Table 1. Rental and Homeowner Vacancy Rates by Area: 1960, 1965, 1970, 1975, and 1980 to 2006 Rental units 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1981 1982 1983 Area United States.............. 8.1 8.3 5.3 6.0 5.4 5.0 5.3 5.7 Inside Metropolitan Statistical Areas\1���� NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA In principal cities\1.. NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA Not in principal cities\1 (suburbs).............. NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA Outside Metropolitan Statistical Areas\1���� NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA Northeast................ 4.9 5.6 2.7 4.1 4.2 3.7 3.7 4.0 Midwest.................. 8.3 7.2 5.8 5.7 6.0 5.9 6.3 6.1 South.................... 9.5 9.0 7.2 7.7 6.0 5.4 5.8 6.9 West..................... 11.0 11.9 5.6 6.2 5.2 5.1 5.4 5.2 Rental units 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1989\r 1990 United States.............. 5.9 6.5 7.3 7.7 7.7 7.1 7.4 7.2 Inside Metropolitan Statistical Areas\1���� NA NA 7.2 7.7 7.8 7.2 7.4 7.1 In principal cities\1.. NA NA 7.6 8.3 8.4 7.9 7.9 7.8 Not in principal cities\1 (suburbs).............. NA NA 6.6 6.9 7.0 6.3 6.6 6.3 Outside Metropolitan Statistical Areas\1���� NA NA 8.2 7.8 7.3 6.6 7.7 7.6 Northeast................ 3.7 3.5 3.9 4.1 4.8 4.7 4.7 6.1 Midwest.................. 5.9 5.9 6.9 6.8 6.9 6.5 6.8 6.4 South.................... 7.9 9.1 10.1 10.9 10.1 9.1 9.7 8.8 West..................... 5.2 6.2 7.1 7.3 7.7 6.9 7.1 6.6 Rental units 1991 1992 1993 1993\r 1994 1995 1996 1997 United States.............. 7.4 7.4 7.4 7.3 7.4 7.6 7.8 7.7 Inside Metropolitan Statistical Areas\1���� 7.5 7.4 7.6 7.5 7.3 7.6 7.7 7.5 In principal cities\1.. 8.0 8.3 8.3 8.2 8.2 8.4 8.2 8.1 Not in principal cities\1 (suburbs).............. 6.8 6.4 6.7 6.6 6.3 6.6 7.0 6.9 Outside Metropolitan Statistical Areas\1���� 7.3 7.0 6.4 6.5 7.7 7.9 8.7 8.8 Northeast................ 6.9 6.9 7.1 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.4 6.7 Midwest.................. 6.7 6.7 6.6 6.6 6.8 7.2 7.9 8.0 South.................... 8.9 8.2 8.0 7.9 8.0 8.3 8.6 9.1 West..................... 6.5 7.1 7.5 7.4 7.1 7.5 7.2 6.6 Table 1. Rental and Homeowner Vacancy Rates by Area: 1960, 1965, 1970, 1975, and 1980 to 2006 - Continued Rental units 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2002\r 2003 2004 United States.............. 7.9 8.1 8.0 8.4 9.0 8.9 9.8 10.2 Inside Metropolitan Statistical Areas\1���� 7.7 7.8 7.7 8.0 8.8 8.7 9.6 10.2 In principal cities\1.. 8.2 8.4 8.2 8.6 9.2 9.2 10.0 10.8 Not in principal cities\1 (suburbs).............. 7.1 7.2 7.2 7.4 8.2 8.2 9.2 9.5 Outside Metropolitan Statistical Areas\1���� 9.2 9.6 9.5 10.4 10.6 10.2 10.6 10.2 Northeast................ 6.7 6.3 5.6 5.3 5.8 5.8 6.6 7.3 Midwest.................. 7.9 8.6 8.8 9.7 10.1 10.1 10.8 12.2 South.................... 9.6 10.3 10.5 11.1 11.8 11.6 12.5 12.6 West..................... 6.7 6.2 5.8 6.2 6.9 6.9 7.7 7.5 Rental units 2005 2006 United States.............. 9.8 9.7 Inside Metropolitan Statistical Areas\1���� 9.7 9.7 In principal cities\1.. 10.0 10.0 Not in principal cities\1 (suburbs).............. 9.4 9.3 Outside Metropolitan Statistical Areas\1���� 10.5 10.0 Northeast................ 6.5 7.1 Midwest.................. 12.6 12.4 South.................... 11.8 11.6 West..................... 7.3 6.8 Table 1. Rental and Homeowner Vacancy Rates by Area: 1960, 1965, 1970, 1975, and 1980 to 2006 - Continued Homeowner Units Area 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1981 1982 1983 United States.............. 