Struggles abound for homeowners in Gateway Cities, including cost burdens and tough market competition, yet overall satisfaction remains high, according to a new survey of 850 Massachusetts homeowners.

Respondents both in and outside of Gateway Cities largely reported that they were satisfied with being homeowners. But cost pressures were more pronounced in Gateway Cities as housing affordability remains the single biggest financial pressure point for Massachusetts residents, highlighting a clash between how people feel about homeownership and what it means for their finances.

Those who own homes in the state’s 26 post-industrial era cities were more likely to skip urgent home repairs due to cost, be at risk of foreclosure, buy in neighborhoods that were not their first choice, and say that homeownership has hurt their financial stability. The poll was conducted by the MassINC Polling Group, which is part of the same organization that publishes CommonWealth Beacon.

“Where we see a lot of struggle for Gateway City homeowners is less around the buying of the home, though that is present, and more around preserving the home,” said Courtney Brunson, director of economic equity initiatives at The Boston Foundation. “That’s where there are issues across the board, but it’s disproportionately higher for non-white, lower-income folks living in Gateway Cities.”

“Even though they may have lower home prices overall, it is still incredibly expensive and out of reach for the people who are trying to purchase within Gateway Cities,” she added.

Over the last decade, the homeownership rate for residents who live in Gateway Cities has hovered around 50 percent, according to the MassINC Policy Center’s 2025 Gateway Cities Housing Monitor. The statewide rate has also been flat at around 63 percent.

Less than half of all Gateway City residents own their homes, and the number of rental units is increasing faster than ownership units. From 2013 to 2023, growth in renter-occupied housing in Gateway Cities outpaced growth in owner-occupied housing by 4,200 units. Some Gateway Cities have been described as “ownership deserts” — places where renting is common and opportunities for homeownership are scarce.

Half of respondents in the Gateway Cities said competition with other buyers was a barrier they faced while purchasing their home while 37 percent of those outside the Gateway Cities said the same.

Although homeownership rates for people of color are rising in the Gateway Cities, white residents continue to make up a large majority of owners. Black and Hispanic households have homeownership rates that are 23 percentage points and 32 percentage points lower than white households respectively.

While a majority of poll respondents said owning a home has helped them financially, that enthusiasm is slightly muted among those in the Gateway Cities — 62 percent of whom said it has helped and 24 percent of whom said it has hurt their financial stability. Comparatively, 75 percent of non-Gateway City homeowners said it has helped while just 13 percent said it has hurt.

Yet satisfaction with homeownership is high, mainly driven by intangibles like pride and control over one’s living space, according to the poll. Nearly half of Gateway City respondents said the ability to pass their home on to their children as an asset was a benefit of being a homeowner, compared to nearly a third of non-Gateway City respondents who said the same.

“They still feel like this is their home — it’s a stable household that helps anchor their family, so there’s still benefits outside of financial satisfaction,” said Elliot Schmiedl, director of homeownership at the Massachusetts Housing Partnership. “But it’s more of a daunting challenge for folks under 100 percent area median income and for non-white households, and it has to do with costs.”

More Context

• Report says Gateway Cities need to double housing production to meet rising demand (November 2024)