the oecd average of combined outright and mortgaged owneroccupants is of households chile mexico and eastern european oecd countries have the highest rates of homeownership in most countries homeowners are disproportionately middle and highincome households whereas renters tend to have lower incomes middle class households are not immune to high housing costs indeed nearly nine percent of mortgaged middleclass homeowners are overburdened by housing costs on average across the oecd overcrowding rates are generally higher among poor households and renters