Table 1. Rental and Homeowner Vacancy Rates by Area: 1960, 1965, 1970, 1975, and 1980 to 2005 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 Areas NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA In central cities\1.... NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA Not in central cities\1 (suburbs).............. NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA Outside Metropolitan Area 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 Areas NA NA 7.2 7.7 7.8 7.2 7.4 7.1 In central cities\1.... NA NA 7.6 8.3 8.4 7.9 7.9 7.8 Not in central cities\1 (suburbs).............. NA NA 6.6 6.9 7.0 6.3 6.6 6.3 Outside Metropolitan Area 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 Areas 7.5 7.4 7.6 7.5 7.3 7.6 7.7 7.5 In central cities\1.... 8.0 8.3 8.3 8.2 8.2 8.4 8.2 8.1 Not in central cities\1 (suburbs).............. 6.8 6.4 6.7 6.6 6.3 6.6 7.0 6.9 Outside Metropolitan Area 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 2005 - 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 Areas 7.7 7.8 7.7 8.0 8.8 8.7 9.6 10.2 In central cities\1.... 8.2 8.4 8.2 8.6 9.2 9.2 10.0 10.8 Not in central cities\1 (suburbs).............. 7.1 7.2 7.2 7.4 8.2 8.2 9.2 9.5 Outside Metropolitan Area 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 United States.............. 9.8 Inside Core-Based Statistical Areas (CBSAs\ 9.7 In central cities\1.... 10.0 Not in central cities\1 (suburbs).............. 9.4 Outside Core-Based Statistical Areas (CBSAs\ 10.5 Northeast................ 6.5 Midwest.................. 12.6 South.................... 11.8 West..................... 7.3 Table 1. Rental and Homeowner Vacancy Rates by Area: 1960, 1965, 1970, 1975, and 1980 to 2005 - 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 Areas NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA In central cities\1.... NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA Not in central cities\1 (suburbs).............. NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA Outside Metropolitan Area 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 Areas NA NA 1.5 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.7 1.7 In central cities\1.... NA NA 2.0 2.1 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.2 Not in central cities\1 (suburbs).............. NA NA 1.3 1.3 1.4 1.4 1.5 1.5 Outside Metropolitan Area 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 Areas 1.7 1.6 1.4 1.4 1.5 1.5 1.6 1.6 In central cities\1.... 2.2 1.8 1.7 1.7 1.9 2.1 1.9 1.9 Not in central cities\1 (suburbs).............. 1.4 1.4 1.2 1.2 1.3 1.3 1.4 1.4 Outside Metropolitan Area 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 2005 - 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 Areas 1.6 1.5 1.4 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.7 1.7 In central cities\1.... 2.0 1.8 1.9 2.1 2.1 2.1 2.0 2.2 Not in central cities\1 (suburbs).............. 1.5 1.4 1.3 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.5 1.4 Outside Metropolitan Area 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 United States.............. 1.9 Inside Core-Based Statistical Areas (CBSAs\ 1.9 In central cities\1.... 2.4 Not in central cities\1 (suburbs).............. 1.7 Outside Core-Based Statistical Areas (CBSAs\ 1.9 Northeast................ 1.5 Midwest.................. 2.2 South.................... 2.1 West..................... 1.4 \ r Revised. NA Not available. \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.