Housing
Percent of households that own their homes.
In 2002, there were substantial changes in the racial categories used by the Census Bureau. Time series by race that include data from both racial classifications should be interpreted with care. More details on the changes in racial categories.
Median price of existing single-family homes sold during the year, divided by median family income in that year.
Ratios are calculated by the Stanford Center on Poverty and Inequality using the Single-Family Existing-Home Sales and Prices compiled by the National Association of Realtors, and the U.S. Census Bureau Historical Income Tables for Families.
Each month, the Research Division of the National Association of Realtors (NAR) receives data on home sales from local associations and boards, and from multiple listing services nationwide. These data, covering 30-40% of all existing-home sale transactions, are used to estimate median home prices. Detailed methodological notes are available from the National Association of Realtors.
A family is defined by the Census Bureau as a group of two people or more (one of whom is the householder) related by birth, marriage, or adoption and residing together; all such people (including related subfamily members) are considered as members of one family. The measure of family income used by the Census Bureau is the sum of the income obtained by all family members 15 years old and over. For additional methodological information, see the indicator Median Family Income.
Number of households entering some phase of the foreclosure process.
The data are counts of the total number of properties with at least one foreclosure filing entered into the RealtyTrac database during the year. Some foreclosure filings entered into the database during the year may correspond to the previous year. Data are collected from more than 2,200 counties nationwide, and those counties account for more than 90 percent of the U.S. population. The data count documents filed in all three phases of foreclosure: default or notice of default, and lis pendens; auction or notice of trustee sale and notice of foreclosure sale; and real estate owned properties (that have been foreclosed on and repurchased by a bank). If more than one foreclosure document is received for a property during the year, only the most recent filing is counted.
Number of households entering some phase of the foreclosure process, as a percentage of all households.
The data are counts of the total number of properties with at least one foreclosure filing entered into the RealtyTrac database during the year. Some foreclosure filings entered into the database during the year may correspond to the previous year. Data are collected from more than 2,200 counties nationwide, and those counties account for more than 90 percent of the U.S. population. The data count documents filed in all three phases of foreclosure: default or notice of default, and lis pendens; auction or notice of trustee sale and notice of foreclosure sale; and real estate owned properties (that have been foreclosed on and repurchased by a bank). If more than one foreclosure document is received for a property during the year, only the most recent filing is counted.
Ratio of median gross rent (including contract rent and utilities) to median renter household income.
Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University, America’s Rental Housing: Evolving Markets and Needs. Ratios are calculated by the Stanford Center on Poverty and Inequality.
Gross rent equals median gross rent from the 2011 American Housing Survey, indexed by a weighted combination of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rent of primary residence, the CPI energy services index, and the CPI water and sewer maintenance index.
Renters exclude those paying no cash rent.
Percent of households paying more than half of household income in housing costs.
Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University, The State of the Nation’s Housing.
Households with zero or negative income are assumed to have severe burdens, while renters paying no cash rent are assumed to have no burden.
A household includes all the people who occupy a house, an apartment, a mobile home, a group of rooms, or a single room that is occupied as separate living quarters. Separate living quarters are those in which the occupants live separately from any other people in the building and which have direct access from the outside of the building or through a common hall.
Number of people who used emergency shelters or housing provided by transitional programs at least once in the previous year.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress. HUD’s estimates are based on data from the Homeless Management Information Systems.
HUD’s estimates reflect the number of persons in the fifty states and the District of Columbia who used shelters or transitional housing programs during the one-year period from October 1 through September 30 of the reference year. Estimates include an extrapolation adjustment to account for people whose jurisdictions do not yet participate in the Homeless Management Information Systems.
Age is based on a person’s first time in a shelter or transitional housing during the one-year reporting period.
Number of households with children who used emergency shelters or housing provided by transitional programs at least once in the previous year.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress. HUD’s estimates are based on data from the Homeless Management Information Systems.
HUD’s estimates reflect the number of households in the fifty states and the District of Columbia who used shelters or transitional housing programs during the one-year period from October 1 through September 30 of the reference year. Estimates include an extrapolation adjustment to account for people whose jurisdictions do not yet participate in the Homeless Management Information Systems.
Age is based on a person’s first time in a shelter or transitional housing during the one-year reporting period.
Median number of nights spent in emergency homeless shelters, among those who spent at least one night.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress. HUD’s estimates are based on data from the Homeless Management Information Systems.
Estimates represent the annual cumulative amount of time spent in shelters. For instance, if a person has three stays of 7 nights each, his or her length of stay is counted as 21 nights.
Median number of nights spent in housing provided by transitional housing programs, among those who spent at least one night.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress. HUD’s estimates are based on data from the Homeless Management Information Systems.
Estimates represent the annual cumulative amount of time spent in housing provided by transitional programs. For instance, if a person has three stays of 7 nights each, his or her length of stay is counted as 21 nights.