ShareNovember was Native American Heritage Month, a time dedicated to recognizing the rich history, culture, and contributions of American Indian and Alaska Native communities across the United States. Many of us may need to reach back to our school days to recall what we learned about these communities. In celebration of this month, we’re sharing key insights to deepen our understanding of population growth, demographics, and homeownership trends within Native communities today, and how they compare to other racial and ethnic groups.
Population Growth and Demographics
Population
The American Indian and Alaska Native population - estimated at about 3.3 million people identifying as one race - represents about 1% of the total U.S. population. Despite their small size, Native communities are the fastest-growing racial groups in the country, outpacing even Asian population growth. Over the past decade, the American Indian and Alaska Native population increased substantially by 32.5% compared to the national average of 5.9%. This growth rate even surpasses that of the Asian population, which grew by 25.2%, while other groups like Hispanic and Black populations increased by 20.5% and 1.8%, respectively. In contrast, the White population saw a decline of 13% over the same period.
American Indian and Alaska Native communities are especially concentrated in states with a historical tribal presence. Alaska has the highest share, with 10.8% of all households identifying as American Indian or Alaska Native, followed by Oklahoma at 6.3%, New Mexico at 7.8%, and South Dakota at 5.1%. Other states with significant shares include Arizona (3.3%), Montana (3.9%), and North Dakota (3.7%). These areas are often home to substantial tribal lands and communities, which contribute to the higher percentages in these regions.
Age
Native Americans are young. Their median age is 33 years, significantly younger than the national average of 39 years and closer to the median age of Hispanic Americans (31 years). Compared to other race groups, Native Americans are ten years younger than White Americans, indicating a young population with a substantial number of children and young families. By age distribution, Native American communities have a higher proportion of school-age children under 18, compared to White, Black, and Asian Americans, which highlights a younger generation and a further growth of these communities in the following years.
Educational Attainment
However, Native Americans face challenges in educational attainment, with only 16.8% holding a bachelor’s degree or higher, considerably below the national level of 36.2%. In comparison, Asian Americans lead in educational attainment, with 57.8% holding a bachelor’s degree or higher, followed by White Americans at 39.4%, and Black and Hispanic Americans at 26.2% and 20.8%, respectively.
Employment
Unemployment is another area of concern for this group. Although Native Americans have a similar labor force participation rate to the national average (63.7% for Native Americans vs. 63.8% overall), they have a significantly higher unemployment rate (6.9%). This is especially significant when compared to lower rates in White (3.4%) and Asian (3.5%) communities.
Income
Educational and employment challenges are closely tied to income levels within Native communities. The median household income for Native Americans is $61,060, significantly lower than the national median of $77,720, and substantially lower than Asian Americans, who have the highest median income of $111,820. The income gap also extends to family earnings. However, Native American income remains above that of Black Americans. Despite these challenges, over the past decade, American Indian and Alaska Native households saw significant income growth of 66.6%, which was higher than the overall national income growth of 48.7% and close to Hispanic households, who experienced the highest increase at 67.4%. But, even with this increase, the income gap between Native Americans and the national average, as well as with other groups such as White households, persists, highlighting ongoing economic disparities.
Homeownership Trends
Homeownership remains a key indicator of economic stability and wealth-building potential. However, there are distinct differences in homeownership rates highlighting the unique challenges faced by different racial groups. Here, we explore how Native Americans compare to other racial groups on several critical housing metrics.
Homeownership Rate and Growth
American Indian and Alaska Natives have a homeownership rate of 53.7%, which is significantly lower than the rates for White (72.4%) and Asian (63.4%) households. However, it is higher than the rate for Black households, at 44.7%. Over the past decade, the homeownership rate for Native Americans has slightly declined over the past decade (-0.5%), whereas other racial groups have experienced growth during the same period. Hispanic households saw the highest increase (5.8%), reaching 51%, while Asian homeownership grew 5.6%, Black by 2.8%, and White by 3.6%. This lack of growth for Native Americans indicates persistent barriers to homeownership for Native Americans like limited access to credit, lower income levels, or the complexities associated with homeownership on tribal lands. Financing is more challenging for Native Americans, as less than half (49.8%) of American Indians and Alaska Natives homeowners have a mortgage, compared to over 60% among Black (65%), Asian (63%), and Hispanic (62%) homeowners. In tribes, the share of homeowners with a mortgage is even lower at 29%.
At the local level, homeownership rates for American Indian and Alaska Native households vary widely across states. In the top 6 states with the highest concentration of American Indian and Alaska Natives, the average homeownership rate was 52%. Among these states, this group had the highest homeownership rate in Oklahoma (62%) followed by Alaska (57%). North Dakota had the lowest homeownership rate among these 6 states.
Housing Cost Burden
Among Native American homeowners, 33.7% spend 30% or more of their income on housing costs, compared to 28.7% across all groups. This indicates a moderate housing cost burden for Native American homeowners, similar to Asian households (33.2%) but less than Black (37.3%) and Hispanic (36.2%) households.
For Native American renters, 50.8% allocate 30% or more of their income to housing costs, closely mirroring the national average (51.8%). This suggests that rental affordability is a significant challenge for Native Americans, potentially impacting their ability to save for homeownership.
Housing Costs and Values
The median monthly owner cost for Native Americans with a mortgage is $1,708, which is lower than the overall average of $1,904 and significantly below the median cost for Asian households ($2,890). This lower monthly owner cost may reflect lower home values in areas where Native Americans are more likely to purchase homes. Indeed, the data confirms that Native American-owned homes have a median value of $230,000, considerably below the overall median of $340,200. This lower value may reflect both geographic distribution and disparities in home equity growth, impacting long-term wealth accumulation.
Household Composition
Native American owner-occupied households are relatively large, with an average size of 3.2 individuals, higher than the overall average of 2.6. This aligns closely with Hispanic households (3.3) and likely reflects cultural and familial factors, which may influence housing needs and affordability considerations.
Similarly, Native American renter households have an average size of 2.8, larger than the national average of 2.3 and similar to Hispanic renters (2.9). This larger household size could mean greater space requirements and a need for affordable housing options that accommodate more occupants.
While Native communities are growing and maintain a youthful demographic, they face notable disparities in education, income, and employment. Addressing these disparities requires collaborative efforts to enhance educational opportunities, provide economic resources, and ensure access to jobs and homeownership for this group.
The U.S. Census provides data for tribes with the tool below:
