Georgetown, Texas, saw its population rise 7.8 percent between July 1, 2014, and July 1, 2015, making it the nation’s fastest-growing city with a population of 50,000 or more, according to estimates released today by the U.S. Census Bureau. Georgetown is part of the Austin-Round Rock metro area, which crossed the 2 million population threshold in 2015 for the first time, according to statistics released earlier this year. This metro area is also home to Pflugerville, the nation’s 11th fastest-growing large city. Austin itself added more people over the period (19,000) than all but seven other U.S. cities. Texas was home to five of the 11 fastest-growing cities (New Braunfels, Frisco and Pearland were the others), and five of the eight that added the most people (Houston, San Antonio, Fort Worth and Dallas were the others). New York remained the nation’s most populous city and gained 55,000 people during the year ending July 1, 2015, which is more than any other U.S. city.

How the Other Fifth Lives

From the New York Times:

For years now, people have been talking about the insulated world of the top 1 percent of Americans, but the top 20 percent of the income distribution is also steadily separating itself — by geography and by education as well as by income.

This self-segregation of a privileged fifth of the population is changing the American social order and the American political system, creating a self-perpetuating class at the top, which is ever more difficult to break into.

In hard numbers, the percentage of families with children living in very affluent neighborhoods more than doubled between 1970 and 2012, from 6.6 percent to 15.7 percent.

At the same time, the percentage of families with children living in traditional middle class neighborhoods with median incomes between 80 and 125 percent of the surrounding metropolitan area fell from 64.7 percent in 1970 to 40.5 percent.

American Housing Survey Emergency Preparedness Infographic

To better understand the needs of first responders and other emergency workers, the 2013 American Housing Survey asked U.S. residents how prepared they are for disasters. A new infographic released this week displays a wide range of the resulting statistics on topics such as having an emergency water supply and emergency evacuation kit.

The American Housing Survey is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. It is the most comprehensive housing survey in the United States. 

Looking for Affordable Housing? Beware of Section 8 Scams

If you know someone who needs public housing assistance, make sure he or she knows about the Section 8 housing scams that prey on home-seekers. The scams use websites that look like registration sites for Section 8 waiting list lotteries. They take people’s “registration fee” money, their personal information, and their chance to register for the real lottery—since these hopefuls usually don’t know they’ve been scammed until the real waiting list is closed.

There is never a fee to register for a real Section 8 waiting list. To sign up for one, contact yourlocal public housing authority.

And for more information on finding an affordable home, visit the new USA.gov “beta” site—a work in progress!

You can’t rent a one-bedroom apartment anywhere in America on a minimum-wage job

A new report by the National Low-Income Housing Coalition shows that there is no state in the U.S. where a full-time, minimum-wage worker can afford the rent of a one-bedroom apartment.

According to the report, the national average Housing Wage in 2015 is $19.35 for a two-bedroom unit, and $15.50 for a one-bedroom unit, while the federal minimum wage remains at $7.25 per hour in 2015, which hasn’t been raised since 2009. In 13 states and D.C., Housing Wage is more than $20 per hour. The Housing Wage is an estimate of the full-time hourly wage that a household must earn to afford a decent apartment at HUD’s estimated Fair Market Rent (FMR) for no more than 30% of their income.

See more from Raw Story.

2014 Characteristics of New Housing

Using data collected by the U.S. Census Bureau's Survey of Construction, which is jointly funded by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, this report provides annual statistics on the characteristics of new privately owned residential structures by census region. The report includes characteristics such as the number of bedrooms and bathrooms, the location of the laundry, presence of homeowner’s association, the buyer's source of financing and the structure's square footage. Internet address:

1 in 4 renters spend half their income on housing, a paycheck away from homelessness

For more than one in four renters in the US, housing and utility costs take up at least half of their family's income, according to a new analysis of Census data. That number is up 26 percent since the beginning of the Great Recession in 2007.

Rising rents and stagnant wages are pushing more Americans into rental agreements, according to an analysis by Enterprise Community Partners, an affordable housing advocate. More than 36 percent of Americans rent housing as compared to 31 percent before the recession began.

