US Homeowner Vacancy Rate Statistics 2026

The U.S. homeowner vacancy rate was 1.1% in the first quarter of 2026, according to the Census Bureau’s Housing Vacancy Survey series available from FRED as RHVRUSQ156N. This small national rate describes a specific part of the for-sale housing stock. It should not be confused with rental vacancy, overall vacant housing, or the share of listings sitting empty.

Latest homeowner vacancy readings

The latest estimate was 0.1 percentage point below the preceding quarter and equal to the first two 2025 readings shown. That narrow variation should be read with the survey’s sampling error in mind. It does not support a precise claim about a city, neighborhood, or price tier.

PortfolioRental verified the values on July 23, 2026. The table reports published quarterly estimates; it does not smooth or forecast them.

Definition and denominator

The Census Bureau defines the homeowner vacancy rate as vacant units “for sale only” divided by the sum of owner-occupied units, units sold but awaiting occupancy, and vacant units for sale only. The denominator is therefore homeowner inventory, not all housing units. A property listed while its owner still occupies it is not a vacant unit for sale only.

This definition explains why the rate can differ sharply from active listing measures. Listings describe marketed homes under listing-data rules. The Housing Vacancy Survey classifies occupancy and vacancy through a household survey framework. Neither should be substituted for the other.

The rate is also distinct from the rental vacancy rate, whose denominator and vacancy category concern rental inventory. Portfolio analysis should preserve these labels in charts and avoid shortening both to “vacancy.”

Appropriate portfolio use

Homeowner vacancy offers background on national for-sale availability and tenure conditions. It may help a research team ask whether local vacant-for-sale stock deserves closer inspection or whether acquisition competition is occurring in an unusually tight broad environment. It cannot establish lease-up risk for an owned rental.

For local diligence, gather active for-sale counts, occupied status where lawfully available, listing age, price band, property condition, and recent closed sales. Note that listing remarks about occupancy can be incomplete or stale. Candidate facts should be confirmed through authorized diligence rather than inferred from the national rate.

Compare this topic with the U.S. rental vacancy rate brief while keeping the denominators separate. The research library provides the surrounding tenure series. Portfolio teams organizing ongoing operating records may review property management.

Reading a low national rate responsibly

A 1.1% estimate does not mean only 1.1% of homes are listed, and it does not mean 98.9% are owner occupied. The denominator includes homeowner inventory as Census defines it, while many other housing categories sit outside that calculation.

Suppose a target market shows a large number of empty homes advertised for sale. That observation can coexist with a low national rate because the market is only one geography, its listing sample may focus on a particular price band, and its source may classify vacancy differently. The analyst should document those distinctions before drawing a conclusion.

Survey method, uncertainty, and revisions

The Housing Vacancy Survey is a supplement to the Current Population Survey. Like any sample survey, its estimates have uncertainty. Census publishes standard errors and guidance for testing differences; adjacent tenth-of-a-point movements should not automatically be called statistically meaningful. National precision also does not transfer to a smaller geography.

PortfolioRental transcribed the five RHVRUSQ156N values and reviewed Census definitions, methodology, tables, and release materials. A reproducible record includes series code, quarter, percent unit, adjustment status, release vintage, and access date. Keep downloaded releases because historical estimates and seasonal factors may be updated.

Other constraints include classification error, nonresponse, and lag. The survey identifies units according to its reference process; it does not inspect a candidate building or certify that a home is habitable, financeable, or immediately available.

Verification checklist

• Confirm RHVRUSQ156N and the percent unit.
• Write “homeowner vacancy rate,” not generic “vacancy.”
• Preserve the Census numerator and denominator definition.
• Check the release table and its standard-error notes.
• Distinguish quarter from publication and access dates.
• Do not infer a listing count from the rate.
• Keep rental and homeowner vacancy in separate model fields.
• Verify local occupancy status from authorized records.
• Segment local evidence by geography and price band.
• Archive the release used for each decision.

Frequently asked questions

Does homeowner vacancy measure vacant rentals?

No. It concerns vacant units for sale within homeowner inventory. Rental vacancy has a separate definition and denominator.

Is every active for-sale listing counted as vacant?

No. Many active listings are occupied. Listing status and survey-classified vacancy are different concepts.

Is a move from 1.2% to 1.1% significant?

Not necessarily. Statistical significance depends on the survey’s estimated standard errors, not just the displayed rounded difference.

Can the rate predict acquisition returns?

No. It supplies national context only. Returns require property price, income, expenses, financing, condition, and local market evidence.

Why might FRED and a Census table look different?

Check seasonal adjustment, quarter, release vintage, rounding, and table definition. FRED distributes selected Census series, while Census tables may show multiple versions.

Sources and verification dates

1. Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis: Homeowner Vacancy Rate (RHVRUSQ156N), accessed July 23, 2026.
2. U.S. Census Bureau: Housing Vacancies and Homeownership, accessed July 23, 2026.
3. U.S. Census Bureau: Housing Vacancy Survey Definitions, accessed July 23, 2026.
4. U.S. Census Bureau: Housing Vacancy Survey Methodology, accessed July 23, 2026.
5. U.S. Census Bureau: Housing Vacancy Survey Historical Tables, accessed July 23, 2026.
6. U.S. Census Bureau: Housing Vacancy Survey Current Tables, accessed July 23, 2026.
7. U.S. Census Bureau: Current Population Survey Methodology, accessed July 23, 2026.
8. U.S. Census Bureau: CPS Technical Documentation, accessed July 23, 2026.
9. Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis: ALFRED RHVRUSQ156N Archive, accessed July 23, 2026.
10. Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis: Rental Vacancy Rate, accessed July 23, 2026.
11. U.S. Census Bureau: Current Population Survey Complete Technical Documentation, accessed July 23, 2026.

Retain the survey table and local occupancy evidence as separate exhibits. For help establishing that control, contact PortfolioRental.