The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-11-04
HOMES AND THEIR OWNERS.

OF the 435.O00 homes in Kansas.
50. 37e- are mortgaged and 1S2,7S4 are
rented. according to a statement re-
garding tenure of homes and encum-
brance thereon, for the states and
large cities, as shown by the returns
of the fourteenth federal census.
1t is shown in this statement that
54.4 per cent of the homes in the
United States in 1920 were rented, Is 2
per cent were owned by their occu-
pants and were free from encum-
brance. and 17.5 per cent were owned
by their occupants but were mort
gagged. The proportion which the
mOrtgaged homes formed of the total
number of homes increased from 14.5
per cent in 1900 to Is per cent in
1910 and to 17.5 per cent in 1920.
The term home" as employed by
the census bureau, signifies the abid-
ing place of a single family and does
not, therefore, necessarily denote an
entire dwelling, which may house a
number of families, as in the case Of
an apartment building
The total number of homes enum-
Grated in 1920 was 24,351,676. OF
this number, 12,943,59S were rented
and 1O.S66,96O were owned by their
occupants, and for the remaining
541.118 the facts as to tenure were
not ascertained by the enumerators.
OF the owned homes. 6,522,119 were
free from encumbrance and 4,O59,5 93
were encountered, while for the re-
naming 285,24S the status as to en-
cumbrance was not reported.
The proportion which rented homes
represented of the entire number of
homes increased from $50 per cent IN
1900 to SAP per cent in 1910 and to
54.4 per cent in 1920. Altho in the
country as a whole a slight increase
in the percentage of rented homes
took place during the last decade, 10
states and tire District of Columbia
showed decreases in this respect and
in one state Mississippi, there was no
change. The largest proportional de-
crease in the percentage rented was
that for Maryland-frem SCI in 1910
to SOL in 1920; while the largest pro-
portionaI increase appears for North
Dakota-from PAS in the earlier to
BAT in the later year.
The percentage which mortga ged
homes represented of the total num-
Der of homes owned by their occu-
pants increased from 31.S in 1900 to
32.S in 1910 and to 1873 in 1920. Only
three statea-Vermont, North Caro-
lima and Mississippi-showed de-
creases in this respect between 1910
and 1920, the largest proportional re-
duction being that for Mississippi
from 27.9 in 1910 to 23.7 in 1920,
and in one state. South Carolina, there
was no change. The largest proper
tionaI increase in the percentage of
encountered homes was that for New
Mexico-from Sc in 1910 to IT'S in
1920.
In general, the most striking in
creases in the proportions of encum-
bered homes are those for the eight
Rocky Mountain states, in four Of
which - Montana, Wyoming. New
Mexico and Nevada-the percentage
that encountered homes formed of the
total owned homes in 1920 was more
than double the corresponding per
centage in 1910.
In As of the IS cities having 1Oo,-
900 inhabitants or more in 1920 a de-
crease took place during the past dec
ade in the percentage which rented
homes formed of the entire number of
homes in three cities there was no
change, and in the remaining 20 the
percentage of rented homes increased.
The proportion which mortgaged
homes formed Of the total number of
homes owned by their occupants in
creased in every city except four
Kansas City. Kan. Los Angeles. Calf,
Scranton, Pa, and Spokane, Wash.