The Washington times., 1894-09-03
Nearly One-half of the Families in the
United States Are Owners.
AN INQUIRY FULL OF INTEREST
Results Of the First Investigation Of the Kind
Instituted by the Census 0ffice-Proprie-
torship of Farms and City Homes Among
Nearly Thirteen Millions Of Families.

ldrLn anu nome prOprleLOrSnip, WHICH was
made in all of the States and Territories
This is the first investigation of the kind ever
conducted for this or any other country. OF
the 1860, 152 families in the whole country,
47.S0 per cent. own their farms and homes,
and 52.20 per cent. hires, and of the families
owning their farms and homes, 27.97 per
cent. have incumbrance thereon and 72.O9 per
cent. no incumbrance. Among 100 families,
on the average, 81 hired their farms
and homes, 35 own free of incumbrance, and
Is own subject to incumbrance. The num-
Der of resident owners of land in the United
States is 6,066, All, plus such a number of land
owners as may be living in tenant families.
The farm families number 4,767,179, of
which 60. 90 per cent. own their farms and
34.08 per cent. hire, while of the owning fam
lilies 2S.22 per cent. have incumbrance on
their farms and Ills none. In 1880 1856 per
cent. OF the farms were hired. Among 100
farm families on the average "a hire farms,
AZ own free of incumbrance, and 10 own sub
ject to Incumbrance.
The results for the 1929, ,973 home families
are that 33. so per cent. own their homes and
g. 10 per cent. hire them, while ofthe owning
families 27.70 per cent. own their homes sub
ject to incumbrance, and ~. 80 per cent. free.
contain 63 that hire their homes, q that own
free of incumbrance, and 10 that own subject
to incumbrance.
HOMES IN THE CITIES.
The cities and towns of 5000 to 100, 900
population are aggregated for the 1,749, ,579
home families that live in them, and of these
families, 80. sc per cent own their homes and
6404 per cent. hire while of the owning fami-
lies, 81 II per cent. own subject to incum-
brance, and $3.50 per cent. without incum-
brance. In 100 home families, on the aver
age, GA hire their homes, "a own free Of in
cumbrance and IL own subject TO incum-
brance.
In the cities that contain 100, 900 popula-
tion there are 1,94S.S .S34 home families. of
which 22.S3 per cent. own their homes, and
77.17 per cent. hire, while of the owning fam
lies 81. 80 per cent. own subject 10 incum-
Drance, aud 62.2O per cent. free of tncum-
brance. In 100 home families in these cities
on the average, n hire their homes Il own
free OF incumbrance. and 9 own under incum-
brance. Among the cities having 100. 900 pop
ulation and over New York has highest per-
centage OF home tenancy. namely, 1857; Bos-
ton is next, with S1.57 per cent. Brooklyn
third, with 81. A per cent: Jersey City fourth
with 1.20 per cent, and Cincinnati fifth with
S062 per cent. The percentage for Baltimore
is 9.94; for Buffalo, 60.03; for Chicago. 1927;
for Cleveland, 0.90; for Denver. 70S9; for
Minneapolis, $3.50; for New Orleans, 1851;
for Philadelphia. 1924; for st. Louis, 20. 53
for st. Paul, $3.50; for San Francisco, 1916.
and for Washington. D. c.. 1880. The small
est percentage-56. 56.O2-represents Rochester,
n. Y.
INCUMBRANCEs on FARMS AND HOMES.
To bring the urban population into con-
trast with the non-urban population totals
have been obtained for 4, ,224, $50 home fami-
lies living outside of cities and towns of 5000
people and over. and of these families 1878
per cent. own their homes. 56.22 per cent.
nre, while of the owning families 23. .09 per
cent. own with membranes and 76.91 per
cent. own without incumbrances Among 100
of these home families, on the average, sc
hire their homes, "a own free of lncumbrance,
and 10 subject to incumbrance.
The value of the / 696, $50 farms and homes
subject to incumbrance is s5, ,6S7. .29S. .069. and
the Incumbrance on them is 81, l32. 949, ,563 or
$3.50 per cent. of the value. The sS6. .957
farms subject to incumbrance are worth So
054, ,923 165. and the incumbrance is $685.
995. $780, or 49, per cent. of the value The
500, 933 homes subject 10 incumbrance are
valued at g, ,632. 1878, 904, and the incumbrance
is 81, l,O46, 1884, COS, or 1917 per cent. OF the
value.
The cities of 5000 to 100000 population
have 214.613 incumbered homes, occupied by
owners, worth S739 S46, ,0S7, with an incum-
brance amounting to 1892, GIL 974, which is
1886 per cent Of the value. In the cities Of
100000 population and over, the value of the
1851 incumbered homes, occupied
by owners, is 1894 49,. .S11, and these homes
are incumbered for S393, ,029, S33, or for 42.07
per cent. of their value. In the country out
side OF cities and towns of 5000 people and
over, the value of the 426, 161 incumbered
homes, occupied by owners, is $75S, ,337 ,006,
and the incumbrance is 1851, 81, ,796, or 1910
per cent. OF the value
OF the incumbrance on farms and homes
222o per cent. bears interest at rates less than
6 per cent, 34.44 per cent. at the rate of
per cent, 1886 per cent at rates greater than
6 per cent, and 1928 per cent. at rates greater
than per cent.
AVERAGE VALUE OF HOMES AND FARMS.
The average value of each owned and in
numbered farm in the United States is S3. .444;
of each inclmbered home s3.250. and the
average incumbrance on each of the farms is
1924; on each incumbered home, 81, ,293
The interest charge for one year on the incum-
brance on owned farms and homes is S141,-
80 106; on the owned and incumbered farms
S76, ,077; on the owned and incumbered
homes. S65, 1872, ,029. The average interest
charge for one year on each owned and in
numbered farm is S87; on each home, $50
The average rate of interest on the incun-
brance on the owned farms is 7.07 per cent;
on homes, 6.23 per cent; average for farms
and homes. 6.65 per cent.
In the cities of 5000 to 100000 population
the average value of each owned and incum-
bered home is S3,447, average incumbrance,
81 1863; average annual interest charge, $50;
average rate of interest, 6.29 per cent.
In the cities having at least 100000 popua-
ton $5,555 represents the average value of
each owned and incumbered home. New
York has the highest value, namely, S19, 200;
San Francisco is second, with 1888; Brook
lyn third. with S7,349; Omaha fourth, with
S7,179, and Washington fifth, with S7054.
The annual interest charge on each owned
and incumbered home in these cities is S134
The highest amount being 9438. in New York,
and the lowest amount, $685. in Louisville
Denver has the highest average rate of inter-
est on the incumbrance on owned and incum-
bered homes. namely, 1877 per cent, and
New Orleans is second. with 1856 per cent
New York has the lowest rate, 4.95 per cent,
and Boston stands next with 5.14 per cent
1t was ascertained that 1922 per cent. of
the incumbrance on owned farms was in
CURED for the purpose of buying real estate
and making Improvements, and that SO. 81
per cent. of the incumbrance was for the pur-
pose of buying and improving real estate, in
vesting in business, and purchasing the more
durable kinds of personal property In the
case of homes, 81. "a per cent. of the incum-
brance was incurred to secure purchase
money and to make Improvements, and 80 &c
per cent. was incurred for purchase-money,