Robert R. Callis               For Release 10:00 AM EDT, July 24, 1995
Alan Friedman                                   CB95-126
(301) 763-8165


CENSUS BUREAU REPORTS ON RESIDENTIAL VACANCIES AND HOMEOWNERSHIP

  National vacancy rates in the second quarter 1995 were 7.7
percent  (+/-0.3) in rental housing and 1.6 percent (+/-0.1) in
homeowner housing, the Department of Commerce's Census Bureau
announced today.  The Bureau said that the rental vacancy rate was
not significantly different from the second quarter 1994 rate or
the rate last quarter.  The homeowner vacancy rate was higher than
the rate a year ago, but not significantly different from the rate
last quarter.   
</H4>

     Table 1.  RENTAL AND HOMEOWNER VACANCY RATES, FOR THE UNITED 
                  STATES: 1980 to 1995

          Rental Vacancy Rates        Homeowner Vacancy Rates
     
    First  Second   Third  Fourth  First   Second  Third   Fourth
  quarter quarter quarter quarter quarter quarter quarter quarter

1995  7.4    7.7                   1.5     1.6
1994  7.5    7.4    7.2    7.4     1.4     1.4    1.4     1.6
1993r 7.8    7.6    7.0    6.9     1.4     1.4    1.4     1.4
1993  7.9    7.6    7.1    6.9     1.4     1.4    1.4     1.4
1992  7.4    7.7    7.3    7.1     1.5     1.6    1.6     1.5
1991  7.5    7.3    7.6    7.3     1.7     1.8    1.8     1.6
1990  7.5    7.0    7.2    7.2     1.7     1.7    1.7     1.7
1989r 7.5    7.4    7.6    7.1     1.7     1.7    1.9     1.8

1989  7.3    7.3    7.3    6.8     1.5     1.6    1.8     1.6
1988  8.0    7.7    7.8    7.3     1.6     1.6    1.6     1.6
1987  7.4    7.5    8.1    7.8     1.7     1.7    1.7     1.6
1986  6.9    7.3    7.5    7.7     1.5     1.7    1.6     1.6
1985  6.3    6.2    6.8    6.7     1.8     1.9    1.8     1.6
1984  5.6    5.5    6.0    6.3     1.6     1.7    1.7     1.7
1983  5.7    5.5    5.8    5.5     1.4     1.5    1.6     1.6
1982  5.3    5.1    5.3    5.5     1.4     1.6    1.5     1.6
1981  5.2    5.0    5.0    5.0     1.3     1.3    1.5     1.4
1980  5.2    5.6    5.7    5.0     1.3     1.4    1.4     1.4

rRevised.

<H4>
The metropolitan/nonmetropolitan data normally shown in this press
release  are not published this quarter.  Because of the phase-in
of the new 1990 sample design, estimates for these areas will not
have their normal accuracy.  We will resume publishing
metropolitan/nonmetropolitan area data in the third quarter 1995,
when the 1990 sample is fully phased-in.

     The rental vacancy rate in the South (8.2 percent) was higher
than in the Midwest, but not significantly different from the
Northeast and West.  The rental vacancy rates in each region were
approximately the same as one year ago.

     For homeowner housing, the vacancy rates were highest in the
South and West and lowest in the Northeast and Midwest.  The
homeowner vacancy rate in the West was higher than the second
quarter 1994 rate, while rates in the other regions showed no
significant change from a year ago.
</H4>

           Table 2.  RENTAL AND HOMEOWNER VACANCY RATES,          
                     BY REGION:  SECOND QUARTER 1995 AND 1994     
               
              Rental vacancy rates         Homeowner vacancy rates 
                  
          2nd   2nd Std err Standard  2nd   2nd Std err Standard  
 Area     Qtr   Qtr on 1995 error on  Qtr   Qtr on 1994 error on  
          1995  1994   rate  differ-  1995  1994    rate  differ- 
                               ence                         ence  
                                                                  
