Education, childcare and proximity to work shape home prices in regional markets too, as people in their 30s and 40s emerge as housing market big spenders

[Financial News] As people in their 30s and 40s have become key “big spenders” in the housing market, “children’s education and childcare environment” and “proximity between home and work” are emerging as major factors in choosing an apartment.
According to the Korea Real Estate Board’s apartment sales transactions by buyer age group data released on the 10th, of the 436,294 apartment transactions nationwide from January to September 2026, buyers in their 30s and 40s accounted for 236,575, or 54.2% of the total. In regional areas, these age groups accounted for 105,262 of 214,672 transactions (49.0%), demonstrating solid demand from actual homebuyers.
The rise in apartment purchases by people in their 30s is particularly notable. Nationwide, people in their 30s bought 135,273 apartments from January to September this year, up 18.6% from the same period last year. In regional areas, purchases rose 8.4% to 57,106, far outpacing the 1.9% increase in total apartment transactions there. This was largely driven by increased demand for housing prompted by marriage and childbirth, as well as a sharp rise in dual-income households. According to the Ministry of Data and Statistics’ Regional Employment Survey, the share of dual-income households among married-couple households with children under 18 surpassed 60% for the first time. For dual-income couples, not only commutes but also children’s access to school and childcare options have become key criteria when choosing a home.
In areas with strong education infrastructure or well-established industrial complexes, people in their 30s and 40s account for a far higher-than-average share of apartment purchases. In Suseong-gu, home to Daegu’s leading private-academy district, buyers in their 30s and 40s accounted for 61.1% of apartment transactions from January to September this year, well above the citywide average of 54.3%. Heungdeok-gu in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, which has a high-tech industrial base including SK hynix, also recorded a 56.5% share for these age groups, exceeding Cheongju’s overall average of 51.1%. New developments such as Cheongju Technopolis Atera 2 have proved popular, with prices continuing to hit record highs.
Against this backdrop, attention is turning to a promising new development in a regional area that offers both an expanding industrial base and excellent educational conditions, and is set to go on sale in November.
A consortium of the Jeonbuk Development Corporation and Taeyoung Construction plans to launch sales of Gochang Desian in Blocks 2 and 3 of the Deoksan District in Gochang-eup, Gochang County, Jeonbuk State, in November. The district, where the development will be built, is a residential area serving the Gochang General Industrial Complex and the Gochang New Vitality Industrial Complex, where Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is investing 350 billion won to build a Smart Hub Complex, offering excellent proximity between homes and workplaces. Gochangnam Elementary School, Gochang Middle School and Gangho Aviation High School are nearby, providing good educational conditions. Seven parks and green spaces, covering about 19% of the project area, are planned, promising a pleasant residential environment. The development will comprise 888 homes: 84-square-meter units (711 for public sale) and 104- and 125-square-meter units (177 for private sale), measured by exclusive-use area.
An industry official said, “As dual-income households in their 30s and 40s become the housing market’s main consumer group, the value of ‘all-in-one neighborhoods’ close to workplaces, schools and green spaces is rising further,” and forecast, “Demand will continue to concentrate on new developments with strong infrastructure, even in regional areas.”

[email protected] Jeon Min-kyung Reporter