| HOUSING INVENTORY
 Housing
Stock*
At the end of the fourth quarter of 2002 the estimate of the total housing stock, 124,009,000 units, was up a
statistically insignificant 0.5 percent from the third quarter of 2002 and increased a statistically insignificant 1.7 percent above 2001’s fourth-quarter level. The number of occupied units increased a statistically insignificant 0.3 percent from 2002’s third quarter and rose 1.3 percent above the fourth quarter of 2001. Owner-occupied
homes increased a statistically insignificant 0.8 percent from the third quarter of 2002 and were up 1.6 percent
above last year’s fourth quarter. Rentals decreased a statistically insignificant 0.6 percent from the previous
quarter but increased a statistically insignificant 0.5 percent from the fourth quarter of 2001. Vacant units were
up 1.6 percent from last quarter and increased 4.7 percent from 2001’s fourth quarter.
|
|
Latest
Quarter
|
Previous
Quarter
|
Same Quarter
Previous Year
|
% Change
From Previous Quarter
|
% Change
From Last Year
|
| ALL HOUSING
UNITS |
124,009
|
123,425
|
121,963
|
+ 0.5**
|
+ 1.7**
|
| OCCUPIED
UNITS |
108,999
|
108,656
|
107,633
|
+ 0.3**
|
+ 1.3 |
| OWNERS |
74,418
|
73,854
|
73,215
|
+ 0.8**
|
+ 1.6 |
| RENTERS |
34,581
|
34,802
|
34,418
|
–
0.6** |
+ 0.5**
|
| VACANT UNITS
|
15,010
|
14,769
|
14,330
|
+ 1.6 |
+ 4.7 |
*Components may not add to totals because of rounding. Units in thousands.
**This change is not statistically significant.
Source: Census Bureau, Department of Commerce
|
 Vacancy
Rates
The homeowner vacancy rate, at 1.7 percent, was unchanged from the third quarter of 2002 but was down a
statistically insignificant 0.1 percentage point from the fourth quarter of 2001.
The 2002 fourth-quarter national rental vacancy rate, at 9.4 percent, increased a statistically insignificant 0.3
percentage point from the previous quarter and was up 0.6 percentage point from the same quarter of last year.
|
|
Latest
Quarter
|
Previous
Quarter
|
Same Quarter
Previous Year
|
% Change
From Previous Quarter
|
% Change
From Last Year
|
| HOMEOWNER
RATE1 |
1.7 |
1.7 |
1.8 |
—
|
–
6** |
| RENTAL RATE1
|
9.4 |
9.1 |
8.8 |
+ 3** |
+ 7 |
**This change is not statistically significant.
1Major changes related to the survey effective with
1994 first-quarter data.
Source: Census Bureau, Department of Commerce
|
 Homeownership
Rates
The national homeownership rate was 68.3 percent in the fourth quarter of 2002, up 0.3 percentage point
from last quarter and up 0.3 percentage point from the fourth quarter of 2001. The homeownership rate for
minority households, at 49.9 percent, increased 0.8 percentage point from the third quarter of 2002 and
increased 0.4 percentage point from the fourth quarter of 2001. The 62.5-percent homeownership rate for
young households was up 1.3 percentage points from the third quarter of 2002 and increased a statistically
insignificant 0.1 percentage point from 2001’s fourth quarter.
|
|
Latest
Quarter
|
Previous
Quarter
|
Same Quarter
Previous Year
|
% Change
From Previous Quarter
|
% Change
From Last Year
|
| ALL HOUSEHOLDS
|
68.3 |
68.0 |
68.0 |
+ 0.4 |
+ 0.4 |
| MINORITIES
|
49.9 |
49.1 |
49.5 |
+ 1.6 |
+ 0.8 |
| YOUNG MARRIED-COUPLE
HOUSEHOLDS |
62.5 |
61.2 |
62.4 |
+ 2.1 |
+ 0.2**
|
** This change is not statistically significant.
Source: Census Bureau, Department of Commerce
|
|
