U.S. Department of Commerce

Housing Vacancies and Homeownership (CPS/HVS)


Third Quarter 2009

Table 4. Estimates of the Total Housing Inventory for the United States: Third Quarter 2008 and 2009

Download this table as an XLS.

Type Third quarter 2008 estimate Third Quarter 2009 estimate 90-Percent Confidence Interval (±)(a) 2009 percent of total
of 2009 estimate of difference
All housing units 129,160 130,302 (X) (X) 100.0
Occupied 110,712 111,459 295 267 86
Owner occupied 75,202 75,339 629 429 58
Renter occupied 35,509 36,119 546 421 28
Vacant 18,448 18,843 379 335 15
Year-round vacant 13,707 14,227 372 319 11
For rent 3,975 4,588 189 205 4
For sale only 2,206 1,985 107 138 2
Rented or sold, awaiting occupancy 1,132 1,065 71 102 1
Held off market 6,394 6,589 262 226 5
For occasional use 2,008 2,052 149 129 2
Temporarily occupied by persons with usual residence elsewhere 1,053 1,134 111 95 1
For other reasons 3,334 3,403 191 165 3
Seasonal vacant 4,741 4,616 246 217 4
Footnotes:
Estimates are in thousands and may not add to total, due to rounding.
(a)  A 90-percent confidence interval is a measure of an estimate's reliability.  The larger the confidence interval is, in relation to the size of the estimate, the less reliable the estimate.
(X)  Not Applicable.  Since the number of housing units is set equal to an independent national measure, there is no sampling error, and hence no confidence interval.
NOTE: Since first quarter 2003, the Current Population Survey/Housing Vacancy Survey (CPS/HVS) estimates have been controlled to a set of independent housing unit estimates produced annually by the Population Division from Census 2000 and updated using building permit data, estimates of housing loss, and other administrative record data. Doing so makes the CPS/HVS estimates of housing units more comparable to other Census Bureau housing surveys controlled to these census-based estimates. The housing controls affect the estimate of vacant units in the sense that the estimates of total occupied and vacant units sum to the control total. Vacancy rates and homeownership rates are not affected by this change. Beginning in the third quarter 2009, the housing inventory estimates are based on vintage 2008 housing unit controls. The CPS/HVS historical table series from second quarter 2000 through the second quarter 2009 has also been revised based on vintage 2008 housing unit controls. These revised estimates and additional information on terms and definitions can be found at: http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/housing/hvs/historic/index.html For the methodology used in developing the estimates used for controls in the CPS/HVS, please see Population's Division's website: http://www.census.gov/popest/topics/methodology/2008-hu-meth.pdf.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Housing and Household Economic Statistics Division

Go to Housing Vacancies and Homeownership: Third Quarter 2009

Contact Bob Callis or Melissa Kresin at (301)763-3199 or visit ask.census.gov for further information on the Housing Vacancy Survey.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Housing and Household Economic Statistics Division