How much of your own home do you actually own? Recent data from FindTheHome shows that the average American homeowner owns less than half of his own home. The current U.S. median home equity percentage stands at 40.88%, meaning those homeowners have paid off 40.88% of their homes’ values.

Home equity is the portion of the home that a homeowner owns by virtue of making mortgage payments. Providing a 20% down payment means a borrower’s initial home equity percentage is 20%. That number grows as he pays off his mortgage.

Residents in only two states, Hawaii and New York, have managed to achieve median home equities over 50%. The states with the highest median home equity percentages are Hawaii (55.34%), New York (53.13%), California (48.37%), the District of Columbia (46.39%) and Massachusetts (45.59%). Residents in those areas have either lived in their homes for a relatively long time or paid a larger proportion up front.

The lowest median home equity percentages are found in Louisiana (21.16%), Mississippi (26.24%), Nevada (26.70%), Arkansas (28.55%) and Nebraska (28.92%). Residents in these areas are more likely to be recent home buyers who haven’t had time to make many payments toward their mortgages yet.

The current national median equity percentage of 40.88% represents an increase of 3.49% from this time last year, a figure drawn from homes with outstanding mortgage loans. Despite that upward trend, loan to value (LTV) ratios are also creeping up.

LTV ratios compare mortgage debt to sale price at the time a loan is taken out. It represents the percentage of a home’s value that is being covered by the mortgage loan. For example, if you buy a house worth $100,000 with a loan for $80,000, your home’s LTV is $80,000 to $100,000, or 80%. Higher LTVs mean more risk for lenders that put up larger proportions of home values as loans.

LTV ratios have increased in four of the five states with the highest median home equity percentages. Increases remain small or even decrease in areas with low median home equities.

#20. New Hampshire

  • Median Dollar Value of Home Equity: $70,119
  • Median % of Equity: 34.64%
  • 1-Year Change in Home Equity Ownership: 2.45%
  • Median Mortgage Loan to Home Value Ratio: 91.11%

#19. Arizona

  • Median Dollar Value of Home Equity: $61,347
  • Median % of Equity: 31.66%
  • 1-Year Change in Home Equity Ownership: 4.24%
  • Median Mortgage Loan to Home Value Ratio: 95%

#18. Idaho

  • Median Dollar Value of Home Equity: $69,522
  • Median % of Equity: 36.43%
  • 1-Year Change in Home Equity Ownership: 0.52%
  • Median Mortgage Loan to Home Value Ratio: 80%

#17. California

  • Median Dollar Value of Home Equity: $195,480
  • Median % of Equity: 49.43%
  • 1-Year Change in Home Equity Ownership: 3.69%
  • Median Mortgage Loan to Home Value Ratio: 80%

#16. Oklahoma

  • Median Dollar Value of Home Equity: $38,425
  • Median % of Equity: 31.15%
  • 1-Year Change in Home Equity Ownership: 1.34%
  • Median Mortgage Loan to Home Value Ratio: 95%

#15. Nebraska

  • Median Dollar Value of Home Equity: $40,908
  • Median % of Equity: 29.58%
  • 1-Year Change in Home Equity Ownership: 2.76%
  • Median Mortgage Loan to Home Value Ratio: 95%

#14. Washington

  • Median Dollar Value of Home Equity: $117,816
  • Median % of Equity: 43.25%
  • 1-Year Change in Home Equity Ownership: 4.03%
  • Median Mortgage Loan to Home Value Ratio: 90%

#13. Texas

  • Median Dollar Value of Home Equity: $88,077
  • Median % of Equity: 43.18%
  • 1-Year Change in Home Equity Ownership: 3.36%
  • Median Mortgage Loan to Home Value Ratio: 80%

#12. Tennessee

  • Median Dollar Value of Home Equity: $48,902
  • Median % of Equity: 35.63%
  • 1-Year Change in Home Equity Ownership: 2.85%
  • Median Mortgage Loan to Home Value Ratio: 95%

#11. Missouri

  • Median Dollar Value of Home Equity: $54,131
  • Median % of Equity: 34.40%
  • 1-Year Change in Home Equity Ownership: -0.78%
  • Median Mortgage Loan to Home Value Ratio: 80%

#10. Oregon

  • Median Dollar Value of Home Equity: $104,950
  • Median % of Equity: 42.46%
  • 1-Year Change in Home Equity Ownership: 4.69%
  • Median Mortgage Loan to Home Value Ratio: 90%

#9. Ohio

  • Median Dollar Value of Home Equity: $37,026
  • Median % of Equity: 30.58%
  • 1-Year Change in Home Equity Ownership: 1.70%
  • Median Mortgage Loan to Home Value Ratio: 95%

#8. South Carolina

  • Median Dollar Value of Home Equity: $60,712
  • Median % of Equity: 37.07%
  • 1-Year Change in Home Equity Ownership: 5.83%
  • Median Mortgage Loan to Home Value Ratio: 95%

#7. Kansas

  • Median Dollar Value of Home Equity: $54,161
  • Median % of Equity: 35.16%
  • 1-Year Change in Home Equity Ownership: 1.68%
  • Median Mortgage Loan to Home Value Ratio: 80%

#6. Michigan

  • Median Dollar Value of Home Equity: $39,227
  • Median % of Equity: 34.94%
  • 1-Year Change in Home Equity Ownership: 2.69%
  • Median Mortgage Loan to Home Value Ratio: 94.99%

#5. Georgia

  • Median Dollar Value of Home Equity: $53,546
  • Median % of Equity: 33.39%
  • 1-Year Change in Home Equity Ownership: 4.55%
  • Median Mortgage Loan to Home Value Ratio: 95%

#4. Colorado

  • Median Dollar Value of Home Equity: $112,059
  • Median % of Equity: 40.98%
  • 1-Year Change in Home Equity Ownership: 8.16%
  • Median Mortgage Loan to Home Value Ratio: 90%

#3. Mississippi

  • Median Dollar Value of Home Equity: $49,474
  • Median % of Equity: 25.46%
  • 1-Year Change in Home Equity Ownership: 1.05%
  • Median Mortgage Loan to Home Value Ratio: 80%

#2. Florida

  • Median Dollar Value of Home Equity: $59,313
  • Median % of Equity: 34.36%
  • 1-Year Change in Home Equity Ownership: 10.42%
  • Median Mortgage Loan to Home Value Ratio: 90%

#1. Nevada

  • Median Dollar Value of Home Equity: $53,860
  • Median % of Equity: 27.86%
  • 1-Year Change in Home Equity Ownership: 13.39%
  • Median Mortgage Loan to Home Value Ratio: 95%