When asked about the ideal age to buy a home, people’s answers vary more than on other milestones we measured.

Brazilian adults suggest the youngest age for this life event (saying 24.9 years old is best, on average), while Ghanaian adults suggest the oldest age (36.3). Across the 18 mostly middle-income countries surveyed, people think the best age to buy a home is 29.9.

Adults in other Latin American countries agree with Brazilians that becoming a homeowner before 30 is ideal: People in Chile and Mexico, on average, say the best age for buying a home is around 27, while those in Argentina, Colombia and Peru say it’s around 28.

As on every milestone we asked about, people within each country suggest a variety of ages for this life event.

In Brazil, there are three age ranges that around a quarter of adults each see as ideal for first-time homebuying: ages 20 to 24, 25 to 29, and 30 to 34. In addition, 13% of Brazilians say the best time to buy a home is under age 20 – the highest share to say this among the countries surveyed.

In other countries, there is clearer consensus on the best time in life to buy a home. For instance, 42% of Thai adults think that the best time to reach this milestone is between ages 30 and 34. Roughly one-in-five say the ideal age is 25 to 29, and a similar share say it’s 35 to 39.

Conversely, roughly four-in-ten Ghanaian adults believe the best time to buy a home is at age 40 or older. That’s the highest share to suggest this age range in the survey.

Views by age

In eight out of 18 countries, the ideal age to buy a home differs slightly among younger and older adults. The largest difference is in Kenya, where adults under 35 say the ideal age to buy a home is 30.2, while those ages 50 and older say it’s 32.6.

Notably, there are not consistent education or income differences on this question.