Table 2.  Rental and Homeowner Vacancy Rates, by Area:  Fourth Quarter 1998



                                    Rental vacancy rates


                          Fourth       Fourth      Standard     Standard
Area                      quarter      quarter     error on     error on
                           1998         1997       1998 rate   difference


United States..........         7.8          7.7          0.2          0.3

  Inside MAs...........         7.5          7.5          0.2          0.3
    In central cities..         8.0          7.9          0.3          0.4
    Not in central cities
    (suburbs)..........         6.9          7.1          0.3          0.4
  Outside MAs..........         9.3          8.6          0.5          0.7

 Northeast.............         6.1          6.9          0.4          0.6
 Midwest...............         8.0          7.3          0.4          0.6
 South.................         9.5          9.3          0.3          0.5
 West..................         6.6          6.5          0.3          0.5



                                    Homeowner vacancy rates


                          Fourth       Fourth      Standard     Standard
Area                      quarter      quarter     error on     error on
                           1998         1997       1998 rate   difference


United States..........         1.8          1.7          0.1          0.1

  Inside MAs...........         1.7          1.6          0.1          0.1
    In central cities..         2.3          2.0          0.1          0.2
    Not in central cities
    (suburbs)..........         1.5          1.4          0.1          0.1
  Outside MAs..........         1.9          2.2          0.1          0.2

 Northeast.............         1.3          1.6          0.1          0.2
 Midwest...............         1.5          1.3          0.1          0.2
 South.................         2.1          2.1          0.1          0.1
 West..................         1.8          1.7          0.1          0.2