How to Read the Census Housing Vacancies and Homeownership Report — Vacancy Rates, Homeownership and Margins of Error

As of 26 October 2026 (KST); most recently published quarterly report: Quarterly Residential Vacancies and Homeownership, Second Quarter 2026, released by the U.S. Census Bureau on July 28, 2026 (CB26-116). The release says: "The third quarter 2026 data are scheduled for release on October 28, 2026." The release schedule gives a normal release time of 10:00 a.m., and the FAQ says: "The four quarterly press releases are generally issued during the last week of the month following the previous quarter at 10:00 AM." Primary source: https://www.census.gov/housing/hvs/files/currenthvspress.pdf^[1][4][5][6]

Comparison basis: these are quarterly survey estimates from the Current Population Survey/Housing Vacancy Survey (CPS/HVS); "The data presented are averaged for the three months – April, May, and June 2026." The vacancy rates and the first homeownership row are not seasonally adjusted (the release's first figure notes: "Data are not adjusted for seasonality."); the release also publishes a seasonally adjusted homeownership rate (Table 4SA). Rates are published rounded to one decimal, and the percentage-point changes here are this page's calculations from those rounded rates; whether a change is statistically significant is taken only from the release text, because "All comparative statements in this report have undergone statistical testing, and unless otherwise noted, all comparisons are statistically significant at the 90 percent significance level." The release, accuracy statement, definitions, FAQ and schedule are all from the Census Bureau and count as one source.^[1][2]

In three lines

1. The quarterly report gives survey estimates of how much rental and for-sale housing is vacant and what share of households own their home.
2. As published on July 28, 2026, Q2 2026 estimates were 7.3% rental vacancy, 1.2% homeowner vacancy and 65.0% homeownership, none statistically different from a year earlier.
3. Third quarter 2026 data are scheduled for October 28, 2026.^[1]

"The rental vacancy rate is the proportion of the rental inventory that is vacant for rent." "The homeowner vacancy rate is the proportion of the homeowner inventory that is vacant for sale." "The homeownership rate is the proportion of households that is owner-occupied."^[1]

Tenure and households. "A unit is owner occupied if the owner or co-owner lives in the unit, even if it is mortgaged or not fully paid for." "The count of occupied housing units is the same as the count of households."^[3]

Prices of vacant units. "In the second quarter 2026, the median asking rent for vacant for rent units was $1,531." "In the second quarter 2026, the median asking sales price for vacant for sale units was $343,800." "The data in figures 2 and 3 are not adjusted for price changes."^[1]

Margin of error vs confidence interval. The release defines the terms this way: "A margin of error is a measure of an estimate’s reliability." "This number, when added to and subtracted from the estimate, forms the 90 percent confidence interval." Its worked example: "For example, the standard error on the estimated rental vacancy rate of 7.3 percent is 0.149 percentage points." "The margin of error, at the 90 percent confidence interval, is calculated as 1.645 x 0.149 percent, or 0.246 percentage points." "Thus, the 90 percent confidence interval is from 7.1 percent to 7.5 percent when rounded." Adding and subtracting 0.246 from 7.3 gives 7.054 to 7.546, which matches 7.1 to 7.5 when rounded (this page's calculation). This uses the 0.246 margin of error stated in the release; the displayed standard error of 0.149 alone does not reproduce it exactly, since 1.645 x 0.149 is 0.245105 (this page's calculation), which suggests the standard error is shown rounded. The accuracy statement's own example likewise works from a rounded standard error: "For example, the estimated percent of housing units vacant and available for rent in the Northeast is 2.2 percent (Table 11) and the rounded standard error on the estimate is 0.1 percentage points (Table A-1)."^[1][2]

Rounded difference vs significance. The rental vacancy rate rose from 7.0 to 7.3 percent between Q2 2025 and Q2 2026 on the rounded figures, and Table 2 lists a margin of error of the difference of 0.3, yet the release calls the rates not statistically different. The accuracy statement explains the test: "This means that, for most differences cited in the text, the absolute value of the estimated difference between characteristics is greater than or equal to 1.645 times the estimated standard error of the difference." It also notes: "In addition to sampling error, the figures in this report, both the estimates and their margins of error, are also subject to rounding error." So a rounded difference equal to a rounded margin of error cannot be read as significant on its own (this page's reading).^[1][2]

Unadjusted vs seasonally adjusted homeownership. The unadjusted rate was 65.0% in Q2 2026 and the seasonally adjusted rate 65.2% (Tables 4 and 4SA). "When adjusted for seasonal variation, the second quarter 2026 homeownership rate was not statistically different from the rate in the second quarter 2025 and not statistically different from the rate in the first quarter 2026." "As new quarterly data are input, previous quarters’ seasonally adjusted homeownership rates may change."^[1]

Vacant share vs vacancy rates. Table 3 shows 10.5% of all housing units vacant in Q2 2026, but the rental and homeowner vacancy rates use only the rental and homeowner inventories (see the definitions above). In answering where foreclosed homes appear, the FAQ adds that the vacancy-rate formulas leave out units in the other vacant and seasonal categories; it says foreclosed properties may appear in any of the housing unit categories.^[1][4]

Counts vs rates. Table 3's counts are in thousands ("Estimates are in thousands, estimates may not add to total due to rounding"): owner-occupied (86,985) plus renter-occupied (46,827) units come to 133,812 against 133,811 occupied, and 86,985 divided by 133,811 matches the 65.0% homeownership rate when rounded (this page's calculations). The counts are controlled to independent housing estimates, and the release says: "Vacancy rates and homeownership rates are not affected by this change."^[1]

Fourth quarter 2025. "The fourth quarter 2025 HVS estimates are therefore based only on data from November 2025 and December 2025." "Data users should be aware of the time period difference when working with the fourth quarter 2025 estimates and take note of the margins of error, which reflect the higher level of uncertainty for the fourth quarter 2025 estimates."^[1][2]

Sample and areas. "Beginning in April 2025, a new sample is being phased in over a 15-month period and will be completed by July 2026." "Caution should be used when comparing MSA data for 2026 to earlier data." "The average weighted CPS response rate for those three months was 67 percent."^[1][2]

Survey vs census. The accuracy statement compares the April 2020 census homeownership rate of 63.1 percent with the CPS/HVS rate of 65.3 percent for the first quarter 2020: "These differences illustrate that, for these characteristics as well as others, caution should be used when making comparisons between the 2020 census and the CPS/HVS."^[2]

Groups. "The rental vacancy rate was highest in the South (9.5 percent), followed by the Midwest (6.9 percent)." "Compared to the rates in the second quarter 2025, the second quarter 2026 rate was lower in the under 35 years of age group." These are the release's own comparisons; it does not attribute causes.^[1]