United States.. 7.7  7.4   0.2     0.2     1.6   1.4    0.1     0.1 
  
 Northeast..... 7.5  7.1   0.4     0.5     1.5   1.4    0.1     0.2
 Midwest....... 7.1  7.1   0.4     0.5     1.3   1.1    0.1     0.1
 South......... 8.2  7.7   0.3     0.4     1.8   1.6    0.1     0.1
 West.......... 7.7  7.3   0.3     0.5     1.8   1.5    0.1     0.2

rRevised.
<H4>

     There were an estimated 112.7 million housing units in the
United States in the second quarter 1995.  Approximately 99.9
million were occupied, 64.7 million by owners and 35.3 million by
renters.  Of the 12.8 million vacant housing units, 9.8 million
were for year-round use, while the remaining 3.2 million were
intended for seasonal use.  Approximately 3.0 million of the year-
round vacant units were for rent, 1.0 million were for sale only,
and the remaining 5.8 million were vacant for a variety of reasons. 
</H4>

     Table 3.  ESTIMATES OF THE TOTAL HOUSING INVENTORY FOR THE 
               UNITED STATES:  SECOND QUARTER 1995
                       (Numbers in thousands)
                                                                  
                                                  Standard Percent
          Type                        Estimate1  error on   distri- 
                                                 estimate   bution 
                                          
           All housing units........   112,743         230    100
                                                             
Occupied............................    99,932         237     89
  Owner occupied....................    64,668         230     57
  Renter occupied...................    35,264         191     31
                                                             
Vacant..............................    12,811         124     11
 Year-round vacant..................     9,794         109      9
 For rent...........................     2,969          61      3 
  For sale only.....................     1,046          37      1 
   Other............................     5,779          85      5 
  Seasonal..........................     3,017          62      3
<H4>

     During the second quarter 1995, the homeownership rate was
64.7 percent (+/-0.3).  The homeownership rate was higher than a year
ago and higher than the rate last quarter.
</H4>
  
Table 4.  HOMEOWNERSHIP RATES FOR THE UNITED STATES:  1980 to 1995

                                   Homeownership Rates1

         Year           First       Second       Third      Fourth
                       quarter      quarter     quarter     quarter

1995.................    64.2        64.7
1994.................    63.8        63.8        64.1        64.2
1993r................    63.7        63.9        64.2        64.2
1993.................    64.2        64.4        64.7        64.6
1992.................    64.0        63.9        64.3        64.4
1991.................    63.9        63.9        64.2        64.2
1990.................    64.0        63.7        64.0        64.1
1989r................    63.9        63.8        64.1        63.8
                                                          
1989.................    63.9        63.9        64.0        63.8
1988.................    63.7        63.7        64.0        63.8
1987.................    63.8        63.8        64.2        64.1
1986.................    63.6        63.8        63.8        63.9
1985.................    64.1        64.1        63.9        63.5
1984.................    64.6        64.6        64.6        64.1
1983.................    64.7        64.7        64.8        64.4
1982.................    64.8        64.9        64.9        64.5
1981.................    65.6        65.3        65.6        65.2
1980.................    65.5        65.5        65.8        65.5
<H4>

1Standard errors for quarterly homeownership rates for the United 
 States generally are 0.2 percent.
rRevised.

     The data in this release are the result of a sample survey and
are, therefore, subject to sampling variability.  For example, the
standard error on the estimated rental vacancy rate of 7.7 is 0.2
percentage points.  Consequently, the 90 percent confidence
interval as shown by these data is from 7.4 to 8.0; i.e., the
interval 7.7 +/- (1.6 x 0.2) percentage points.  Thus, one can say
with about 90 percent confidence that the average estimate derived
from all possible samples is included in this confidence interval. 
The 90 percent confidence intervals are shown in the text above for
selected items.  The standard errors for other figures in this
release are given in the tables.
     Hypothesis testing may be performed at various levels of
significance, where a level of significance is the probability of
concluding that the parameters are different when, in fact, they
are identical.  All statements of comparison in the text have
passed a hypothesis test at the 0.10 level of significance.  This
means that, for differences cited in the text, the estimated
difference between characteristics is greater than 1.6 times the
standard error of the difference.
     In addition to sampling error, the figures in this release,
both the estimates and their standard errors, are also subject to
rounding error. 

Source: U.S. Census Bureau