The data on vacancy status were obtained from questionnaire item C1, which was completed by census enumerators. Vacancy status and other characteristics of vacant units were determined by enumerators obtaining information from landlords, owners, neighbors, rental agents, and others. Vacant units are subdivided according to their housing market classification as follows:
These are vacant units offered "for rent" and vacant units offered either "for rent or for sale."
Only These are vacant units being offered "for sale only," including units in cooperatives and condominium projects if the individual units are offered "for sale only."
Rented or Sold, Not Occupied
If any money rent has been paid or agreed upon but the new renter has not moved in as of the date of enumeration, or if the unit has recently been sold but the new owner has not yet moved in, the vacant unit is classified as "rented or sold, not occupied."
For Seasonal, Recreational, or Occasional Use
These are vacant units used or intended for use only in certain seasons or for weekend or other occasional use throughout the year. Seasonal units include those used for summer or winter sports or recreation, such as beach cottages and hunting cabins. Seasonal units may also include quarters for such workers as herders and loggers.
These include vacant units intended for occupancy by migratory workers employed in farm work during the crop season. (Work in a cannery, a freezer plant, or a feed processing plant is not farm work.)
If a vacant unit does not fall into any of the classifications specified above, it is classified as "other vacant." For example, this category includes units held for occupancy by a caretaker or janitor, and units held for personal reasons of the owner.
This is the percentage relationship between the number of vacant units for sale and the total homeowner inventory. It is computed by dividing the number of vacant units for sale only by the sum of the owner-occupied units and the number of vacant units that are for sale only.
This is the percentage relationship of the number of vacant units for rent to the total rental inventory. It is computed by dividing the number of vacant units for rent by the sum of the renter occupied units and the number of vacant units for rent.
Data on vacancy status have been collected since 1940. For 1990, the category, "seasonal/recreational/occasional use" combined vacant units classified in 1980 as "seasonal or migratory" and "held for occasional use." Also, in 1970 and 1980, housing characteristics were generally presented only for year-round units. In 1990, housing characteristics are shown for all housing units.
