September 4, 2026
Are Zillow’s “Lifestyle Renters” Just Buyer Wannabes?
Before Deciding Americans Prefer Renting, Maybe We Should Find Out If They Can Afford to Buy Zillow says something interesting is happening to the American renter. Once viewed largely as a temporary stop on the way to homeownership, renting is increasingly becoming a deliberate long-term choice, Zillow claims. It calls the people making it “lifestyle renters.” Renting Is A Legitimate Long-Term Option, Not A Fallback So says Zillow Chief Economist Mischa Fisher. For some people, it absolutely is. But Zillow points to another statistic as evidence of this changing attitude: Only 42% of renters say they would be very or