The analysis found:
- 11.25 million families pay at least half of income for rent
- 6.4 million families headed by women pay at least half of income for rent
- Low income families paying at least 50% on rent spend about 40% less on food than those with affordable rents

The states most impacted by rising rents and stagnant wages are Florida, New Jersey, California and New York. In these states, 30 percent of renters are using at least half their income on rental housing and utilities.

The situation is nearly as dire across the nation.

More from RT.

2014 Housing Vacancy Survey Annual Statistics

These statistics provide vacancy rates, homeownership rates and characteristics of units available for occupancy for the U.S., regions, states and the 75 largest metropolitan statistical areas. Data for all geographies are available both quarterly and annually. Homeownership rates are also tabulated by age of householder for the U.S. and regions and by race/ethnicity of householder and by family status for the U.S. In addition, estimates of the total housing inventory and percent distributions of vacant for-rent and for-sale-only units are available for the U.S. and regions.

Main page: <http://www.census.gov/housing/hvs/>.

Detailed tables: <http://www.census.gov/housing/hvs/data/q414ind.html>.

Additional 2013 Characteristics of New Housing

The U.S. Census Bureau’s Survey of Construction, which is jointly funded by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, has released new annual characteristics tables. This release includes never before published data on age-restricted developments, presence of homeowners association, sewer and water systems, framing material and laundry. The report provides estimates of new privately owned residential structures in the U.S and the four regions. Internet address.

Which metro has America's oldest housing stock?

Six New York markets are included on the list of 25 metros with the oldest housing stocks: Buffalo (second), New York City (seventh), Albany (ninth), Rochester (10th), Syracuse (11th) and Poughkeepsie (24th).

The opposite end of the rankings is dominated by Sunbelt metros. Las Vegas has the lowest proportion of old homes, 0.97 percent. Next are three Florida metros -- Cape Coral, Palm Bay and Port St. Lucie -- which are all below 2 percent.

All figures come from the five-year version of the U.S. Census Bureau's 2012 American Community Survey. The bureau defines a housing unit as any dwelling, including free-standing homes, apartments and condominiums.

The national rankings are limited to the 108 metros that contain at least 200,000 units.

From Buffalo Business First.

2013 Characteristics of New Housing now available

The report provides annual data on the characteristics of new privately owned residential structures in the U.S. and the four Census regions. The data are collected by the Census Bureau’s Survey of Construction (SOC). The report includes characteristics such as the number of bedrooms and bathrooms, the type of exterior wall material, the buyer’s source of financing, and the structure’s square footage.

Sub county population estimates and county housing units estimates now available

The Census Bureau released population estimates for cities, towns and villages.

All detail, including estimates for balance of town, parts of villages within a town, etc can be downloaded for each state. There is also a description of the methodology on that page.

You can find a table on incorporated places (cities and villages) in AFF.
For New York.

And a table for all county subdivisions (towns and cities) in AFF.
For New York.

Also released are estimates for the number of housing units. On AFF.
For New York.

If you see anything that looks suspicious because of your local knowledge please let me know. The Census Bureau has different avenues to integrate better local data when available but with some limitations on the kinds of data they can accept. Data on building permits and demolitions are driving this round of estimates.

Data on housing loan origination

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau maintains data related to housing loans, going back to 2007, and a lot of the filters on even their basic search tool - geography, owner-occupied or not, demographics on loan applicants - will be useful.

Rising Costs Hitting Homeowners & Renters Across New York State

Housing costs in New York rose sharply relative to income from 2000 to 2012, with more than half of renters and more than a third of homeowners paying at least 30 percent of their 2012 income for a place to live, according to a report released by State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli.


“Regardless of where they live, more New Yorkers are feeling pinched by rising housing costs,”DiNapoli said. “When half your income goes to pay for a place to live, you are going to be stretched thin on other every day purchases. This unfortunate trend has troubling implications for our economic growth and for New Yorkers’ quality of life.”

