The Brief

For most Californians, the milestone of buying a “starter home” is increasingly happening long after the start of adult life.

A new analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data by the Public Policy Institute of California finds that the age at which a majority of Californians turn from renters to homeowners is 47. In the rest of the country, a majority of people are homeowners by 36.

“It's quite staggering,” said Chris Duff, president of the Greater Los Angeles Association of Realtors. “The age does seem to be climbing every year, especially here in California.”

The numbers that explain why so many Californians are locked out 

High home prices, unyielding mortgage interest rates, sluggish construction of new homes and lackluster wage growth are all conspiring to keep many younger adults locked out of homeownership, real estate experts said.

Those factors exist across the country, but they’re especially acute in Southern California. According to recent data from the California Association of Realtors:

• The median home price in L.A. County was $879,900 in the second quarter of 2026. That was more than double the national median home price of $434,900.

• Only about 17% of L.A. households earn the $219,200 minimum income needed to afford a typical $5,480 monthly payment.

Younger buyers need to get creative — or get help from mom and dad

Larissa Rubijevsky, a realtor focused on L.A.’s South Bay neighborhoods, told LAist that when she began working in Southern California in the early 2000s, her first-time buyer clients tended to be in their early 30s.

Homes were already expensive back then, but Census data shows that first-time buyers were indeed younger. In 2009, a majority of Californians had become homeowners by age 41, according to the Public Policy Institute analysis.

These days, Rubijevsky said she sees millennial and Gen Z buyers making sacrifices just to try to enter the market.

“Sometimes they have to move in with their parents for a certain amount of time and save money,” she said. “Some of them are trying to buy property with their peers, with their friends, and then share the title 50-50.”

Others are hitting up their parents for down payment gifts, Rubijevsky said.

She said she saw her clients get noticeably older after the buying frenzy of the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. In those days, homes cost less and interest rates were low. Today’s prices and monthly payments are simply out of reach for most younger buyers, she said.

“People would like to have the American Dream,” Rubijevsky said. “When people can't do that, they're forced to leave the state… That's not a happy decision for them, but they just don't have any choice anymore.”

Why the trend toward older homebuyers matters for California

Between 2015 and 2025, California’s net migration included a loss of 884,000 people who cited high housing costs as their primary reason for leaving the state.

Marisol Cuellar Mejia — a senior fellow at the Public Policy Institute of California who co-authored the recent homebuying analysis — said home ownership continues to be the main way for most families to build the kind of wealth they can pass on to the next generation.

“Younger adults in California are missing out on long-term wealth building,” Cuellar Mejia said.

She said the trend will have “a cascade effect that has a lot of implications” for lawmakers and individual families. Californians who need to wait until their 40s to buy a home could decide to delay marriage, have fewer children and keep working beyond a traditional retirement age.

Across Southern California, typical homebuying ages vary widely by location, education level, immigration status and ethnicity. In L.A. County, where most residents are renters, homeowners only begin to outnumber renters at age 59. In Riverside County, where homes are cheaper, that age is 39.

White and Asian Californians tend to become homeowners younger than Black Californians, according to the analysis. So do college graduates when compared with those without a college degree. California’s Latino immigrants are more likely to rent than own a home in every age bracket.

Vivian Chen, a mortgage lender with Southern California-based Exceed Lending, said some buyers are still able to secure their first home in their 20s and 30s by participating in government-funded down payment assistance programs, such as the California Dream For All Shared Appreciation Loan and various other county and city-funded programs.

“We are doing quite a few every month,” Chen said. “Those programs are actually helping a lot of first-time buyers.”

Is more government help on the way? 

California voters will be asked to approve new homebuying assistance funds in the upcoming November general election. Proposition 37 seeks to create a “middle class” down payment assistance program funded by revenue bonds of up to $25 billion.

Under the proposed program, homebuyers earning up to 200% of their area’s median income could apply for state funding to cover down payments of up to 17% for newly-built homes. That assistance would come in the form of a loan, not a grant, with recipients likely needing to pay back the money in monthly installments.

Republican California State Assemblymember Carl DeMaio has opposed Prop. 37, saying it would turn the state into one of the nation’s largest mortgage lenders and leave taxpayers on the hook for potential financial losses.

Supporters — including the California Association of Realtors — argue the measure would incentivize developers to build new for-sale housing rather than rental units, something that has been increasingly rare in Southern California.

