Table 2.  Rental and Homeowner Vacancy Rates, by Area:  Second Quarter 2004 and 2005







                                    Rental vacancy rates





                            Second       Second           90-Percent

         Area               quarter      quarter    Confidence Interval(&plusmn;)<sup>a</sup>

                             2004         2005     of 2005 rate   of difference





United States..........        10.2          9.8          0.4          0.5



  Inside Core-Based

     Statistical Areas.        NA            9.7          0.5           NA

    In central cities..        NA           10.1          0.6           NA

    Not in central cities

    (suburbs)..........        NA            9.1          0.7           NA

  Outside Core-Based

    Statistical Areas..        NA           10.4          1.5           NA



 Northeast.............         7.0          6.1          0.7          0.8

 Midwest...............        11.7         12.6          0.9          1.0

 South.................        13.0         11.8          0.9          1.0

 West..................         7.7          7.5          0.8          0.9







                                    Homeowner vacancy rates





                            Second       Second          90-Percent

         Area               quarter      quarter   Confidence Interval(&plusmn;)<sup>a</sup>

                             2004         2005     of 2005 rate   of difference



United States..........         1.7          1.8          0.1          0.1



  Inside Core-Based

     Statistical Areas.        NA            1.8          0.1           NA

    In central cities..        NA            2.1          0.3           NA

    Not in central cities

    (suburbs)..........        NA            1.6          0.1           NA

  Outside Core-Based

    Statistical Areas..        NA            1.8          0.3           NA



 Northeast.............         1.1          1.3          0.2          0.3

 Midwest...............         1.7          2.0          0.2          0.3

 South.................         2.0          2.2          0.2          0.3

 West..................         1.4          1.3          0.2          0.3



    <sup>a</sup>A 90-percent confidence interval is a measure of an estimate's reliability.  

The larger the confidence interval is, in relation to the size of the estimate, the less 

reliable the estimate.

NA Not available.  Core-Based Statistical Area data for 2005 and later are not comparable 

to earlier data.  Beginning in first quarter 2005, the Current Population Survey/Housing 

Vacancy Survey is using the new metropolitan and micropolitan statistical definitions which 

were announced by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in June 2003, and were based on 

the application of the 2000 standards to Census 2000 data.  OMB announced updates as of 

December 2003, based on application of the 2000 standards to more recent Census Bureau 

estimates.  The December 2003 definitions are available at: 

http://www.census.gov/population/www/estimates/metrodef.html.