Return to the PIE Home PageThe number of housing units occupied year-round in the City of Columbus has increased by 35.3% since 1970, from 173,000 in 1970 to 234,100 in 1991, according to the American Housing Survey. Although owner-occupied units in Columbus increased in number by 26.0% over this period, the percentage of all occupied units that are owned dropped from 51.0% to 47.5%. This is due to a faster rate of growth in the number of renter-occupied units (45.0% over the period) and the increasing costs of home ownership. The survey also estimated that vacant units have increased by 175.3%, from 9,300 in 1970 to 25,600 in 1991. As a percentage of total housing units, vacancies have increased from 5.1% in 1970 to 9.9% in 1991. The survey's vacancy rate for 1991 of 9.9% is higher than the 1990 census estimated rate of 7.6%.
A housing unit is vacant if no one is living in it at the time of the survey, unless the occupants are only temporarily absent. A vacant unit may also be one which is occupied entirely by persons who have a usual residence elsewhere (e.g., second homes).
% Change
Tenure 1970 1975 1978 1982 1987 1991 1970-87
Occupied 173,000 184,700 198,000 197,600 228,200 234,100 35.3
Owner 88,300 91,200 94,600 99,600 107,300 111,300 26.0
% of
Occpd. 51.0 49.4 47.8 50.4 47.0 47.5 ---
Renter 84,700 93,500 103,400 98,000 121,000 122,800 45.0
% of
Occpd. 49.0 50.6 52.2 49.6 53.0 52.5 ---
Vacant 9,300 21,700 18,400 29,100 21,000 25,600 175.3
% of Total 5.1 10.5 8.5 12.8 8.4 9.9 ---
Total
Year-Round
Units 182,400 206,400 216,400 226,700 249,200 259,700 42.4
Source: American Housing Survey for the Columbus MSA, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and U.S. Bureau of the Census
Filename: PS-010