U.S. Census Bureau
 Survey of Market Absorption of Apartments (SOMA)



Annual 2003 Absorptions

Table 3. Absorption Rates for Unfurnished Apartments Completed by Number
             of Bedrooms and Rent for the United States: 2002

(Privately financed, nonsubsidized, unfurnished, rental apartments in
buildings with five units or more.  Data regarding number of bedrooms
and asking rent are collected at the initial interview, i.e., 3 months
following completion.  Details may not sum to totals because of rounding
Medians and percents are computed using unrounded data)


                                   Percent               Percent absorbed in:
                                     of          3        6         9         12
Item                    Total      Total      months    months    months    months

    Total              204,100      100         59        78        88        93
Less than $650          29,700       15         70        86        93        97
$650 to $749            30,300       15         60        82        93        97
$750 to $849            29,100       14         59        80        91        95
$850 to $949            18,900        9         58        76        86        92
$950 to $1049           18,700        9         62        78        88        93
$1,050 or more          77,400       38         53        74        84        90
Median asking rent        $918       (X)        (X)       (X)       (X)       (X)

   No bedrooms           5,600      100         61        81        87        93
Less than $650           1,600       28         69        89        94        97
$650 to $749               400        8         81        92        96       100
$750 to $849               500        8         45        74        87        95
$850 to $949               400        7         71        82        86        96
$950 to $1049              300        4         56        76        88        98
$1,050 or more           2,500       46         55        75        81        88
Median asking rent        $938       (X)        (X)       (X)       (X)       (X)

   1 bedroom            70,900      100         60        78        88        93
Less than $650          14,200       20         72        87        95        98
$650 to $749            11,400       16         61        81        89        95
$750 to $849            11,000       15         64        81        90        95
$850 to $949             6,500        9         60        78        87        92
$950 to $1049            5,700        8         55        74        87        91
$1,050 or more          22,200       31         51        70        84        89
Median asking rent        $839       (X)        (X)       (X)       (X)       (X)

   2 bedrooms          102,000      100         56        77        87        93
Less than $650          11,000        8         63        82        89        94
$650 to $749            16,700       16         57        82        94        98
$750 to $849            14,400       14         54        79        91        95
$850 to $949            10,000       10         56        75        84        91
$950 to $1049           11,400       11         65        79        87        93
$1,050 to $1,149         6,500        6         54        74        85        91
$1,150 or more          32,000       31         51        74        83        90
Median asking rent        $939       (X)        (X)       (X)       (X)       (X)


3 bedrooms or more      25,600      100         65        81        91        94
Less than $650           2,900       11         85        94        99       100
$650 to $749             1,800        7         74        89        99       100
$750 to $849             3,300       13         62        80        91        94
$850 to $949             2,100        8         58        75        88        94
$950 to $1049            1,400        5         70        88        97        99
$1,050 to $1,149         1,700        7         67        81        89        93
$1,150 or more          12,500       49         60        78        88        92
Median asking rent       1,132       (X)        (X)       (X)       (X)       (X)

X Not applicable.



Go to Annual 2003 Absorptions
Contact Alan Friedman at 301-763-3199 or mail to alan.friedman@census.gov for further information on the Survey of Market Absorption of Apartments Data.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Housing and Household Economic Statistics Division
Last Revised: November 15, 2004