The national rental vacancy rate was **5.7%** in the U.S. Census Bureau's 2024 American Community Survey (ACS) 1-year estimates. That figure describes the rental housing supply in the survey universe. It is not a count or percentage of homes owned by estates, held in probate, or available for an estate sale.
The short answer
The 2024 ACS rental vacancy rate was 5.7% nationally. The Census Bureau calculates it as the share of the rental inventory that was vacant for rent:
rental vacancy rate = vacant-for-rent units / total rental inventory
For the national 2024 summary, the ACS reported about 49.39 million rentals in the rental inventory and about 2.8 million units vacant for rent. The published counts are rounded, so dividing rounded figures will not reproduce the displayed rate exactly.
The rate is a housing-market measure. It can help describe how much rental inventory was unoccupied and available for rent at the time covered by the survey. It cannot show whether a particular unit belongs to a decedent's estate or whether a personal representative has authority to sell it.
What the ACS denominator includes
The Census Bureau's rental inventory is broader than occupied units with a current cash-rent payment. It includes:
- units that are rented and occupied;
- units occupied without payment of cash rent;
- units rented but not occupied; and
- units vacant for rent.
The last category is the numerator. Owner-occupied homes and vacancies for other reasons are not part of the rental vacancy denominator. A home vacant because it is held for seasonal use, being repaired, or awaiting an owner is not automatically a vacant-for-rent unit.
| Measure | 2024 national ACS 1-year estimate | What it means | What it does not establish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rental vacancy rate | 5.7% | Share of the rental inventory vacant for rent | Estate ownership, probate status, or sale authority |
| Rental inventory | About 49.39 million units | The denominator for the rental vacancy rate | A list of titled rental properties |
| Vacant for rent | About 2.8 million units | Rental units reported vacant for rent | That a unit is vacant because of an owner's death |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 1.0% | Share of the homeowner inventory vacant for sale | The number of estate-owned homes or probate sales |
The homeowner rate uses a different inventory. It should not be combined with the rental rate to produce an estate-property estimate.
Survey population and property ownership are different questions
The ACS is a nationwide survey of people and housing. Its housing tables describe units, occupancy, tenure, and other characteristics. The unit of observation is a housing unit, whether occupied or vacant, not a deed, probate file, estate account, or ownership interest.
That distinction matters when someone uses a vacancy statistic in estate research. A rental unit in the ACS may be owned by an individual, company, trust, public agency, or another type of owner. The table does not identify which one. It also does not state whether the owner is living, deceased, in probate, or represented by an executor.
The reverse inference is also unsafe. A property connected to an estate may be occupied, rented, vacant for reasons other than rent, or outside the particular geography and estimate used. The 5.7% rate cannot be multiplied by a county's housing stock to estimate the number of estate-owned rentals.
1-year and 5-year ACS estimates should not be mixed casually
The 2024 ACS has both 1-year and 5-year products. The 1-year estimate provides the national figure used here and covers larger geographies. The 5-year estimates cover smaller areas, including census tracts and block groups, because they pool survey responses across five years.
Those products answer different geographic and time questions. When comparing a county or place, name the product, geography, estimate year, and table. Do not present a 2024 ACS 5-year local rate as if it were the 2024 national 1-year estimate.
The Census Bureau also advises care when comparing ACS estimates with the decennial Census. The surveys have different designs and collection methods, and vacancy-rate estimates may differ for that reason.
How to use the rate in estate property research
The 5.7% figure is useful as background for a report about rental-market conditions. It can provide context for questions such as whether a market has a large or small share of rental units vacant for rent, subject to the geography and ACS product selected.
It is not evidence of any of the following:
- who owns a particular parcel or unit;
- whether an owner has died;
- whether a probate case exists;
- whether an executor, trustee, or heir can sign a conveyance; or
- whether a vacant unit is listed, habitable, or legally available to rent.
For a specific estate property, start with the parcel or unit identifier and review the deed, probate or trust records, tax account, and any recorded lien or notice. Census data can describe the surrounding housing context, but local records are needed to test ownership and authority. The estate home vacancy research data guide provides related research context, and investigative research services can help organize a record-based inquiry.
Methodology and limitations
This article uses the U.S. Census Bureau's 2024 ACS 1-year estimates and the Census Bureau's report *Homeowner and Rental Vacancies in the American Community Survey: 2008-2024*. The report defines the rental vacancy rate as the percentage of the rental inventory that is vacant for rent and reports the 2024 national rate as 5.7%.
The national counts in the summary are rounded. ACS estimates also have margins of error, and the published rate is not a property-level enumeration. A local estimate may be less precise, especially for small areas. Check the table's margin of error and universe before using a rate in a decision or comparison.
No estate or probate rate is calculated here. Doing so would require a separate, defined dataset linking ownership records or probate records to parcels and then matching that dataset to the ACS geography and reference period. The ACS alone does not supply that link.
Frequently asked questions
What was the 2024 ACS rental vacancy rate?
The national rate was 5.7% in the 2024 ACS 1-year estimates.
Does 5.7% mean 5.7% of all homes were vacant?
No. It is the share of the rental inventory that was vacant for rent. It is not a percentage of all housing units and not a percentage of estate-owned homes.
Can the ACS identify a probate-owned rental?
No. ACS housing tables describe survey housing units and related characteristics. They do not identify a decedent, estate, probate case, deed owner, or signing authority.
Can I estimate estate-owned rentals by applying 5.7% to a housing count?
No. That would apply a rental-market rate to an ownership and legal-status question the ACS does not measure.
What records can confirm authority to sell an estate property?
The answer depends on the jurisdiction and facts, but the review typically starts with the deed and title records, probate or trust documents, tax records, and any court order or recorded instrument affecting authority. A qualified professional should address legal conclusions.
Sources and professional disclaimer
- U.S. Census Bureau, *Homeowner and Rental Vacancies in the American Community Survey: 2008-2024*, including the 2024 ACS 1-year national rental vacancy rate and definitions; accessed August 8, 2026.
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 ACS 1-year Data Profile DP04 variables, including the rental vacancy rate variable DP04_0005E; accessed August 8, 2026.
- U.S. Census Bureau, guidance for comparing 2024 ACS data; accessed August 8, 2026.
This article is general research information, not legal, tax, title, appraisal, accounting, fiduciary, investment, or real-estate brokerage advice. A Census estimate does not establish ownership, authority to convey, habitability, listing status, or a property's legal availability for rent.