How many illegal immigrants are homeowners?

1. The headline number: roughly 3–3.2 million undocumented homeowners

The Migration Policy Institute (MPI) reports an estimate of about 11.4 million unauthorized immigrants in the United States and identifies “homeowners” as those residing in owned, not rented, homes; MPI’s published homeownership share for the unauthorized population (about 28 percent) implies roughly 3.2 million unauthorized people live in owned housing nationwide ^{[1] [2]}. The Center for Migration Studies (CMS) and other analysts have arrived at similar ballpark totals, noting about 3 million undocumented persons own housing and roughly 1.3 million hold mortgages—numbers that track closely with MPI’s computed share ^[3].

2. Why estimates differ: methods, timing and definitions

Estimates vary because researchers start with different totals for the unauthorized population (for example, 10.5m, 11.4m, or other vintage figures) and then apply differing homeownership rates drawn from pooled American Community Survey (ACS) data, the SIPP, or older studies; MPI’s 2023 figures use an imputation method based on pooled 2019–23 ACS and SIPP data weighted to contemporary estimates ^{[1] [7]}. Older analyses—for instance, an MPI-backed 2014 snapshot and some private-sector summaries—reported homeownership counts around 3.4 million or used alternative assumptions, while the Center for American Progress’s 2020 release cited a lower figure of 1.6 million undocumented-owned homes, reflecting different datasets and definitions ^{[5] [6] [4]}.

3. What “homeowner” actually means in these studies

Most research counts people as “homeowners” when they reside in housing the household reports as owned, regardless of who on the deed or mortgage has legal status; this can include mixed‑status households where some members are unauthorized and others are lawful residents ^{[1] [8]}. Analysts also flag that undocumented people are often excluded from federally backed mortgage programs and may rely on cash purchases, private ITIN loans, or alternative financing, which complicates mortgage counts even when ownership is clear ^{[8] [9] [5]}.

4. Limits of the data and why precision is elusive

The population being measured is by definition partially hidden—researchers infer unauthorized status through statistical imputation rather than direct identification—so all totals carry measurement error and depend on modeling choices and survey response patterns; MPI is transparent about using imputation and weighting to contemporary estimates but emphasizes the methodological assumptions behind the numbers ^{[1] [7]}. Consequently, single‑figure pronouncements (e.g., “exactly 3 million” or “only 1.6 million”) obscure the uncertainty inherent in the underlying surveys and in rapidly changing migration flows ^{[4] [5]}.

5. Policy debates and the agendas behind the numbers

Different stakeholders use these figures to support competing narratives: proponents of tighter immigration control argue newcomers increase competition for housing, while housing researchers and immigrant‑supporting groups point to immigrant contributions to homeownership and local taxes—examples include analyses highlighting immigrant tax contributions and economic roles in construction and housing demand ^{[10] [3]}. Because estimates can be reshaped by selective citation of older or newer studies, readers should note source provenance, publication date, and whether authors count people or housing units when assessing claims about undocumented homeowners ^{[10] [3]}.

Conclusion

The best contemporary synthesis of Census‑based research places the number of unauthorized immigrants living in owned homes at about 3 to 3.2 million people, but that figure rests on imputed legal status, varying survey windows, and definitional choices; alternative published estimates—both higher and lower—exist and reflect those methodological differences ^{[1] [2] [4]}.