Number and percentage of residential units considered vacant

Status
This is a lagging indicator from the U.S. Census, the estimated vacancy rate in 2021 for the City of Austin was 4.21%. This estimated vacancy rate indicator measures the number of vacant or uninhabited housing units divided by the total number of units. Vacant units are excluded from the housing inventory if they are open to the elements, that is, the roof, walls, windows, and/or doors no longer protect the interior from the elements. Also excluded are vacant units with a sign that they are condemned or they are to be demolished.

Trending

Austin’s residential vacancy rate has been fallen significantly over the last year. The measure includes vacancies at all price points and does not directly translate to availability of vacant affordable units for low- and moderate-income households.
Note: To see the underlying data for this chart, please select the "View Source Data" link to the left.

Additional Measure Insights

Austin’s housing supply has grown substantially in recent years; however, a stable vacancy rate shows that additional housing units are being occupied as quickly as they are being produced. This is indicative of Austin’s rapid population growth during this same time period.

Austin is also seeing an increase in the percent of the population with higher incomes, a factor that contributes to the increase in home prices and rents.

Measure Details and Definition

1) Definition:  This measure answers the question of what percentage of housing units are unoccupied/vacant. There is no target for this measure, but the City of Austin is monitoring this as a community measure.
2) Calculation method:  #of vacant units/total # of units.
3) Data Collection Process: Data were collected from the U.S. Census Bureau' ACS Table 25002 Occupancy Status - 2020 data is from the Decennial Census not ACS.
4) Measure Target Calculation: There is no target for this measure, but the City of Austin is monitoring this as a community measure.
5) Frequency Measure is Reported: Annually (Calendar Year)
Date page was last updated:  October 2022