Housing
Source and Methodological Information
List of Indicators
S&P/Case-Schiller Home Price Index
Median Sale Price of Existing Single-Family Homes
Ratio of Median Sale Price of Existing Single-Family Homes to Median Family Income
Percent of Households Experiencing Foreclosure
Percent of Mortgage Loans Starting Foreclosure
Number of People using Emergency Shelters or Transitional Programs
Number of Households with Children using Emergency Shelters or Transitional Programs
Median Length of Stay in Emergency Homeless Shelters
Median Length of Stay in Transitional Housing Programs
Homeownership Rate
Description
Percent of households that own their homes.
Source
U.S. Census Bureau, Housing Vacancies and Homeownership Historical Tables.
Methodological Notes
In 2002, there were substantial changes in the racial categories used by the Census Bureau. Time series by race that include data from both racial classifications should be interpreted with care. More details on the changes in racial categories.
S&P/Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price Index
Description
Index measuring U.S. home prices.
Source
Standard & Poor’s, S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Indices.
Methodological Notes
The U.S. Home Price Index is a quarterly index of single-family home prices for the nine U.S. Census divisions. It captures approximately 75% of the U.S. residential housing stock by value. The index measures changes in housing market prices given a constant level of quality. Changes in the types and sizes of houses or changes in the physical characteristics of houses are specifically excluded from the calculations to avoid incorrectly affecting the index value.
The Stanford Center on Poverty and Inequality averages quarterly data to produce the annual values of the index.
Median Sale Price of Existing Single-Family Homes
Description
Median price of existing single-family homes sold during the year.
Source
National Association of Realtors, Single-Family Existing-Home Sales and Prices.
Methodological Notes
Each month, the Research Division of the National Association of Realtors (NAR) receives data on home sales from local associations and boards, and from multiple listing services nationwide. These data, covering 30-40% of all existing-home sale transactions, are used to estimate median home prices. Detailed methodological notes are available from the National Association of Realtors.
Ratio of Median Sale Price of Existing Single-Family Homes to Median Family Income
Description
Median price of existing single-family homes sold during the year, divided by median family income in that year.
Source
Ratios are calculated by the Stanford Center on Poverty and Inequality using the Single-Family Existing-Home Sales and Prices compiled by the National Association of Realtors and the U.S. Census Bureau Historical Income Tables for Families.
Methodological Notes
Each month, the Research Division of the National Association of Realtors (NAR) receives data on home sales from local associations and boards, and from multiple listing services nationwide. These data, covering 30-40% of all existing-home sale transactions, are used to estimate median home prices. Detailed methodological notes are available from the National Association of Realtors.
A family is defined by the Census Bureau as a group of two people or more (one of whom is the householder) related by birth, marriage, or adoption and residing together; all such people (including related subfamily members) are considered as members of one family. The measure of family income used by the Census Bureau is the sum of the income obtained by all family members 15 years old and over. For additional methodological information, see the indicator Median Family Income.
Number of Foreclosure Filings
Description
Number of households entering some phase of the foreclosure process.
Source
RealtyTrac U.S. Foreclosure Market Report.
Methodological Notes
The data are counts of the total number of properties with at least one foreclosure filing entered into the RealtyTrac database during the year. Some foreclosure filings entered into the database during the year may correspond to the previous year. Data are collected from more than 2,200 counties nationwide, and those counties account for more than 90 percent of the U.S. population. The data count documents filed in all three phases of foreclosure: default or notice of default, and lis pendens; auction or notice of trustee sale and notice of foreclosure sale; and real estate owned properties (that have been foreclosed on and repurchased by a bank). If more than one foreclosure document is received for a property during the year, only the most recent filing is counted.
Percent of Households Experiencing Foreclosure
Description
Number of households entering some phase of the foreclosure process, as a percentage of all households.
Source
RealtyTrac U.S. Foreclosure Market Report.
