United States - Housing

The housing resources of the United States far exceed those of any other country, with 115,904,641 housing units serving about 105,480 households, according to preliminary results of the 2000 census. About 66.2% of all units were owner-occupied. 3,578,718 units were considered to be seasonal or recreational housing. The average household had 2.9 people. The median home value was $119,600. The median payment for rent and utilities of rental properties was $602 per month. According to the National Coalition for the Homelessness, about 3.5 million people experience temporary or prolonged periods of homelessness each year.

The vast majority of housing units are single-unit structures. The majority of rental tenants are found in the large metropolitan areas. As of 1990, an estimated 94 million year-round households possessed and used electrical appliances. Of these, 90.3% had color television sets; 71.7% had washing machines; 64.7% had clothes dryers; 42.7% had electric dishwashers; 29.1% had room air conditioners; and 36.6% had central air conditioning. As of 1980, about 22% of all housing units in the United States had been built before 1940; 8% during 1940–49; 13% during 1950–59; 15% from 1960 to 1969; 23% during 1970–79; and 19% since 1980. The median construction year was 1964.

In 1993, the median age of US housing structures was 28 years. The median number of rooms per house that year was 5.3, with about 32% having two bedrooms, and 39% having three bedrooms. Nearly half of all housing units have one full bathroom. Houses being built in the 1990s were significantly larger than those built in the 1970s. The average area of single-family housing built in 1993 was 180.88 sq m (1,947 sq ft), compared to 139.35 sq m (1,500 sq ft) in 1970.