Vacancy rate as a proxy for housing tightness · ACS 2022 5-year estimates · lower vacancy = tighter market
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Overall vacancy rate = vacant units / total housing units. Includes all vacancy types: for rent, for sale, seasonal, and other. A healthy market typically has 5–8% overall vacancy. Below 5% signals a tight market where demand outstrips supply.
Homeowner vacancy rate = vacant for-sale units / (owner-occupied + vacant for-sale). Measures tightness of the for-sale market specifically. The national average is around 1%. Below 0.7% indicates extreme scarcity.
Rental vacancy rate = vacant for-rent units / (renter-occupied + vacant for-rent). Measures tightness of the rental market. The national average is around 6%. Below 4% indicates a very tight rental market.
Low vacancy does not always mean shortage — resort counties have high seasonal vacancy, and declining areas may have surplus even at moderate rates. Data: Census Bureau ACS 2022 5-year estimates, tables B25001, B25002, B25004, B25014.