Historically, the homeownership rate for veterans of the United States military has outpaced that of non-veterans. At the peak of the market in 2006, the ownership rate for veterans was 79.5 percent[1], 12.3 percentage points higher than that of non-veterans. Like non-veterans, the ownership rate for veterans fell sharply in the subsequent years and stood at 76.0 percent in 2014, but the gap between the two groups grew to 13.5 percentage points.
The Veterans Administration offers excellent mortgage products and terms and remains a strong source of funding for veterans seeking to purchase a home. Still, the decline in homeownership among active duty personnel over the last decade may reflect underlying demographic, mobility, and geographic changes that will take time to normalize. More research on this topic is necessary.
[1] Defined as any level of service, active or not.