“We've really closed the revolving door when it comes to that first-time homebuyer getting a small one-bedroom or two-bedroom condo and then moving up as their life circumstances change,” said Duff, the Greater L.A. Association of Realtors president. “Since we're not building that construction, we don't have that inventory.”

A day after President Donald Trump said he would start paying for controversial taxpayer-funded ads with a campaign account, there’s no sign he plans to refund the millions of federal dollars already spent on them.

Nearly $12 million worth of ads have already aired, according to AdImpact, as part of the $20 million the Homeland Security Department tapped for the contract.

But Trump’s plan to pay for the ads with MAGA Inc. doesn’t mean there’s any reimbursement coming, said a White House official who was not authorized to talk publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Speaking to reporters Tuesday, Trump said the ads were “really good” and “promotion for the country, done by many presidents before.” Asked whether he’d repay the already spent funds, he said, “we’ll decide.”

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer slammed Trump for not committing to reimbursement and said he believes the president’s plan for covering future costs represents illegal coordination with his super PAC.

“Trump must return this money to the American people and there must be a full investigation into this gross waste and abuse of taxpayer dollars,” Schumer told The Associated Press.

The four ads, which began airing in late September, glorify Trump and echo his political messaging going into the midterms. One features a clip of Trump talking about the threat of communism and another is a replay of an ad from his last presidential campaign.

Republicans and Democrats alike have said the ads aren’t an appropriate use of U.S. government money. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, a Republican from South Dakota, said they shouldn’t be paid for with taxpayer dollars.

Legal experts said the ads might even violate federal statutes, including a law against congressionally appropriated money being used for “publicity or propaganda” and another limiting the partisan political activities of government employees.

The White House has defended the ads as public service announcements similar to what past administrations have done to promote policies. Trump on Monday posted on his Truth Social platform calling the ads “positive promotion for our Great U.S.A.” while also promising to pay for them with “money I raised for MAGA Inc.”

That is Trump’s political war chest, which had amassed more than $400 million by the end of July. Trump has begun to tap it to boost Republican candidates around the country in the midterm elections.

Now’s the time to prepare for this year’s potentially historic El Niño season.

The climate pattern could bring rain, flooding and mudslides in the next few months. Surging sea levels could hit even sooner, along with the coastal erosion that comes with it.

El Niño is driven by abnormally warm ocean temperatures in the eastern Pacific Ocean. Sea surface temperatures hit record levels more than a month ago. That means there’s more than a 90% chance that this year’s El Niño will be extremely strong, according to the National Weather Service.

Strong El Niño years have historically brought heavy rain and elevated sea levels to Southern California, although scientists warn that it’s impossible to predict exactly where and when those effects will hit.

Emergency management officials are preparing for severe impacts on the region by readying flood-control infrastructure, building up coastal defenses and deploying extra crews and equipment.

They’re also urging residents to prepare for themselves.

“The most important step is to prepare before a warning is issued,” said Jon O’Brien, chief deputy of emergency operations for L.A. County. “Know whether your home or route is vulnerable to flooding or debris flows. Sign up for local emergency alerts. Make a plan to leave if directed.”

Here are a few steps you can take to start preparing now for El Niño.

Sign up for alerts

Signing up for emergency alerts from trusted sources is a key first step in preparing for extreme weather.

“One of the most important things that residents can do is make sure that you have multiple ways to receive forecasts, watches and warnings from credible sources,” said National Weather Service meteorologist Ariel Cohen.

Public safety officials emphasize that when you do receive an emergency alert, it’s important to take it seriously and follow any instructions that come with it.

Understanding risks

Next, you should learn how weather events and coastal hazards can affect you specifically.

The MyHazard tool from the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services lays out the risks that could affect your property and the surrounding area and how severe those risks could be.

Understanding the specific threats you face is key to planning your response. Those that are likely to come with El Niño include flooding, landslides, sea level rise and debris flows in postfire zones.

It’s also important to consider risks beyond your property and neighborhood. Look for hazards along the routes you take to important places, such as school and work, or would take to places like a hospital or an evacuation shelter. Make a plan for alternate routes in case roads are flooded, washed out or blocked.

Making a plan

Emergency management officials say developing a clear plan is one of the most effective ways to ensure your family is resilient during an emergency or disaster.