Looking for Number of Waterfront Homes in the US

From the BUSLIB listserv:

The American Housing Survey may be of use; latest is for 2011. There are links to AFF, but searching is cumbersome.

For 2009, though, the National Summary Report and Tables is in pdf - 175 pages. Much more direct.

Cities Where Wages Haven't Kept Pace with Rising Housing Costs

Many Americans – particularly renters – saw housing costs steadily climb in recent years. At the same time, wages remained relatively flat for most segments of the workforce, meaning families spend a greater share of their incomes on housing instead of food, health and other necessities.

Nationally, for slightly more than half of rental households, monthly gross rent costs last year accounted for 30 percent or more of household income -- the general rule-of-thumb maximum that families should not exceed. For homeowners with a mortgage, about a third of households reported housing-related costs surpassing the 30-percent standard, according to Census estimates.

More from Governing.

The State of the Nation's Housing

American Consumers Newsletter's Cheryl Russell describes: This annual publication examines current trends in housing markets and looks at the future of homeownership and rental housing. This year's report also examines the demographic trends driving the housing market--such as the slowdown in household formation, growing diversity, income stagnation, and the aging population.

Median Price of Homes Purchased Rose 2.3 Percent to $110,000,

Homeowners in the U.S. paid a median price of $110,000 for their homes, according to a 2011 American Housing Survey profile released today. This is an increase of 2.3 percent from the $107,500 reported in the 2009 survey. The median purchase price of homes constructed in the past four years was higher at $235,000, down 2.1 percent from the $240,000 reported for new construction in 2009.

The profile released today provides information on the nation’s housing costs, mortgages and a variety of other physical and financial characteristics about housing in the U.S. The statistics come from the American Housing Survey, which is sponsored by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau, and is the most comprehensive housing survey in the United States. National data are collected every odd-numbered year and metropolitan area data are collected on a rotating basis. The Census Bureau also released profiles for 29 selected metro areas.

“The last five years remind us how central housing is to each of us personally, to the fiscal health of our cities and counties, and the national economy. For 40 years, the American Housing Survey has provided a unique set of data that connects the detailed characteristics of who is living in homes to the detailed characteristics of the homes themselves,” said Kurt Usowski, HUD’s Deputy Assistant Secretary for Economic Affairs. “From the American Housing Survey, we can see why people chose to move, how often homes need repairs, and the extent to which housing costs are outpacing income growth. All this information can help inform policymaking around continued recovery in the U.S. and in metropolitan areas around the country.”

“We are pleased to have the opportunity to collaborate with HUD on these profiles,” said the Census Bureau's Arthur Cresce, Jr., Assistant Division Chief for Housing Characteristics. “Analysts in government and business study the nation's housing very closely and the AHS yields a wealth of information that can be used by professionals in nearly every field for planning, decision-making, and market research.”

Some highlights for the U.S. include:

Physical Characteristics
--The median year occupied homes were built in the U.S. was 1974.
--Nationally, piped gas was the most prevalent home heating source, used by 50.4 percent of occupied homes. Electricity was used by 35.3 percent.
--Among owner-occupied homes in the U.S., 46.3 percent had working carbon monoxide detectors.
--Among all U.S. homes, 72.5 percent of owner-occupied units had central air.

Financial Characteristics
--Median monthly expenditures for homeowners in the U.S. totaled $151 for real estate taxes, $121 for electricity and $58 for property insurance.
--Among U.S. owner-occupied homes, 65.4 percent had a regular and/or home equity mortgage and 23.4 percent had a refinanced primary mortgage.
--The median monthly mortgage payment for homeowners was $1,015 in 2011.

State and County Housing Unit Estimates

Updated estimates of the nations housing stock at the national, state and county levels show growth or decline in units since the 2010 Census.

2012 Characteristics of New Housing

This report provides annual statistics on the characteristics of new privately owned residential structures — such as the type of wall material, number of bedrooms and bathrooms, type of financing, heating and square footage — for the U.S. and the four national regions. The data are gathered from the Census Bureau’s Survey of Construction, which is partially funded by the Department of Housing and Urban Development.