Originally posted by the Voice of America. Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America, a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in the public domain. IFRAME: [1]https://www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-N8MP7P [2]Skip to main content (Submit) Open main navigation Live TV Please wait, loading... Please wait, loading... [3]Full Schedule [4]All Programs Live Radio Please wait, loading... Please wait, loading... Please wait, loading... [5]Full Schedule [6]All Programs * [7]United States [8]US Politics + [9]Immigration + [10]All About America + [11]Science & Health + [12]Silicon Valley & Technology * World [13]Africa + [14]The Americas + [15]East Asia Pacific + [16]Europe + [17]Extremism Watch + [18]Middle East + [19]South & Central Asia + [20]VOA News on Iran * Sections [21]Arts & Culture + [22]Day in Photos + [23]Economy & Business + [24]Press Freedom + [25]Plugged in with Greta Van Susteren + [26]VOA StudentU + [27]VOA Connect + [28]Refugees * [29]US News * [30]Press Freedom * [31]Silicon Valley & Technology * [32]VOA StudentU [33]Voice of America Logo (Submit) Search Search VOA News ____________________ (Submit) Search (Submit) Lang [34]Live TV Live TV Please wait, loading... Please wait, loading... [35]Full Schedule [36]All Programs [37]Live Radio Live Radio Please wait, loading... Please wait, loading... Please wait, loading... [38]Full Schedule [39]All Programs English [40]English [41]voanews.com [42]Learning English [43]learningenglish.voanews.com Eastern & Central Europe [44]Shqip [45]zeriamerikes.com [46]Bosanski [47]ba.voanews.com [48]Îλληνικά [49]gr.voanews.com [50]ÐакедонÑки [51]mk.voanews.com [52]Srpski [53]glasamerike.net [54]УкÑаÑнÑÑка [55]ukrainian.voanews.com Eurasia [56]ÕÕ¡ÕµÕ¥ÖÕ¥Õ¶ [57]amerikayidzayn.com [58]Azerbaijani [59]amerikaninsesi.org [60]á¥áá áá£áá [61]amerikiskhma.com [62]Ð ÑÑÑкий [63]golos-ameriki.ru Central Asia [64]O'zbek' [65]amerikaovozi.com South Asia [66]বাà¦à¦²à¦¾ [67]voabangla.com [68]Ø¯Ø±Û [69]darivoa.com [70]Ù¾Úت٠[71]pashtovoa.com [72]ÙÛ Ø§Ù Ø§Û ÚÙÙ٠رÙÚÛÙ [73]voadeewanews.com [74]ارد [75]urduvoa.com East & Southeast Asia [76]á»ááá¹áᬠ[77]burmese.voanews.com [78]ç²¤è¯ [79]voacantonese.com [80]ä¸æ [81]voachinese.com [82]Bahasa Indonesia [83]voaindonesia.com [84]ááááá [85]khmer.voanews.com [86]Khmer [87]voacambodia.com [88]íêµì´ [89]voakorea.com [90]ລາວ [91]lao.voanews.com [92]à¹à¸à¸¢ [93]voathai.com [94]à½à½¼à½à¼à½¡à½²à½ [95]voatibetan.com [96]Tiếng Viá»t [97]voatiengviet.com Africa [98]Afaan Oromoo [99]voaafaanoromoo.com [100]á ááá [101]amharic.voanews.com [102]Bambara [103]voabambara.com [104]Français [105]voaafrique.com [106]Hausa [107]voahausa.com [108]Kinyarwanda / Kirundi [109]radiyoyacuvoa.com [110]Ndebele [111]voandebele.com [112]Português [113]voaportugues.com [114]Shona [115]voashona.com [116]Soomaaliga [117]voasomali.com [118]Kiswahili [119]voaswahili.com [120]áµááá [121]tigrigna.voanews.com [122]Zimbabwe [123]voazimbabwe.com Middle East/North Africa [124]ÙØ§Ø±Ø³Û [125]ir.voanews.com [126]ÙÙØ±Ø¯Û [127]dengiamerika.com [128]Kurdi [129]dengeamerika.com [130]Türkçe [131]amerikaninsesi.com Latin America [132]Creole [133]voanouvel.com [134]Español [135]voanoticias.com [136]All About America Why Affluent Americans Chose 'Lifestyle' Renting Over Buying in the 2010s By Dora Mekouar Updated December 30, 2019 06:22 AM Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share via Email Print this page After living in a Washington, D.C., suburb for 20 years, Patrick Harrington had had enough. Fed up with the 25-mile commute to work, the Virginia man, along with his wife, Francine, sold their home and moved into a rental located about a 15-minute walk from Patrick's work. "I went from an hour-and-a-half drive every morning to a 15-minute walk," Patrick says. "We've definitely undergone a lifestyle change. No doubt about it." The Harringtons exemplify a key housing trend of the 2010s, a decade that saw renting emerge as a choice. The days of people being forced to rent until they can afford to buy appear to be over for many. An increasing number of more affluent Americans are opting to rent as a way of life. "Renting became a lifestyle option this past decade," Michaela Buzec, a