The nation's housing stock increased by 13.3 percent in the last decade, but the growth wasn't evenly dispersed.

According to the latest Census Bureau data, the biggest jump was in owner-occupied dwellings, which increased by 18.3 percent, or a total of 10.8 million units. That far outpaced the 8.3 percent, or 2.7 million, increase in renter-occupied dwellings.

All four census regions recorded growing housing stocks. But the greatest rates of growth were in the South and West, 17.5 percent and 16.7 percent, respectively. The Midwest experienced a 10.1 percent increase in its housing stock, but the increase in the Northwest was a dismal 6.6 percent.

As of last year, the nation had a total of 115.9 million housing units, Census reports. And two-thirds of those units -- 69.8 million -- were owner-occupied.

That's a far cry from just 60 years ago, when less than half of all U.S. households were home owners. Indeed, as a result of the depression, the nation's ownership rate hit its lowest point of the past century in 1940, when only 43.6 percent of all households held title to the roofs over their heads.

Because of the post-World War II economic boom, favorable tax laws and beneficial mortgage financing such as VA mortgages for returning vets, the rate topped the 60 percent benchmark for the first time in 1960.

The majority of households in each region own their homes. But Florida's metropolitan areas lead in ownership rates among metro areas, and West Virginia leads all states. About three out of every four households in the Mountaineer State are owners.

However, renters outnumber owners in the country's four largest cities. In New York, 70 percent of the households are tenants. In Los Angeles, 61 percent rent. Renters represent 56 percent of Chicago's households and 54 percent of Houston's.

There also are more renters than owners in Washington, D.C., where the rental inventory decreased 3.5 percent from 1990 to 2000.

About four out of five married-couple families owned their homes in 2000. Empty nesters and other married couples without children under 18 were more likely (84.8 percent) than married couples with children (76.9 percent) to own their homes.

More than half (55.4 percent) of families maintained by men without spouses present were owners, compared with about half (49.6 percent) of families maintained by women without spouses. At the same time, women who lived alone were more likely than lone male householders to be owners, 56 percent 47 percent.

Only about 18 percent of young householders under 25 were homeowners. But the percentage climbs to a whopping 81 percent for householders 65 to 74 years old.

The full report, entitled, "Housing Characteristics: 2000," can be obtained as a PDF file by pressing here.

For more articles by Lew Sichelman, please press here.

Published: December 6, 2001

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When Lew Sichelman first started writing about housing in 1969, he was the youngest real estate writer in the country. Now, 37 years later, he's one of the oldest -- and most decorated. He has been rated the top housing columnist in the country by the National Association of Realtors as well as by his peers in the National Association of Real Estate Editors. Indeed, NAREE has recognized his work on numerous occasions. One year - due to his advancing age, he can't recall which one - he earned top honors in the annual NAREE Journalism Contest in three out of the four major writing categories. It was the first time one writer has won so many NAREE awards in a single year. Known for his ability to make even the most difficult topics understandable, Sichelman also has been honored by the National Association of Home Builders and the Mortgage Bankers Association. He began providing in-depth coverage of and consumer-oriented information about housing and housing finance at the Washington Daily News, where he was real estate editor. He held that same position for nine more years at the Washington Star, which purchased the News in 1972. The Star, a so-called "writer's newspaper" which also had the misfortune of being an evening paper, was put out of its misery in 1981, and Sichelman, who had begun self-syndicating his column in 1978, decided to become a full-time columnist. Today, his column, "The Housing Scene," is distributed by United Media to newspapers throughout the country. He also is on the staff of National Mortgage News, an independent newspaper which is considered the bible of the mortgage business. And he writes for numerous other publications, including MarketWatch.com, where he answers readers questions once a week, Sports Illustrated (don't ask), RealtyTimes.com, BigBuilder and others. Sichelman is married, the father of five and grandfather of eleven.