Here are some recommendations for what to include in an emergency plan:

• Identify a meeting place for your family outside of your home and neighborhood.
• Know your evacuation routes. Identify the quickest, safest way to leave your home and neighborhood.
• Know the location of utility shutoffs so that you know how to turn off your water, gas and electricity in an emergency.
• If you don’t know already, ask schools and adult-care centers what their emergency plans are, especially when it comes to supplies and transportation.
• Keep important documents accessible and ready in the event of an evacuation, as well as other important items, such as family photos.
• Keep an inventory of extra medications that you and your loved ones may need.
• Make special provisions for children, seniors, pets, people with disabilities, and non-English speakers.
• Schedule an annual family run-through of the emergency plan. 

It’s a good idea to put together a household communication plan that includes contact information for family members and other important people, including an out-of-state emergency contact. It should also have contact information for nearby hospitals, family doctors, schools and employers.

Another important consideration is planning for family members or neighbors who rely on electricity to power medical equipment or other essential support devices in case there’s a power outage. Officials recommend making a plan for accessing a backup power source in the case of a power outage.

If that plan includes a generator, however, it's essential to follow safety rules. That includes keeping a generator at a safe distance and never operating one indoors, as that can cause a buildup of deadly carbon monoxide gas.

Officials are urging residents to reach out to their neighbors ahead of time, especially those who need special assistance.

“ Connect with family and neighbors in your community, and build out that network. Neighbors helping neighbors is a really important point,” said L.A. County’s director of aging and disability, Maral Karaccusian.

It’s also important to have a plan in place for pets and other animals.

For dogs and cats, make sure your contact information is listed on their collar and that you bring pet food with you in an evacuation. It’s also a good idea to have your pet microchipped — if you’ve had your furry friend for a while, double-check that the info associated with the microchip is current.

Olivia Sanderfoot stands on a flower-freckled hillside in Amherst in Western Massachusetts. She listens for a moment — and a volley of birdsong flutters forth.

An Eastern Wood-Pewee. A goldfinch. A downy woodpecker.

"It's just magical," she says with an air of reverence. There are birds foraging among the flowers. Fluffy fledglings are darting about, learning the ways of the world.

"Every day that I get to start birding is a good day," she says. "If you want to get the widest range of species and hear the most songs, you want to be out here in the morning."

Sanderfoot, a global change ecologist at Cornell University, knows that for the birds that live here, not every morning is this idyllic. Over the summer, this area was suffused with toxic smoke from distant wildfires in Canada. It's an increasingly common problem, even in places untouched by flames. Fire season is starting earlier, lasting later, burning more land — and as a result, producing far more smoke.

"Smoke can blow hundreds to thousands of miles away from that burn site," Sanderfoot explains. "That means that the footprint of a smoke event greatly exceeds that of any fire. How do birds deal with that?"

This is the central question animating Sanderfoot's desire to form a new field of study called "smoke ecology." The goal, she says, is to understand how the smoke billowing off of wildfires may be disturbing wild places and creatures — and whether anything can be done to prevent possible harm.

Air today, gone tomorrow

Sanderfoot's curiosity about how birds cope with smoke emerged in 2018 when she was living in Seattle and wildfires blazed in Eastern Washington. "The air smelled acrid," she recalls. "The city was just blanketed in this sickly yellow, gray haze."

She was told it was a one-time event — yet the same thing happened two years later.

"I remember walking outside and my eyes were just burning," Sanderfoot says. "And I thought, 'What on earth are animals doing? Are they OK?'"

An adult bluebird sits atop a nesting box containing its chicks at the Mass Audubon's Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary.

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Aaron Gouveia/Mass Audubon

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Very little was known apart from anecdotes — like the absence of birdsong or the arrival of droves of birds to a backyard, famished and parched.

"Smoke is a toxic soup of substances," she says. "It's not just about what [birds are] inhaling, which is inevitably bad for them. It's also about how the cues that they use to navigate their world are upended when it gets smoky outside."

To puzzle out what was going on, Sanderfoot realized that she needed to collaborate with researchers from a range of other disciplines, including conservation biology, statistics, ecophysiology and atmospheric chemistry.

"Real-world problems don't map cleanly onto the same academic silos that have been set up for decades," says Tracey Holloway, an atmospheric chemist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the lead of NASA's Health and Air Quality Applied Sciences Team, and a colleague of Sanderfoot's. "We need to be tackling new problems with new partnerships."

For instance, in order to understand what birds are inhaling, one has to know what's moving through the air in time and three-dimensional space. "It depends on which way the winds are blowing," says Holloway, "what chemical processes are happening in the air, and also patterns of rainfall and where the emissions are coming from." The science depends on air quality monitoring, satellite data, and evermore sophisticated computer modeling.

