U.S. Department of Commerce
and
U.S. Dept. of Housing & Urban Development
Joint ReleaseIMMEDIATE RELEASE THURSDAY, JUNE 27, 1996 Public Information Office CB96-H.08 301-457-3030 301-457-4067 (TDD) Ed Montfort 301-763-8551 CENSUS BUREAU AND HUD RELEASE INFORMATION ON HOUSING QUALITY AND NEIGHBORHOOD PROBLEMS IN THE RIVERSIDE-SAN BERNARDINO-ONTARIO, CALIFORNIA METROPOLITAN AREA Approximately 32 percent of the householders in the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, California Metropolitan Area rated their neighborhoods a perfect "10," and 37 percent said their home was the best place to live. These findings are included in the report, American Housing Survey for the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, California Metropolitan Area in 1994, H170/94-37, released today by the Commerce Department's Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Of the householders living in the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, California metropolitan neighborhoods, 11 percent reported problems with crime, 5 percent reported traffic problems, and a similar proportion experienced problems with litter or housing deterioration. The following are additional facts about the Riverside-San Bernardino- Ontario, California Metropolitan Area: - The area had 1,121,400 housing units in 1994, of which 932,900 were occupied (68 percent by owners and 32 percent by renters). - Single-family homes, at 82 percent of all occupied units, represented the predominant housing type in the area. - The median age of homes in Riverside city was 26 years, compared with 18 years for the remaining area. - Homes in the area had a median of 2.7 bedrooms. - Of owner-occupied housing units in the area, 72 percent had central air conditioning, about the same proportion had dishwashers, 87 percent had clothes dryers, and 83 percent had garbage disposals. - Occupied homes in the area had a median of 2.5 persons per unit and a median of 5.6 rooms per unit. - Of all area owner-occupied units, approximately 92 percent had a porch, deck, or patio; a similar percent had a garage or carport; and 63 percent had a usable fireplace. - During the two years prior to the survey, 14 percent of the owner-occupied units had some or all of the roof replaced and 6 percent had kitchens remodeled or added. - Thirty-seven percent of the owners and 7 percent of the renters had monthly housing costs that were $1,000 or more. - The 1993 median household income for area homeowners was $40,000, compared with $20,300 for renters. - Renters had median monthly housing costs that represented 35 percent of their current income, compared with 25 percent for owners. Monthly housing costs include mortgage payments or contract rent, utilities, fuels, insurance, real estate taxes (for owners), and other housing-related expenditures. - Median value of homeowners' residences in 1994 was $123,500, down 16 percent from a 1994 constant dollar figure of $147,700 for 1990. - Eighty-four percent of the 56,200 owner-occupied homes built during the last four years cost $100,000 or more; 50 percent of the owners of new homes used savings or cash-on-hand for their down payment. Data in the report are shown separately for units with African American and Hispanic householders. Since data in the report are from a survey, they are subject to sampling variability.-X-Editor's note: media representatives may obtain copies of the report from the Census Bureau's Public Information Office by telephone: 301-457-2794; fax: 301-457-3670; or e-mail: pio@census.gov. Non-media orders should be directed to the Census Bureau's Customer Services Office on 301-763-INFO(4636); fax: 301-457-3842.
