It's also possible that younger persons don't want the hassle of homeownership. Especially if you move for work or better quality of life, owning a home ties up a lot of your liquidity. It's one thing if you live in a hot market and plan to make $ when you move on, but in OKC you'll likely lose money if you don't stay put at least 4 years. I bought my first home 15 years and if I could swing losing the mortgage deduction, I'd rather rent in a higher density city and use the cash out to invest in REITs. I hate being my own landlord. Maybe Okies don't have to move as often as other places? More families?