HOUSING INVENTORY

Housing Stock*

As of the fourth quarter of 2000, the estimate of the total housing stock, 120,144,000 units, was up a statistically insignificant 0.3 percent from the third quarter of 2000 and increased a statistically insignificant 1.1 percent above 1999’s fourth quarter level. The number of occupied units increased a statistically insignificant 0.7 percent from the third quarter of 2000 and rose 1.1 percent above the fourth quarter in 1999. Owner-occupied homes increased a statistically insignificant 0.4 percent from the third quarter of 2000 and were up 2.1 percent above last year’s fourth quarter. Rentals increased a statistically insignificant 1.2 percent from last quarter but decreased a statistically insignificant 0.7 percent from the fourth quarter of 1999. Vacant units were down 2.4 percent from last quarter but increased 0.8 percent from 1999’s fourth quarter.

*Components may not add to totals because of rounding. Units in thousands. **This change is not statistically significant. Source: Bureau of the Census, Department of Commerce.

Vacancy Rates

The homeowner vacancy rate, at 1.6 percent, was unchanged from the third quarter of 2000 and was unchanged from the fourth quarter of 1999.

The 2000 fourth quarter national rental vacancy rate, at 7.8 percent, was a statistically insignificant decrease of 0.4 percentage point from the previous quarter and was down a statistically insignificant 0.1 percentage point from the same quarter of last year.

1Major changes related to the survey effective with 1994 first-quarter data. ** This change is not statistically significant. Source: Bureau of the Census, Department of Commerce.

Homeownership Rates

The national homeownership rate was 67.5 percent in the fourth quarter of 2000. The rate was down 0.2 percentage point from last quarter but was up 0.6 percentage point from the fourth quarter of 1999. The homeown-ership rate for minority households increased 0.5 percentage point from the third quarter of 2000 and increased 0.9 percentage point from the fourth quarter of 1999. The 61.8-percent homeownership rate for young households was up 0.8 percentage point from the third quarter of 2000 and up 1.5 percentage points from 1999’s fourth quarter. The 2000 annual homeownership rate for all households was 67.4, an increase of 0.6 percentage point from the previous year. The annual rate for minorities was 48.1 percent for the year, an increase of 0.7 percentage point, and the annual homeownership rate for young married-couple households increased 1.2 percentage points from 1999 to 61.0 percent.

** This change is not statistically significant. Source: Bureau of the Census, Department of Commerce.