina Roman, speaking to the station, said homeownership still remains a goal for two-thirds of the consumers surveyed, even as many admit the timeline has slipped. “Maybe it's three to five years off,” Roman said of how some respondents now describe their path to buying.
Fifty-nine percent of consumers are taking steps to manage the costs of everyday living, homeownership, or renting, according to the same report. For some, that means using the waiting period productively. Roman said consumers are using that time to save money and build credit to qualify for the best possible interest rate, and that Experian offers tools to help people identify subscriptions they may have forgotten they had signed up for, freeing up cash that could go toward a down payment.
Nearly a Third Are Delaying Big Life Moves
The cost pressure is not just reshaping homebuying timelines, it is reshaping bigger life decisions too. Roman said thirty-one percent of the consumers surveyed were putting off a major life event because of rising costs, and the broader Experian report found that consumers are adjusting their timelines and expectations when working toward homeownership.
A more detailed breakdown of that national survey, reported by AZ Big Media, found 65% of respondents reported some level of housing cost increases over the past year, with 16% describing increases of more than 10%. Among those postponing major life events, 31% delayed moving or relocating, 17% postponed changing careers, and smaller shares put off getting married (9%), having children (8%), or starting a business (8%). That outlet also noted Experian's survey did not break out Arizona-specific results, underscoring that the figures reflect a national snapshot rather than local-only data.
Respondents pointed to specific cost drivers behind the squeeze: 26% cited property taxes as among their biggest housing-related increases over the past two years, 24% identified utilities, and 21% pointed to homeowners insurance premiums. To cope, 35% said they had reduced spending on groceries or food, while 23% had withdrawn money from savings or emergency funds, per the same account. Experian's own blog post on the report adds further context, noting that U.S. property taxes rose 15.2% between 2021 and 2025, while non-tax escrow costs, primarily homeowners' insurance, climbed 67.4% nationwide over that same span, according to Experian.
Fresno's Market Still Offers Relative Breathing Room
Despite the national cost pressures, Fresno County remains comparatively more affordable than much of the rest of California. In the second quarter of 2026, 36% of Fresno County households could afford the median-priced home of $430,000, requiring a minimum qualifying income of $107,200, according to data reported by FresYes. That compares with just 22% affordability in the San Francisco Bay Area and 17% in the Los Angeles Metro Area, while statewide affordability sat at 19%, down from 22% in the first quarter but still above the 17% recorded a year earlier.
Fresno's housing market itself cooled slightly over the summer. The county's August median sold price of $430,000 was down 4.4% from July and 3.7% from a year earlier, FresYes reported, even as sales edged up 0.2% from a year ago. Unsold inventory rose to 3.8 months, up from 3.5 months in July, while the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate climbed to 6.67% in August, compared with 6.59% a year earlier. Zillow's August 31 update pegged average home values at $388,924 in Fresno and $516,830 in nearby Clovis, while the broader Central Valley median sold price reached $500,000, up 1.0% from a year earlier.
A Generational Shift in Who Can Buy
Behind the numbers is a demographic shift that local real estate professionals have been tracking for years. Fewer than one-third of adults between the ages of 30 and 34 own a home, according to the Public Policy Institute of California, cited in a report by KMPH. A Fresno realtor quoted in that report said the average homebuyer is now closer to 40 years old, compared with buyers in their late 20s a decade ago.
That same realtor put Fresno's median home price at around $450,000 against roughly $800,000 statewide, while the area's median household income sits around $70,000, a gap that helps explain why so many buyers describe ownership as years away rather than months. KMPH also cited a National Association of Home Builders study finding that government regulations add more than $131,000 to the cost of a new home nationwide, an increase of more than 40% since 2021. One Central Valley homeowner told the outlet her family lived in a travel trailer for five years with their daughter while saving enough to buy.
For now, Experian's broader research suggests renters are not giving up on the goal. Roman said consumers are creating habits to manage their financial health, noting that even though they may not control interest rates, they can still manage what is within their reach. Experian's own analysis found that 47% of renters believe they will be ready to purchase a home within four years, a share that rises to 67% within eight years.
