Survey: 57.5% of Housing Units in U.S. Are Owner-Occupied

Out of the over 132.4 million housing units in the United States, about 57.5 percent are owner-occupied, while 10 percent are vacant, according to data from the 2011 American Housing Survey released by released Thursday by the Census Bureau and HUD.

The survey, which is the most comprehensive housing survey in the United States, revealed another 29.3 percent are occupied by renters. Seasonal units represented the smallest share, at 3.1 percent.

Survey data also showed the median price of a home stood at $110,000 in 2011, up 2.3 percent from the 2009 survey.

The median year occupied homes were built was 1974, though the survey found homes built over the past four years sold for a much higher price. According to the survey, homes constructed in the last four years had a median price of $235,000, down 2.1 percent from 2009.

As for the actual monthly costs of keeping a home, the survey reported homeowners paid a median of $1,015 for their mortgage in 2011. Meanwhile, an electric bill came out to about $121 each month.

The median cost of a rental unit, including utilities, was less at $845, with renters spending about 35 percent of their income on their home in 2011.

Among owner-occupied households, 65.4 percent had a regular and/or home equity mortgage, while 23.4 percent had a refinanced primary mortgage.
The survey also included similar information on metro areas across the country.

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