HOUSING UNITS COMPLETED IN DECEMBER 1996 AT AN ANNUAL RATE OF 1,462,000 Privately owned housing completions in December were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,462,000, according to estimates released jointly today by the U.S. Commerce Department's Bureau of the Census and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. This is 3 (+/-6) percent above the revised November rate of 1,417,000 and 19 (+/-8) percent above the December 1995 estimate of 1,225,000. The December 1996 rate of single-family housing completions was 1,149,000; this is 1 (+/-6) percent above the revised November rate of 1,136,000. The December rate for units in buildings with five units or more was 266,000. The December rate for units in buildings with two to four units was 47,000. The preliminary estimate of privately owned housing units completed in 1996 was 1,409,800. This is an increase of 7 (+/-2) percent above the 1995 figure of 1,312,600. At the end of December, the seasonally adjusted estimate of housing units under construction was 820,000; this is 1 (+/-1) percent below the revised November figure of 828,000. Of these, 577,000 units were single-family structures, 215,000 were in buildings with five units or more, and 28,000 were in buildings with two to four units. The next press release is scheduled to be issued on Wednesday, March 5, 1997, at 10:00 A.M. EST. Note: This document is no longer available on CENDATA, FASTFAX or the CENSUS/BEA Forum. This document and future releases can be retrieved from the Census Bureau's World-Wide-Web site, http://www.census.gov/ EXPLANATORY NOTES In interpreting changes in the seasonally adjusted rate of housing completions, note that month-to-month changes often show movements which may be irregular. It may take 4 months to establish an underlying trend for total completions. The statistics in this release are estimated from sample surveys and are subject to sampling variability as well as nonsampling error including bias and variance from response, nonreporting and undercoverage. Estimated average relative standard errors of preliminary data are shown in the tables. Whenever a statement such as "2 (+/-3) percent above" appears in the text, this indicates the range (-1 to +5 percent) in which the actual percent change is likely to have occurred. All ranges given for percent changes are 90-percent confidence intervals and account only for sampling variability. If a range contains zero, it is uncertain whether there was an increase or decrease; that is, the change is not statistically significant. For any comparison cited without a confidence interval, the change is statistically significant. The December/January issue of Current Construction Reports, C22/96-1, includes explanations of confidence intervals and sampling variability. On average, the preliminary seasonally adjusted estimate of total housing completions is revised about +/-1 percent. Questions regarding these data may be directed to Manufacturing and Construction Division, Residential Construction Branch, telephone (301) 457-4703. NEW PRIVATELY OWNED HOUSING UNITS COMPLETED BY TYPE OF STRUCTURE: DECEMBER 1996 In structures with -- 3 and 4 5 units Period Total 1 unit 2 units units or more Seasonally adjusted annual rate 1995 - December 1,225 1,003 30 192 1996 - January 1,403 1,113 28 262 February 1,328 1,052 32 244 March 1,391 1,112 30 249 April 1,350 1,073 26 251 May 1,408 1,120 25 263 June 1,418 1,128 24 266 July 1,447 1,145 31 271 August 1,445 1,151 42 252 September 1,377 1,118 40 219 October(r) 1,368 1,120 27 221 November(r) 1,417 1,136 45 236 DECEMBER(p) 1,462 1,149 47 266 AVG. RSE (%) 3 3 12 8 Not seasonally adjusted 1995 1,312.6 1,065.5 14.8 19.8 212.4 1996(p) 1,409.8 1,125.0 13.6 19.7 251.5 AVG. RSE (%) 1 1 11 7 2 1995 - December 115.3 96.6 1.0 1.4 16.4 1996 - January 99.3 79.4 0.6 1.4 17.9 February 91.0 72.3 0.7 1.4 16.6 March 103.1 83.7 0.6 1.8 17.1 April 101.9 80.3 0.7 1.4 19.4 May 114.6 91.9 0.9 1.0 20.7 June 125.9 98.0 1.0 1.0 25.9 July 126.3 97.6 1.0 1.9 25.9 August 134.1 104.1 1.8 2.1 26.1 September 122.1 99.6 1.2 2.3 19.0 October(r) 129.9 108.5 1.0 1.0 19.4 November(r) 121.6 98.2 2.5 2.0 18.9 DECEMBER(p) 139.9 111.4 1.4 2.5 24.6 AVG. RSE (%) 3 3 17 16 8 Thousands of units. Detail may not add to total because of rounding. AVG. RSE (%): Annual - Avg. RSE for the last 2 years. Monthly - Avg. RSE for the latest 6-month period (January-June or July-December). (p) Preliminary. (r) Revised. (Z) Less than 50 units or less than 0.5 percent. Source: Construction Reports, Series C22, Housing Completions. The C22 report is available from the U.S. Government Printing Office. Annual Subscription: $11.00. Questions regarding these data may be directed to Erica Filipek, Construction Starts Branch, telephone (301) 457-4703. NEW PRIVATELY OWNED HOUSING UNITS COMPLETED BY LOCATION: