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     American homes are getting bigger — at least when measured by the number of bedrooms they have — according to a new analysis of data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey. In 2005, one in five occupied homes (20 percent) had four or more bedrooms, compared to 17.7 percent in 2000.

     In 2005, Utah was the leader among states in this category, with four out of 10 homes (39.2 percent) having four or more bedrooms. Maryland ranked second at 28 percent. Colorado (26.2), Delaware (25.8), Minnesota (26.2), North Dakota (26.1) and Virginia (26.5) also have a large percentage of bigger homes.

     Among counties with populations of 65,000 or more (the threshold for 2005 American Community Survey data), Davis County, Utah (49.4 percent); Fayette County, Ga. (45.5); Forsyth County, Ga. (48.5); Loudon County, Va. (44.6); Stafford County, Va. (43.8); and Utah County, Utah (45.7) had the highest percentage of homes with four or more bedrooms.

     Cities with populations of 65,000 or more that stand out in this category include Allen, Texas (52.0); Centennial, Colo. (52.5); Naperville, Ill. (53.0); Sandy, Utah (63.8 percent); and Sugar Land, Texas (55.3).

     The bedroom data are among the dozens of housing topics that can be localized from the American Community Survey. Some other housing facts of interest include:

• Single-family homes were the most common housing type (62.7 percent), and comprised more than eight out of 10 owner-occupied units (81.3 percent).
• Apartments with 10 or more units were the second-most common housing type overall (12 percent). The District of Columbia had 42.4 percent of housing units in this category. Hawaii and New York had 22.1 and 27.7 percent, respectively. Among cities, about half of all housing units in Alexandria, Va., were in apartment buildings with 10 or more units; Miami Beach, Fla., had approximately 75 percent; and New York City had 54.2 percent.
• The category comprising mobile homes or other type of housing (RV, houseboat, etc.) (6.5 percent) was the third most common. Nearly one in five homes in New Mexico and South Carolina were mobile homes (17.4 percent and 18 percent, respectively). Regionally, three-fourths of the nation’s mobile homes were found in the South (56.1 percent) and West (20.2 percent). The remaining quarter were in the Midwest (16.2 percent) and Northeast (7.5 percent).
• Townhomes were the fourth most common housing type (5.8 percent). The highest percentages of townhomes could be found in Washington, D.C. (26.4 percent); Maryland (20.1); Pennsylvania (18.1); Delaware (13.4) and Virginia (10.3). Approximately half of all housing units in the mid-Atlantic cities of Baltimore (49.7 percent); Camden, N.J. (54.8); Philadelphia (61.3); Reading, Pa. (58.5); and Wilmington, Del. (52.2) were this type.

     As part of the Census Bureau’s reengineered 2010 Census, the data collected by the ACS helps federal officials determine where to distribute more than $200 billion to state and local governments each year. Responses to the survey are strictly confidential and protected by law.

     The 2005 ACS estimates are based on an annual, nationwide household sample of about 250,000 addresses per month, or 2.5 percent of the population a year. Geographic areas for which data are available are based on total populations of 65,000 or more. The ACS estimates released are for the household population and do not include populations residing in group quarters.

     As is the case with all surveys, statistics from sample surveys are subject to sampling and nonsampling error. Estimates for states (or counties, cities, regions, etc.) in the same paragraph may not be significantly different from one another. Please consult the data tables for specific margins of error. For more information go to http://www.census.gov/acs/www/UseData/.