housing, "AHS for Tampa-St.Petersburg,FL Area in 1993" (6/23/95)

            EMBARGOED UNTIL:  JUNE 23, 1995 (FRIDAY)

Public Information Office                              CB95-H.06
301-457-2794
301-457-4067 (TDD)

Ed Montfort
301-763-8551

        CENSUS BUREAU ISSUES PERIODIC ANALYSIS OF HOUSING
    CONDITIONS IN TAMPA-ST. PETERSBURG, FL METROPOLITAN AREA

     In the Tampa-St. Petersburg, FL Metropolitan Area (MA),
about 36 percent of householders rated their neighborhoods a
perfect "10" (on a scale of one to 10), and 41 percent said their
home was the best place to live.  These findings are in the
report, "American Housing Survey for the Tampa-St. Petersburg, FL
Metropolitan Area in 1993" (H170/93-62), released today by the
Commerce Department's Census Bureau and the Department of Housing
and Urban Development (HUD).

     Of the householders living in Tampa-St. Petersburg, FL
metropolitan neighborhoods, 7 percent reported problems with
crime, 5 percent reported traffic problems, and 5 percent
experienced problems with litter or housing deterioration.

     The report is based on data collected in the 1993 American
Housing Survey (AHS) Metropolitan Sample.  The 20-year-old AHS is
sponsored by HUD and conducted by the Census Bureau.  The Tampa-
St. Petersburg, FL MA last participated in the survey in 1989. 
The 1993 MA included Hernando, Hillsborough, Pasco, and  Pinellas
counties.  

     The following are additional facts about the Tampa-St.
Petersburg, FL MA:

     -    The area had 1,076,700 housing units in 1993, of which  
          869,300 were occupied (70 percent by owners and 30
          percent by renters).

     -    Single-family homes, at 77 percent of all occupied
          units, represented the predominant housing type in the
          area.

     -    The median age of homes in Tampa City was 32 years,
          compared with 18 years for the remaining area.

     -    Homes in the area had a median of 2.4 bedrooms.

     -    Of owner-occupied housing units in the area, 84 percent
          had central air conditioning, 82 percent had clothes
          dryers, 62 percent had dishwashers, and 53 percent had
          garbage disposals.

     -    Homes in the area had a median of 2.1 persons per unit
          and a median of 5.2 rooms per unit.

     -    Twenty-two percent of the single detached and mobile
          homes had at least 2,000 square feet of living area,
          with the median being 1,435 square feet.  About 68
          percent of these homes had at least 500 square feet per
          person, with the median being 667 square feet per
          person.

     -    Thirteen percent of the owner-occupied homes were
          located on an acre or more of land.

     -    Of all area owner-occupied units, approximately 86
          percent had a porch, deck, or patio; 80 percent had a
          garage or carport; and 22 percent had a usable
          fireplace.

     -    During the two years prior to the survey, 17 percent of
          the owner-occupied units had some or all of the roof
          replaced and 8 percent had kitchens remodeled or added.

     -    Seven percent of the homeowners spent $100 or more per
          month during the previous year on routine maintenance.

     -    Thirteen percent of the owners and 2 percent of the
          renters had monthly housing costs that were $1,000 or
          more.

     -    Forty-six percent of the households had incomes of less
          than $25,000.

     -    The 1993 median household income for area homeowners
          was $29,644, compared with $20,219 for renters.

     -    Renters had median monthly housing costs that
          represented 31 percent of their current income,
          compared with 19 percent for owners.  Monthly housing
          costs include mortgage payments or contract rent,
          utilities, fuels, insurance, real estate taxes (for
          owners), and other housing-related expenditures.

     -    Thirteen percent of the homeowners had a yearly real
          estate tax of $1,800 or more.

     -    Median value of homeowners' residences in 1993 was
          $69,089, down 10 percent from a 1993 constant dollar
          figure of $76,385 for 1989.

     -    Fifty-four percent of the 37,900 owner-occupied homes
          built since the 1989 interview cost $100,000 or more;
          44 percent of the owners of new homes used savings or
          cash on hand for their down payment.

     -    Thirty-one percent of the homeowners with a mortgage
          had a current interest rate on their mortgage loan of
          less than 8 percent in 1993.

     Data in the report are shown separately for units with
African American and Hispanic householders.  Since data in the
report are from a survey, they are subject to sampling
variability.

                               -X-

Editor's note:  media representatives may obtain copies of the
report from the bureau's Public Information Office by telephone: 
301-457-2794; fax: 301-457-3670; or e-mail:  pio@census.gov. 
Non-media orders should be directed to the bureau's Customer