According to a Pew Research Survey done in March, 8 of 10 American adults still believe a home is the best long-term investment a person could make.

Their faith in that belief has dimmed a bit if you compare the results to a CBS News/New York Times survey conducted about 20 years ago that found 49% “strongly agree” that home ownership is the best investment versus 37% in the March survey.

Even most renters believe home ownership is desirable:

Asked if they rent out of choice or because they cannot afford to buy a home, just 24% say they rent out of choice. And when renters are asked if they would like to continue to rent or if they would prefer one day to buy a home, 81% say they would like to buy. – PewSocialTrends.org

The survey looks at a number of different demographics, including: income, age, race, region and duration of home ownership.