The Census Bureau's report *Homeowner and Rental Vacancies in the American Community Survey: 2008-2024* describes vacancy rates as the number of vacant-for-sale or vacant-for-rent units relative to homes in a housing market. The report says national vacancy rates have declined since the Great Recession and reached recent lows after the 2020 pandemic period.
2024 ACS homeowner vacancy rate estate research
The homeowner vacancy rate is housing-market context. It does not say that a particular house is vacant, that the owner is deceased, or that an estate owns the property. Those are separate questions requiring parcel, tax, probate, or other matter records.
When storing an ACS result, keep the table or report title, year, geography, estimate, margin of error, universe, and access date. A rate without its geography and definition is difficult to reproduce.
| Research field | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Year | 2024 ACS reference period |
| Measure | Homeowner vacancy rate |
| Geography | The housing market being studied |
| Definition | Vacant-for-sale homes relative to the stated housing universe |
| Use | Context, not title or occupancy proof |
The ACS vacancy definitions guide explains the categories. The ACS margin-of-error workflow shows what to preserve when comparing estimates.
Method and limitations
This article uses the Census Bureau's 2026 publication covering ACS data from 2008 through 2024. It does not calculate a parcel vacancy rate or infer an estate connection from a market statistic.
Source
- U.S. Census Bureau, Homeowner and Rental Vacancies in the American Community Survey: 2008-2024, accessed August 10, 2026.
**Professional disclaimer:** This is general research, not legal, appraisal, tax, or fiduciary advice.