A New Generation of Homeowners Is Emerging in Cabarrus County

At 28 years old, Lexia White knew it was time for a change.

She had already become a homeowner once before, purchasing her first home while earning $12.50 an hour. But as her family grew, so did her need for more space, more stability, and a home that could support the future she wanted to build for her children.

“I just felt like we kind of outgrew our first home,” Lexia said. “It was really just time for me to make a change and do something different for me and for my kids.”

Through WeBuild Concord, Lexia found that next step. She became the owner of a three-bedroom home in Concord, one she once drove by every day because she wanted it so badly, even though she wasn’t sure it was within reach.

“I did it on a whim,” she said. “And it paid off.”

Lexia’s story reflects something larger happening across Cabarrus County.

For years, we’ve been told that homeownership is becoming a dream deferred. Young adults are waiting longer to buy homes. Rising prices, limited inventory, student debt, and higher interest rates have made entering the housing market increasingly difficult. According to the National Association of Realtors, the median age of a first-time homebuyer reached 40 in 2025, the highest on record.

But here in Cabarrus County, we’re seeing something different.

At WeBuild Concord, the average age of homeowners and buyers currently under contract is just over 32 years old. More than 62 percent are under the age of 30. Just a few years ago, the average age of our homeowners was 46.

The numbers are encouraging. What they represent is even more important.

When people talk about housing, they often focus on buildings, construction costs, or market conditions. But housing has never really been about houses. Housing is about opportunity.

It is about whether a young family can build financial stability. It is about whether a child grows up in a consistent environment. It is about whether working people can invest in their future instead of watching rent consume a growing share of their income. It is about whether wealth can be created and passed from one generation to the next.

The earlier someone enters homeownership, the longer they have to build equity, establish roots, and create financial security. The difference between purchasing a home at 32 versus 40 is not simply eight years. It can mean years of added stability, increased financial confidence, and a stronger foundation for the next generation.

That matters not only for individual households but for entire communities.

Across Cabarrus County, employers are working to attract and retain talent. Teachers, healthcare professionals, first responders, construction workers, and young professionals are helping power our local economy. Yet many struggle to find housing options that allow them to live in the communities they serve.

When workforce housing disappears, communities feel the consequences. Workers face longer commutes. Employers face staffing challenges. Families delay major life decisions. Economic mobility becomes harder to achieve.

The opposite is also true.

When attainable homeownership opportunities exist, communities grow stronger. Neighborhoods become more stable. Families become more invested. Residents become long-term stakeholders in the future of their communities.

We see that transformation taking place in Concord’s historic Logan community.

The Lincoln Street Townhomes represent the largest residential development in the neighborhood in more than 50 years. The average homeowner in the community is just over 33 years old. Recent buyers include individuals ages 22, 26, and 27.

For Lexia, homeownership is not just about having more space. It is about what that space makes possible.

“Homeownership means a lot to me,” she said. “It means stability for my kids. It means generational wealth. It’s an investment that pays it forward not only for me, but for my children’s future.”

Her perspective captures something that housing conversations often overlook.

Homeownership is not simply a transaction. It is a turning point.

For many families, it marks the moment they begin building something that lasts. A home creates choices, security, and opportunity that can extend far beyond a single generation.

Nationally, the barriers facing young homebuyers remain significant. No single organization can solve those challenges alone. But communities can make intentional decisions that expand access to homeownership, create pathways to economic mobility, and ensure that the people who work here have a chance to build a future here.

That is why the trend we are seeing in Cabarrus County matters.

A generation that many assumed would be locked out of homeownership is finding a path forward.

Young adults are buying homes. Families are putting down roots. Communities are growing stronger.

The future of Cabarrus County is being built today, one homeowner at a time. And increasingly, that future is younger than many people expected.

Dr. Patrick Graham is CEO of WeBuild Concord, a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating attainable homeownership opportunities and strengthening communities throughout Cabarrus County.