Table 2.  Rental and Homeowner Vacancy Rates, by Area:  Fourth Quarter 1996 and 1995


Rental vacancy rates

                             Fourth       Fourth     Standard     Standard
                            quarter      quarter     error on     error on
                               1996         1995    1996 rate   difference


United States..........         7.7          7.7          0.2          0.2

  Inside MAs...........         7.6          7.7          0.2          0.3
    In central cities..         8.3          8.4          0.3          0.4
    Not in central cities
    (suburbs)..........         6.8          6.9          0.3          0.4
  Outside MAs..........         8.3          8.0          0.5          0.6

 Northeast.............         7.1          6.9          0.4          0.5
 Midwest...............         8.2          7.6          0.4          0.6
 South.................         8.5          8.5          0.3          0.4
 West..................         6.7          7.5          0.3          0.5

Homeowner vacancy rates

                             Fourth       Fourth     Standard     Standard
                            quarter      quarter     error on     error on
                               1996         1995    1996 rate   difference


United States..........         1.7          1.6          0.1          0.1

  Inside MAs...........         1.7          1.5          0.1          0.1
    In central cities..         2.1          2.1          0.1          0.2
    Not in central cities
    (suburbs)..........         1.5          1.3          0.1          0.1
  Outside MAs..........         1.7          1.7          0.1          0.2

 Northeast.............         1.8          1.5          0.2          0.2
 Midwest...............         1.4          1.3          0.1          0.1
 South.................         1.8          1.7          0.1          0.1
 West..................         1.9          1.8          0.1          0.2