The United States' homeownership rate is at the lowest level in more than a decade, hampered by a rise in foreclosures and weak demand for housing.
The percentage of households that owned their homes was unchanged at 66.9 per cent in the July-September quarter, the Census Bureau said on Tuesday. That's the same as the April-June quarter.
The last time the rate was lower was in 1999, when the rate was 66.7 per cent.
Advertisement: Story continues belowThe nation's homeownership rate was around 64 per cent from 1985 through 1995. It then rose dramatically during the Clinton and Bush administrations, hitting a peak of more than 69 per cent in 2004 at the height of the housing boom.
After the housing bubble burst, the rate has been declining gradually.
About 18.8 million homes, or 14.4 per cent of all houses and apartments, were vacant, according to the government survey. That was down slightly from the second quarter of the year, when 18.9 million houses and apartments were vacant.
About 2.5 per cent of all primary residences were vacant and for sale and 10.3 per cent of all year-round rental units were listed as vacant and for rent.
AP
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