It’s good news-bad news for California homeownership.

Owners have their largest pie of the statewide housing market in seven years, but that share is the third-worst level in the nation.

New Census Bureau data reveals 55.2 percent of California households lived in residences they owned in the third quarter of 2018. Only New York (50.5 percent) and the District of Columbia (40.9 percent) had lower ownership rates. Tops in the U.S. was West Virginia at 74.8 percent, then New Hampshire (74.5 percent) and Michigan (74.1 percent).

Still, California is making progress: The most-recent ownership level is up from 54.3 percent in the previous quarter and 53.5 percent in 2017’s third quarter. The last time California ownership was higher was 2011’s third quarter.

Nationally, homeownership ran 64.4 percent in the third quarter, up a bit from the second quarter (64.3 percent) and a year ago (63.9 percent). Last time the rate was higher was second quarter of 2014.

Ownership levels in 75 major metros …