DECEMBER 1996 North- Mid- Period Total east west South West Seasonally adjusted annual rate 1995 - December 1,225 136 225 561 303 1996 - January 1,403 112 323 612 356 February 1,328 142 244 596 346 March 1,391 97 305 633 356 April 1,350 117 304 607 322 May 1,408 118 285 645 360 June 1,418 127 304 634 353 July 1,447 102 352 643 350 August 1,445 127 308 660 350 September 1,377 134 287 601 355 October(r) 1,368 131 268 639 330 November(r) 1,417 146 321 637 313 DECEMBER(p) 1,462 140 316 670 336 AVG. RSE (%) 3 8 8 4 5 Not seasonally adjusted 1995 1,312.6 126.9 287.9 581.1 316.7 1996(p) 1,409.8 125.7 303.1 635.9 345.0 AVG. RSE (%) 1 3 2 2 1 1995 - December 115.3 12.9 20.8 52.0 29.6 1996 - January 99.3 8.4 21.0 43.9 26.0 February 91.0 9.2 15.2 41.9 24.7 March 103.1 6.6 20.0 49.7 26.8 April 101.9 8.8 22.9 45.9 24.3 May 114.6 9.2 22.6 53.3 29.5 June 125.9 10.9 27.8 56.6 30.5 July 126.3 9.3 29.9 56.3 30.8 August 134.1 11.0 30.3 61.4 31.4 September 122.1 11.7 27.4 51.3 31.7 October(r) 129.9 13.2 27.1 59.7 30.0 November(r) 121.6 13.6 29.6 52.0 26.4 DECEMBER(p) 139.9 13.8 29.3 63.8 33.0 AVG. RSE (%) 3 8 8 4 5 Thousands of units. Detail may not add to total because of rounding. AVG. RSE (%): Annual - Avg. RSE for the last 2 years. Monthly - Avg. RSE for the latest 6-month period (January-June or July-December). (p) Preliminary. (r) Revised. (Z) Less than 50 units or less than 0.5 percent. Source: Construction Reports, Series C22, Housing Completions. The C22 report is available from the U.S. Government Printing Office. Annual Subscription: $11.00. Questions regarding these data may be directed to Erica Filipek, Construction Starts Branch, telephone (301) 457-4703. NEW PRIVATELY OWNED HOUSING UNITS UNDER CONSTRUCTION AT END OF PERIOD BY TYPE OF STRUCTURE: DECEMBER 1996 In structures with -- 3 and 4 5 units Period Total 1 unit 2 units units or more Seasonally adjusted 1995 - December 800 569 22 209 1996 - January 803 569 20 214 February 800 565 21 214 March 816 581 20 215 April 826 591 22 213 May 826 590 24 212 June 829 596 26 207 July 823 592 27 204 August 820 593 24 203 September 826 592 25 209 October(r) 823 586 27 210 November(r) 828 585 27 216 DECEMBER(p) 820 577 28 215 AVG. RSE (%) 1 2 7 3 Not seasonally adjusted 1995 - December 775.9 547.2 8.4 12.7 207.7 1996 - January 763.7 533.7 7.6 11.9 210.4 February 765.8 533.1 7.8 11.7 213.3 March 772.8 544.0 8.1 10.8 209.9 April 813.5 578.4 9.2 13.2 212.7 May 835.2 595.5 9.7 14.4 215.7 June 845.1 610.5 10.2 16.4 208.0 July 853.3 619.9 9.9 17.8 205.7 August 857.0 627.3 9.2 16.1 204.4 September 858.9 624.5 10.3 15.0 209.1 October(r) 855.1 614.0 10.8 16.7 213.6 November(r) 844.0 597.9 9.8 18.8 217.6 DECEMBER(p) 797.3 556.8 9.4 18.3 212.8 AVG. RSE (%) 1 2 8 9 3 Thousands of units. Detail may not add to total because of rounding. AVG. RSE (%): Avg. RSE for the latest 6-month period (January-June or July-December). (p) Preliminary. (r) Revised. (Z) Less than 50 units or less than 0.5 percent. Source: Construction Reports, Series C22, Housing Completions. The C22 report is available from the U.S. Government Printing Office. Annual Subscription: $11.00. Questions regarding these data may be directed to Erica Filipek, Construction Starts Branch, telephone (301) 457-4703. NEW PRIVATELY OWNED HOUSING UNITS UNDER CONSTRUCTION AT END OF PERIOD BY LOCATION: DECEMBER 1996 North- Mid- Period Total east west South West Seasonally adjusted 1995 - December 800 87 175 345 193 1996 - January 803 86 177 346 194 February 800 83 181 339 197 March 816 88 180 348 200 April 826 90 180 352 204 May 826 89 180 353 204 June 829 89 181 354 205 July 823 91 179 351 202 August 820 90 180 348 202 September 826 90 183 355 198 October(r) 823 88 182 352 201 November(r) 828 85 182 355 206 DECEMBER(p) 820 86 181 352 201 AVG. RSE (%) 1 4 4 2 2 Not seasonally adjusted 1995 - December 775.9 86.3 172.0 331.4 186.3 1996 - January 763.7 82.9 165.5 328.9 186.3 February 765.8 79.8 163.4 332.7 189.9 March 772.8 82.6 164.5 335.7 190.0 April 813.5 86.5 172.3 352.5 202.2 May 835.2 88.4 181.0 361.7 204.1 June 845.1 90.4 183.6 363.2 208.0 July 853.3 93.9 188.3 364.2 206.9 August 857.0 94.3 192.7 359.3 210.6 September 858.9 93.7 193.4 364.4 207.5 October(r) 855.1 92.4 195.1 357.2 210.3 November(r) 844.0 88.8 192.0 355.5 207.7 DECEMBER(p) 797.3 84.8 180.2 338.8 193.6 AVG. RSE (%) 1 4 4 2 2 Thousands of units. Detail may not add to total because of rounding. AVG. RSE (%): Avg. RSE for the latest 6-month period (January-June or July-December). (p) Preliminary. (r) Revised. (Z) Less than 50 units or less than 0.5 percent. Source: Construction Reports, Series C22, Housing Completions. The C22 report is available from the U.S. Government Printing Office. Annual Subscription: $11.00. Questions regarding these data may be directed to Erica Filipek, Construction Starts Branch, telephone (301) 457-4703.