Homeownership Rate At Lowest Level Since 1998

The U.S. homeownership rate fell to 66.5% of all households in the fourth quarter of 2010, marking the lowest recorded homeownership level since 1998, according to data released by the U.S. Census Bureau.


The fourth-quarter rates were down 0.4% from the third quarter of 2010 and 0.7% from the fourth quarter of 2009. The highest recorded homeownership rate was 69%, which was reached in the fourth quarter of 2004.

The Census Bureau also reported that the homeowner vacancy rate increased in the fourth quarter to 2.7%, up from 2.5% in the third quarter, while the rental vacancy rate declined to 9.4% in the same period, down from 10.3% in the previous quarter.

SOURCE: U.S. Census Bureau