1.3 1.5 1.0 1.2 1.4 1.4 1.5 1.5 Inside Metropolitan Statistical Areas\1���� NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA In principal cities\1.. NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA Not in principal cities\1 (suburbs).............. NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA Outside Metropolitan Statistical Areas\1���� NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA Northeast................ 1.0 1.0 0.8 1.0 1.1 1.1 1.0 1.0 Midwest.................. 1.2 1.2 1.0 1.0 1.6 1.4 1.6 1.5 South.................... 1.6 2.0 1.2 1.5 1.3 1.3 1.6 1.8 West..................... 1.4 1.9 1.1 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.9 1.8 Homeowner Units 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1989\r 1990 United States.............. 1.7 1.7 1.6 1.7 1.6 1.6 1.8 1.7 Inside Metropolitan Statistical Areas\1���� NA NA 1.5 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.7 1.7 In principal cities\1.. NA NA 2.0 2.1 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.2 Not in principal cities\1 (suburbs).............. NA NA 1.3 1.3 1.4 1.4 1.5 1.5 Outside Metropolitan Statistical Areas\1���� NA NA 1.8 1.9 1.6 1.6 1.9 1.8 Northeast................ 0.8 1.0 1.0 1.2 1.6 1.5 1.5 1.6 Midwest.................. 1.6 1.6 1.5 1.4 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.3 South.................... 2.0 2.1 2.1 2.0 1.9 2.0 2.2 2.1 West..................... 2.0 2.1 1.6 1.8 1.6 1.4 1.6 1.8 Homeowner Units 1991 1992 1993 1993\r 1994 1995 1996 1997 United States.............. 1.7 1.5 1.4 1.4 1.5 1.5 1.6 1.6 Inside Metropolitan Statistical Areas\1���� 1.7 1.6 1.4 1.4 1.5 1.5 1.6 1.6 In principal cities\1.. 2.2 1.8 1.7 1.7 1.9 2.1 1.9 1.9 Not in principal cities\1 (suburbs).............. 1.4 1.4 1.2 1.2 1.3 1.3 1.4 1.4 Outside Metropolitan Statistical Areas\1���� 1.8 1.5 1.4 1.5 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.9 Northeast................ 1.5 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.5 1.5 1.6 1.6 Midwest.................. 1.3 1.2 1.1 1.1 1.1 1.3 1.3 1.2 South.................... 2.2 1.7 1.6 1.7 1.7 1.7 1.8 1.9 West..................... 1.7 1.9 1.4 1.4 1.6 1.7 1.7 1.8 Table 1. Rental and Homeowner Vacancy Rates by Area: 1960, 1965, 1970, 1975, and 1980 to 2006 - Continued Homeowner Units 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2002\r 2003 2004 United States.............. 1.7 1.7 1.6 1.8 1.7 1.7 1.8 1.7 Inside Metropolitan Statistical Areas\1���� 1.6 1.5 1.4 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.7 1.7 In principal cities\1.. 2.0 1.8 1.9 2.1 2.1 2.1 2.0 2.2 Not in principal cities\1 (suburbs).............. 1.5 1.4 1.3 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.5 1.4 Outside Metropolitan Statistical Areas\1���� 2.0 2.1 2.1 2.3 2.0 2.0 2.1 2.0 Northeast................ 1.5 1.4 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.1 Midwest.................. 1.4 1.2 1.3 1.7 1.8 1.8 1.7 2.0 South.................... 2.0 2.0 1.9 2.1 1.9 1.9 2.1 2.0 West..................... 1.7 1.7 1.5 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.4 Homeowner Units 2005 2006 United States.............. 1.9 2.4 Inside Metropolitan Statistical Areas\1���� 1.9 2.4 In principal cities\1.. 2.4 3.1 Not in principal cities\1 (suburbs).............. 1.7 2.1 Outside Metropolitan Statistical Areas\1������ 1.9 2.2 Northeast................ 1.5 1.7 Midwest.................. 2.2 2.6 South.................... 2.1 2.7 West..................... 1.4 2.1 \ r Revised. NA Not available. Note: The term 'Central Cities' was changed to 'Principal Cities' in 2005. \1 Approximately every 10 years, metropolitan/nonmetropolitan area definitions are redefined by the Office of Management and Budget. Therefore metropolitan/nonmetropolitan data prior to 1986, 1986 to 1994, 1995 to 2004, and 2005 and later are not comparable to each other. See Source and Accuracy section for explanation.