Birds are especially sensitive to smoke in large part because of how they breathe. A human being has soft lungs that allow inhalation and exhalation of air. By contrast, birds have rigid lungs surrounded by a collection of air sacs that act like bellows, pushing air continuously through the system.

"This allows birds to take up about twice as much oxygen with each breath that they inhale compared to us," says Sanderfoot. "This means that they're vulnerable to all the other things that are in the air, too."

Morgan Tingley, an ecologist at UCLA, is another member of the burgeoning smoke ecology cohort. "What we're trying to do is getting smoke to be recognized as a disturbance in and of itself distinct from fire that is worthy of our concentrated attention," he says.

For much of his career, Tingley has studied wildfires — events with a clear start and stop, and defined borders. But the smoke produced by those wildfires can present its own unique set of problems, as it can spread far from the original blaze.

"Smoke is extremely hard to predict and it's highly variable," he says. "It can be there one day, one hour, and gone the next. Which means that it's hard to actually disentangle what its impacts are because you can't really control it."

This means that it's not possible to anticipate where smoke will appear, or when. Scientists also prefer not to subject animals to smoke intentionally.

So when it comes to studying wildfire smoke and birds, the trick is to gather data everywhere. To do so, the researchers rely on legions of amateur birders and professional conservationists and ornithologists across the country who are already on the ground collecting data when smoke happens to blow in.

Big army, little birds

One such individual is Pam Sowizral, the bird project coordinator at Mass Audubon's Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary in Lincoln outside of Boston. On a sunny morning in late August, she walks up to a bluebird nest box and gently raps on the outside.

Pam Sowizral is one of the legions of birders and conservationists across the country who are already on the ground collecting data about birds when smoke happens to blow in.

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Ari Daniel

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NPR

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"Always give a little knock first," she advises quietly. "Let them know you're coming." When she lifts the side panel, she reveals two feathery puffballs huddled on a bed of pine needles. These baby bluebirds are the last of the season here.

Sowizral says that nearly every year for the last 20 years, three times a week in spring and summer, she and her volunteers check the bird boxes here and count the nests and the eggs and how many chicks fledge. They check when the weather's good, when it's bad (within reason) — and when the smoke rolls in.

"Those periods of time when the smoke was here, the air somehow felt a little different," she says. But "that didn't stop us from doing our usual monitoring of our boxes."

That's key. Nationally, counts like this one, which is part of Cornell University's NestWatch project, provide a portrait of bird activity and behavior before, during and after smoke events.

Two feathery puffballs huddle on a bed of pine needles in a nesting box. These baby bluebirds are the last of the season.

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Ari Daniel

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NPR

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Sanderfoot of Cornell University says she's using these kinds of observations, alongside observations of breeding behavior, to help her understand how birds are coping with wildfire smoke in a variety of places.

She's revealed three distinct strategies, depending on the species and the individual birds. They either hunker down and stay put, fly away, or shift their behavior — by not vocalizing as much or venturing out less often, say.

"This could be an attempt to mitigate their exposure," says Sanderfoot. "It might also be how they are forced to respond if they feel unwell."

In addition, she and her colleagues have observed that repeated exposure to smoke appears to impair the body condition of a variety of birds, leading to lower weight overall.

"They all respond in different ways," she says. "And we need to figure out what those ways are and how effective they are in order to design effective conservation strategies for a rapidly changing world."

This is one of Sanderfoot's top priorities: determining what might constitute what she calls smoke refugia for birds — safer spots where they can hunker down until conditions improve. "I want to know where birds are going when it's smoky," she says, "what resources they're seeking out, and what we could provide to help them during a risky time" — like water and perhaps shelter or food.

"I would like to be able to give people something they can do to help," she says.

Sanderfoot's personal experience with wildfires didn't end in Seattle. "I almost feel like the smoke is following me," she says.

In early 2025, she and her family fled the fires in Los Angeles, where they were living at the time. And this summer, she watched as a blanket of smoke descended upon parts of the U.S., including Ithaca, where she lives now, blowing off the remote Canadian infernos. She says she doesn't think it's a coincidence.

"Let's put it this way," she says: "We can expect that the future will be smokier."

It's a fact that's true for birds and people, which means that what Sanderfoot and her colleagues learn about smoke ecology may reveal a clearer way forward — for us all.

"By learning more about birds," she says, "I think we might learn something about how we can take care of ourselves and each other."

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