Evening star., 1932-10-08
HOME OWNERSHIP
CA|NSS.1PERCENT
Advance Is Contrary to Com
mon Impression, Says
Realty Board.

there was an increase of 81 per cent
IN the number of homes in the Clues
~ the United States which were owneo
hv the families living In them. In lslo
the number of such urban MONIES was
5.245.3 $50. According to the l93o census
the figure by that year mao risen W W
10.5O3,386, showing an increase -
6,258,006. cont
IN home ownership in the urban CEN
ters of the country during the 10 years
ending with 1880. During tnaI oecaos
the number rose from 7,041 .203 owned
dwellings in 1920 to 10,503,386 IN lsoo'
These figures, cleaned from the re-
rent report of the results OF the last
census, present an encouraging picture
of the trend toward home ownership
according to an analysis OF the siIua,
tion by the National Association OF Real
Estate Boards. 1t points out tnaI tfle
increase in home ownership In tne Pas'
10 years is contrary to the common I'M
preston and believes that II WILL nave
bearing on the business 1uIure'
Increase Important.
Because of the tremendous increase
In apartment house construction tnat
nreceded the slump in building opera
fions of the country during the past
four wears, this increase IN nome own
ership among families living in the ur,
ban centers is important, the natlonal
realtors association states.
The importance of the trend IN tnls
group of families. it declared IN state
ment released this week, is clear When
it is realized that the single-famlly ur-
ban residences constitute by 1ar tne
largest single class of the Nation
Tt
outnumbers the farm homes by much
more than 2 to /, and the apartment
residences by well over to l.
With the Census Bureau compilation
the association ties in certain figures
for the same years compiled by the Bu-
reau of Labor Statistics, since the lat
ter give measure Of apartment use as
compared with use Of single-famlly
dwellings. This topic was included IN
the census of 1880, but was not cov-
cred in previous census tabulations.
Ahead of 1910 Percentage.
Home ownership Of all classes, while
showing an increase in total showed
slight decrease in proportion IN the
census of 1920. That tendency is now
well overcome, the 1880 census reveals.
Moreover, we are now ahead OF the lSlu
percentage. The totals are as follows:
Families owning their own homes:
In 1910, total number, 9,083,711, or
44.8 per cent of national total
In 1920, total number, 10,866,9 $50, or
A.6 per cent of national total.
In 1880, total number. 14,oo2,o74. or
468 per cent of national total.
The total number of families in the
United States is 29,904,663. the recent
announcement reveals. This means
t,1 60 n
ton now own their own homes.
Housing types, as shown by the 1880
census:
Non farm homes in one family dwell
ings, 16,164429.
Non-farm homes in multi-family
dwellings, 3,615,379.
Non-farm homes in two-family dwell
ing. 3,615,379.
23.235,982.
Farm homes (nearly all presumed to
be family dwellings,, 6,66S,68l.
Total number of homes in the United
States. 29.904 ,663.
It is the non-farm home group that
the steady increase in ownership has
taken place. Such homes total 23,-
235,9S2. OF these 10,503,386 or 45.2
per cent are owned homes. This skele-
ownership has been increasing over the
past 80 years:
Owned homes of the non-farm class:
In 1910, total number. 5,245,380. or
T.1 per cent Of national non-farm
total.
In 1920, total number 7,041 ,283, or 40
per cent of national non-farm total.
In 1880, total number 10,503 1856, or
4.2 per cent of national non-farm
total.
Nation Of Cliff DwelIers.
"But while this has been going on
there took place marked increase in
apartment house construction and
apartment living, a movement so strong
as to bring out the constant comment
that America was becoming Nation
Of cliff dwellers, the realtor asSocia-
ton states.
There are no figures available for
this period which show the total num-
Der of families housed in multi-family
or apartment structures. Such figures
we're collected for the first time in the
1880 census. However, figures Of the
Bureau of Labor Statistics as to new
construction, which date back to 1920,
give a measure of the trend.
"The year 1920 marks a time when
apartment DulQlng was JuSC beginning
to reach the smaller cities. Out of the
total number of families provided for by
new residence construction in that year
multi family construction accounted for
only 1894 per cent. This is for the
191 cities for which figures were that
year gathered by the Labor Department.
The year 1921, when full percentage
analysis began for 257 cities, marks the
first big Jump for the country as a
whole toward apartment living In that
year r.ulti-family structures furnished
"a per cent of the family units added
by new construction. Single-f family
structures furnished 442 per cent. Two
family dwellings, then stronger in popu-
larity than they have been at any time
since furnished 217 per cent The