research analyst for RENTCafe told VOA via email. "It offers flexibility and freedom to move around and change neighborhoods or cities. It's also a matter of affordability, since home prices in big, desirable cities increased significantly. This trend is scattered throughout the country, but it's most evident in the expensive markets." Patrick and Francine Harrington in front of their Washington-area rental home, Dec. 26, 2019. (Photo by Patrick Harrington) Patrick and Francine Harrington in front of their Washington-area rental home, Dec. 26, 2019. (Photo by Patrick Harrington) That's certainly true for the Harringtons, empty nesters who moved to a trendy, historic, more urban location that also happens to feature some of the Washington area's highest home prices. "[The rent] is way more than my mortgage, actually probably 50% more than my mortgage," says Francine, who considers herself more financially practical than her husband. "So, you know, I was debating [the move], although our transportation [costs] have been cut -- tolls, gas, wear-and-tear on our cars." The 2010s saw the largest increase in the percentage of renters since the 1960s, according to RENTCafe, an internet service that lists rental properties. More than 100 million Americans live in rental units. Since 2010, the number of renters increased twice as fast as the number of homeowners. There are 74% more people renting today than in 1960. Graphic by RENTCafe "Advantage-wise, it's incredibly convenient," Francine says of the rental home they've been in for almost a year. "Walking distance to Patrick's job and to stores and entertainment places, restaurants and stuff. So it's very convenient. I ride my bike a lot more. Patrick walks a lot more." "We want to take more and more advantage of it now that we're empty nesters," Patrick adds, "so, yeah, definitely lifestyle is definitely part of the equation, but for me it was 99% work related." The number of renters increased "across the board," among the young and the old, in urban areas as well as the suburbs. [137]RENTCafe, which studied data from the past decade, found reasons for the increase include high student loans and home prices, and the need to be flexible in a changing, growing job market. Twenty cities went from a homeowner majority to a renter majority in the past 10 years, including places like Detroit, Michigan; Dayton and Toledo, Ohio; Stockton, California, and Memphis, Tennessee. Today, the cities with the largest share of renters are in the American Northeast. Graphic by RENTCafe "Perhaps the most surprising aspect is to see cohorts traditionally oriented towards homeownership give up this status and willingly start renting," Buzec says. "These include seniors and high-earning Americans, who see renting as the better option for their situations. This fact supports the most prominent trend of the decade, that of renting as a choice, more than simply a solution." For the Harringtons, renting means they didn't sweat it when a major appliance broke down or when heavy rains flooded the basement. As renters, they stood by while the owner took care of both problems. In addition, both appreciate living without all of the junk they'd accumulated in their old house. But how long they'll continue to rent remains an open question. "Well, we have two schools of thought here," Patrick says. "I could see ourselves renting for a good longer period than Francine does." Whether the "renter-by-choice" trend will continue into the 2020s remains to be seen. Looking ahead to the next decade, Francine isn't sure what the best option will be for her and her husband. "I don't know if I would buy," she says. "I'm kind of, right now, on the bubble. Maybe I would just look for a slightly cheaper place to rent, because I don't know how long Patrick's job will be...I'm really on the fence on it." Related Stories Suburban house [138]All About America [139]Why American Houses Keep Getting Bigger Size of the average American home has more than doubled since the 1950s Default Author Profile By [140]Dora Mekouar Wed, 11/06/2019 - 14:52 Senior apartments as advertised on the website of retirement living community Ashby Ponds in Loudoun County, Virginia. [141]All About