Methodological Notes
The data are counts of the total number of properties with at least one foreclosure filing entered into the RealtyTrac database during the year. Some foreclosure filings entered into the database during the year may correspond to the previous year. Data are collected from more than 2,200 counties nationwide, and those counties account for more than 90 percent of the U.S. population. The data count documents filed in all three phases of foreclosure: default or notice of default, and lis pendens; auction or notice of trustee sale and notice of foreclosure sale; and real estate owned properties (that have been foreclosed on and repurchased by a bank). If more than one foreclosure document is received for a property during the year, only the most recent filing is counted.
Mortgage Delinquency Rate
Description
Number of loans delinquent 30 days or more as a percentage of mortgage loans serviced.
Source
Statistical Abstract of the United States. The Statistical Abstract’s data are based on the Mortgage Bankers Association’s National Delinquency Survey.
Methodological Notes
The National Delinquency Survey covers 45 million mortgage loans on one- to four-unit residential nonfarm properties, representing between 80 to 85 percent of all first-lien residential mortgage loans outstanding. Loans surveyed are reported by approximately 120 lenders, including mortgage bankers, commercial banks, and thrifts. Delinquency rates do not include loans in the process of foreclosure. The annual estimates are the average of quarterly figures.
Percent of Mortgage Loans Starting Foreclosure
Description
Percent of mortgage loans entering the foreclosure process at year-end.
Source
Statistical Abstract of the United States. The Statistical Abstract’s data are based on the Mortgage Bankers Association’s National Delinquency Survey.
Methodological Notes
The National Delinquency Survey covers 45 million mortgage loans on one- to four-unit residential nonfarm properties, representing between 80 to 85 percent of all first-lien residential mortgage loans outstanding. Loans surveyed are reported by approximately 120 lenders, including mortgage bankers, commercial banks, and thrifts.
Number of People Using Emergency Shelters or Transitional Programs
Description
Number of people who used emergency shelters or housing provided by transitional programs at least once in the previous year.
Source
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress. HUD’s estimates are based on data from the Homeless Management Information Systems.
Methodological Notes
HUD’s estimates reflect the number of persons in the fifty states and the District of Columbia who used shelters or transitional housing programs during the one-year period from October 1 through September 30 of the reference year. Estimates include an extrapolation adjustment to account for people whose jurisdictions do not yet participate in the Homeless Management Information Systems.
Age is based on a person’s first time in a shelter or transitional housing during the one-year reporting period.
Number of Households with Children Using Emergency Shelters or Transitional Programs
Description
Number of households with children who used emergency shelters or housing provided by transitional programs at least once in the previous year.
Source
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress. HUD’s estimates are based on data from the Homeless Management Information Systems.
Methodological Notes
HUD’s estimates reflect the number of households in the fifty states and the District of Columbia who used shelters or transitional housing programs during the one-year period from October 1 through September 30 of the reference year. Estimates include an extrapolation adjustment to account for people whose jurisdictions do not yet participate in the Homeless Management Information Systems.
Age is based on a person’s first time in a shelter or transitional housing during the one-year reporting period.
Median Length of Stay in Emergency Homeless Shelters
Description
Median number of nights spent in emergency homeless shelters, among those who spent at least one night.
Source
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress. HUD’s estimates are based on data from the Homeless Management Information Systems.
Methodological Notes
Estimates represent the annual cumulative amount of time spent in shelters. For instance, if a person has three stays of 7 nights each, his or her length of stay is counted as 21 nights.
Median Length of Stay in Transitional Housing Programs
Description
Median number of nights spent in housing provided by transitional housing programs, among those who spent at least one night.
Source
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress. HUD’s estimates are based on data from the Homeless Management Information Systems.
Methodological Notes
Estimates represent the annual cumulative amount of time spent in housing provided by transitional programs. For instance, if a person has three stays of 7 nights each, his or her length of stay is counted as 21 nights.