63% of US homeowners say owning a home causes at least moderate financial stress

Rising housing costs are putting pressure on more than household budgets. In a new survey of 1,000 U.S. homeowners conducted by Hometap from Oct. 4 to 6, 2026, 63% said owning a home causes them at least moderate financial stress, up from 55% in a similar survey in June 2025.

The most stressed homeowners say the effects reach well beyond the budget, into their sleep, health, relationships and work.

How stress shows up in daily life

Among the 281 homeowners who said they are very or extremely stressed, 92% said the stress shows up in at least one way in their daily lives. Respondents could select all that apply, and the answers are self-reported.

• Health: 57% reported symptoms of anxiety or depression, 52% reported trouble sleeping and 33% said they have delayed medical or dental care.
• Relationships: About 30% reported tension with a spouse or partner, about 30% reported arguments about money at home and 20% said they spend less quality time with family.
• Work and money habits: 23% reported trouble focusing at work, and 22% said they avoid checking bank accounts or bills.
• Life plans: 8% said they have delayed having children or other family plans.

Which costs weigh heaviest

Stress levels varied with the cost homeowners said bothered them most. Among the 100 homeowners who named mortgage payments as their most stressful cost, 89% said they are at least moderately stressed and 51% said they are very or extremely stressed. Among the 149 who named property taxes, 73% are at least moderately stressed. Among the 151 who named none of the listed costs, 23% are.

These groups are small, so the results are best read as directional rather than precise.

Stress and a sense of lost control

Higher stress went hand in hand with feeling less in control of housing costs. Among the 632 homeowners who are at least moderately stressed, 68% said the cost of owning their home feels increasingly out of their control, compared with 24% of the 368 less-stressed homeowners.

Worry about the future followed the same pattern. Sixty percent of the at least moderately stressed homeowners said they worry about being able to afford their home in the next few years, compared with 21% of less-stressed homeowners.

Because the survey is a single snapshot, it cannot show whether stress drives the sense of lost control or the other way around.

In homeowners’ own words, and at the ballot box

Homeowners who wrote in their own answers described the pressure in everyday terms:

• “Having to go without everyday needs in order to pay utilities and buy groceries.”
• “Worried about having bill money for winter, generally good during the summer but the gas bill is a big deal when it gets cold.”
• “Stress[ed] watching savings dwindle.”

Stress did not keep homeowners from planning to take part in the midterm elections. About 41% of those surveyed said being a homeowner makes them more likely to vote in the midterms. That share was 48% among the 632 at least moderately stressed homeowners and 28% among the 368 less-stressed homeowners.

Earlier Hometap surveys point to similar resilience. In a 2025 survey, 76% of homeowners said homeownership is still part of the American Dream despite the stress and downsides. In a June 2026 survey, 49% described owning their home as a major achievement, while 50% described the American Dream as “eroding” or “broken.”

Methodology

AYTM conducted the survey online on behalf of Hometap from Oct. 4 to 6, 2026. It surveyed 1,000 U.S. homeowners recruited through AYTM’s online panel and screened to confirm current homeownership. The 20-question survey randomized multiple-choice options and offered “Not applicable” or “Other” responses on every question.

The results for the full sample carry a 95% confidence level and a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points. Percentages are rounded.

“Very or extremely stressed” refers to the top two points on a five-point stress scale. “At least moderately stressed” refers to the top three points, and “less stressed” to the bottom two.

The symptoms and behaviors described are self-reported by respondents and are not medical diagnoses.

This story was produced by Hometap and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.