America [142]Number of Older US Renters Spikes 43% Carmen Perry decided to rent rather than buy immediately after she divorced her husband and sold the family home. The 67-year-old realtor sees definite advantages to living in a space owned by someone else."If something breaks or something needs to be replaced, water heater or whatever, I just call the company who does the management for the owner and they come and fix it for me," Perry says. "And that is great, especially when I lived in a very large house with a lot of'¦ Default Author Profile By [143]Dora Mekouar Tue, 03/12/2019 - 16:50 A new line of modern homes inspired by the work of architect Frank Lloyd Wright, and featuring the design principles of Wright's Usonian houses. (Courtesy of Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation) [144]All About America [145]What US Home Architecture Tells Us About America Like America itself, US residential styles are a hodgepodge of elements from different countries Default Author Profile By [146]Dora Mekouar Thu, 02/21/2019 - 16:00 Default Author Profile Written By [147]Dora Mekouar (Submit) (Submit) (Submit) (Submit) (Submit) [148]Twitter [149]Instagram [150]Facebook [151]YouTube [152]RSS Search VOA News ____________________ (Submit) Search * [153]United States [154]US Politics + [155]Immigration + [156]All About America + [157]Silicon Valley and Technology * World News [158]Africa + [159]The Americas + [160]East Asia Pacific + [161]Europe + [162]Middle East + [163]South & Central Asia * Sections [164]Arts & Culture + [165]Day in Photos + [166]Economy & Business + [167]Extremism Watch + [168]Press Freedom + [169]Science & Health + [170]VOA StudentU + [171]VOA Connect + [172]Refugees * Voice of America [173]About VOA + [174]Contact VOA + [175]Terms of Use and Privacy Notice + [176]Get Our Mobile App + [177]Usage Requests + [178]VOA Around the World + [179]VOA Pronunciation Guide + [180]Media Relations + [181]Listen on the radio + [182]Satellite Schedule + [183]Subscribe to Our Newsletters References 1. https://www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-N8MP7P 2. file://localhost/tmp/lynxXXXXzTaaaa/L37158912-9234TMP.html#main-content 3. file://localhost/watch/schedule 4. file://localhost/watch/programs 5. file://localhost/listen/schedule 6. file://localhost/listen/programs 7. file://localhost/usa 8. file://localhost/usa/us-politics 9. file://localhost/usa/immigration 10. file://localhost/usa/all-about-america 11. file://localhost/science-health 12. file://localhost/silicon-valley-technology 13. file://localhost/africa 14. file://localhost/americas 15. file://localhost/east-asia-pacific 16. file://localhost/europe 17. file://localhost/extremism-watch 18. file://localhost/middle-east 19. file://localhost/south-central-asia 20. file://localhost/middle-east/voa-news-iran 21. file://localhost/arts-culture 22. file://localhost/day-photos 23. file://localhost/economy-business 24. file://localhost/press-freedom 25. file://localhost/plugged-greta-van-susteren 26. file://localhost/student-union 27. file://localhost/voa-connect 28. file://localhost/refugees 29. file://localhost/usa 30. file://localhost/press-freedom 31. file://localhost/silicon-valley-technology 32. file://localhost/student-union 33. file://localhost/ 34. file://localhost/watch 35. file://localhost/watch/schedule 36. file://localhost/watch/programs 37. file://localhost/listen 38. file://localhost/listen/schedule 39. file://localhost/listen/programs 40. https://voanews.com/ 41. https://voanews.com/ 42. https://learningenglish.voanews.com/ 43. https://learningenglish.voanews.com/ 44. https://zeriamerikes.com/ 45. https://zeriamerikes.com/ 46. https://ba.voanews.com/ 47. https://ba.voanews.com/ 48. https://gr.voanews.com/ 49. https://gr.voanews.com/ 50. https://mk.voanews.com/ 51. https://mk.voanews.com/ 52. https://glasamerike.net/ 53. https://glasamerike.net/ 54. https://ukrainian.voanews.com/ 55. https://ukrainian.voanews.com/ 56. https://amerikayidzayn.com/ 57. https://amerikayidzayn.com/ 58. https://amerikaninsesi.org/ 59. https://amerikaninsesi.org/ 60. https://amerikiskhma.com/ 61. https://amerikiskhma.com/ 62. https://golos-ameriki.ru/ 63. https://golos-ameriki.ru/ 64. https://amerikaovozi.com/ 