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graphical representation of a community with property ownership highlighted

We ask about whether a home is owned or rented to create statistics about home ownership and renters. We also ask questions about the monthly rent amount or how much the home and property are worth to produce statistics about rent and home value.

These data help determine whether adequate housing is affordable for residents and provide and fund housing assistance programs. They also help enforce laws, regulations, and policies designed to eliminate discrimination in private-market housing, government programs, and in society.

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Questions as they appear on the form

We ask three questions about ownership status, monthly rent, and home value to better understand the housing market.

Results from these questions

We compile the results from these questions to provide communities with important statistics to measure housing affordability. You can see some of these published statistics here for the nation, states, and your community.

United States

View Results for a State

View Results for a County or City / Town in (↑ change state using menu above ↑)

Ownership, home value, and rent data help communities:

Infographic:  Changing Homeownership Rates

Changing Homeownership Rates

[Source: 2010-2014 and 2015-2019 American Community Survey, 5-Year]

History of ownership, home value, and rent questions

The ownership question originated with the 1890 Census, while home value and rent questions originated with the 1940 Census. They were added to the ACS in 2005 when it replaced the decennial census long form.


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