65. https://amerikaovozi.com/ 66. https://voabangla.com/ 67. https://voabangla.com/ 68. https://darivoa.com/ 69. https://darivoa.com/ 70. https://pashtovoa.com/ 71. https://pashtovoa.com/ 72. https://voadeewanews.com/ 73. https://voadeewanews.com/ 74. https://urduvoa.com/ 75. https://urduvoa.com/ 76. https://burmese.voanews.com/ 77. https://burmese.voanews.com/ 78. https://voacantonese.com/ 79. https://voacantonese.com/ 80. https://voachinese.com/ 81. https://voachinese.com/ 82. https://voaindonesia.com/ 83. https://voaindonesia.com/ 84. https://khmer.voanews.com/ 85. https://khmer.voanews.com/ 86. https://voacambodia.com/ 87. https://voacambodia.com/ 88. https://voakorea.com/ 89. https://voakorea.com/ 90. https://lao.voanews.com/ 91. https://lao.voanews.com/ 92. https://voathai.com/ 93. https://voathai.com/ 94. https://voatibetan.com/ 95. https://voatibetan.com/ 96. https://voatiengviet.com/ 97. https://voatiengviet.com/ 98. https://voaafaanoromoo.com/ 99. https://voaafaanoromoo.com/ 100. https://amharic.voanews.com/ 101. https://amharic.voanews.com/ 102. https://voabambara.com/ 103. https://voabambara.com/ 104. https://voaafrique.com/ 105. https://voaafrique.com/ 106. https://voahausa.com/ 107. https://voahausa.com/ 108. https://radiyoyacuvoa.com/ 109. https://radiyoyacuvoa.com/ 110. https://voandebele.com/ 111. https://voandebele.com/ 112. https://voaportugues.com/ 113. https://voaportugues.com/ 114. https://voashona.com/ 115. https://voashona.com/ 116. https://voasomali.com/ 117. https://voasomali.com/ 118. https://voaswahili.com/ 119. https://voaswahili.com/ 120. https://tigrigna.voanews.com/ 121. https://tigrigna.voanews.com/ 122. https://voazimbabwe.com/ 123. https://voazimbabwe.com/ 124. https://ir.voanews.com/ 125. https://ir.voanews.com/ 126. https://dengiamerika.com/ 127. https://dengiamerika.com/ 128. https://dengeamerika.com/ 129. https://dengeamerika.com/ 130. https://amerikaninsesi.com/ 131. https://amerikaninsesi.com/ 132. https://voanouvel.com/ 133. https://voanouvel.com/ 134. https://voanoticias.com/ 135. https://voanoticias.com/ 136. file://localhost/usa/all-about-america 137. https://www.rentcafe.com/blog/rental-market/market-snapshots/renting-america-housing-changed-past-decade/#rentergrowth 138. file://localhost/usa/all-about-america 139. file://localhost/usa/all-about-america/why-american-houses-keep-getting-bigger 140. file://localhost/author/dora-mekouar 141. file://localhost/usa/all-about-america 142. file://localhost/usa/all-about-america/number-older-us-renters-spikes-43 143. file://localhost/author/dora-mekouar 144. file://localhost/usa/all-about-america 145. file://localhost/usa/all-about-america/what-us-home-architecture-tells-us-about-america 146. file://localhost/author/dora-mekouar 147. file://localhost/author/dora-mekouar 148. https://twitter.com/voanews 149. https://www.instagram.com/voanews/ 150. https://www.facebook.com/voiceofamerica 151. https://www.youtube.com/user/VOAvideo 152. file://localhost/rssfeeds 153. file://localhost/usa 154. file://localhost/usa/us-politics 155. file://localhost/usa/immigration 156. file://localhost/usa/all-about-america 157. file://localhost/silicon-valley-technology 158. file://localhost/africa 159. file://localhost/americas 160. file://localhost/east-asia-pacific 161. file://localhost/europe 162. file://localhost/middle-east 163. file://localhost/south-central-asia 164. file://localhost/arts-culture 165. file://localhost/day-photos 166. file://localhost/economy-business 167. file://localhost/extremism-watch 168. file://localhost/press-freedom 169. file://localhost/science-health 170. file://localhost/student-union 171. file://localhost/voa-connect 172. file://localhost/refugees 173. https://www.insidevoa.com/p/5831.html 174. https://www.insidevoa.com/p/5621.html 175. https://www.voanews.com/terms-use-and-privacy-notice 176. file://localhost/voas-free-app-mobile-and-tablet-devices 177. http://www.insidevoa.com/p/5719.html 178. https://www.voanews.com/voa-around-world 179. http://pronounce.voanews.com/ 180. http://www.insidevoa.com/ 181. file://localhost/voa-broadcast-frequency-schedules 182. http://direct.voa24.news/english/portal/broadcast-schedule 183. file://localhost/subscribe .