HOUSING UNITS COMPLETED IN MAY 1997 AT AN ANNUAL RATE OF 1,372,000 Privately owned housing completions in May were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,372,000, 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 6 (+/-7) percent below the revised April rate of 1,467,000 and 3 (+/-7) percent below the May 1996 estimate of 1,409,000. The May 1997 rate of single-family housing completions was 1,083,000; this is 7 (+/-7) percent below the revised April rate of 1,162,000. The May rate for units in buildings with five units or more was 248,000. The May rate for units in buildings with two to four units was 41,000. During the first 5 months of this year, 531,600 housing units were completed compared with 510,000 units for the same period in 1996. This is an increase of 4 (+/-3) percent. At the end of May, the seasonally adjusted estimate of housing units under construction was 816,000; this is virtually unchanged (+/-1 percent) from the revised April figure of 815,000. Of these, 565,000 units were single-family structures, 226,000 were in buildings with five units or more, and 25,000 were in buildings with two to four units. The next press release is scheduled to be issued on Tuesday, August 5, 1997, at 10:00 A.M. EDT. 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 January 1997 issue of Current Construction Reports, C22/97-1 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: MAY 1997 In structures with -- 3 and 4 5 units Period Total 1 unit 2 units units or more Seasonally adjusted annual rate 1996 - May 1,409 1,124 25 260 June 1,426 1,137 24 265 July 1,463 1,161 30 272 August 1,449 1,153 43 253 September 1,356 1,097 40 219 October 1,375 1,129 26 220 November 1,431 1,151 43 237 December 1,484 1,177 45 262 1997 - January 1,362 1,109 18 235 February 1,572 1,267 50 255 March(r) 1,471 1,156 44 271 April(r) 1,467 1,162 50 255 MAY(p) 1,372 1,083 41 248 AVG. RSE (%) 3 3 12 8 Not seasonally adjusted 1995 1,312.6 1,065.5 14.8 19.8 212.4 1996 1,412.9 1,128.5 13.6 19.5 251.3 AVG. RSE (%) 1 1 11 7 2 1996 First 5 months 510.0 407.7 3.6 7.0 91.7 1997 First 5 months 531.6 425.8 5.3 10.2 90.4 AVG. RSE (%) 2 2 9 10 5 1996 - 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 129.9 108.5 1.0 1.0 19.4 November 122.7 99.2 2.5 2.0 19.1 December 141.8 113.9 1.4 2.4 24.2 1997 - January 95.7 78.9 0.3 1.0 15.5 February 104.8 84.8 1.1 2.3 16.7 March(r) 109.6 87.4 1.2 2.4 18.6 April(r) 110.4 86.5 1.4 2.8 19.7 MAY(p) 111.1 88.2 1.3 1.8 19.8 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. Year to date - Avg. RSE for the current period and the same period last year. 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: MAY 1997 North- Mid- Period Total east west South West Seasonally adjusted annual rate 1996 - May 1,409 118 283 645 363 June 1,426 127 304 639 356 July 1,463 105 351 656 351 August 1,449 126 313 661 349 September 1,356 132 285 586 353 October 1,375 131 274 642 328 November 1,431 144 328 639 320 December 1,484 137 322 681 344 1997 - January 1,362 117 316 588 341 February 1,572 163 338 715 356 March(r) 1,471 193 290 654 334 April(r) 1,467 121 301 697 348 MAY(p) 1,372 157 282 595 338 AVG. RSE (%) 3 8 8 4 5 Not seasonally adjusted 1995 1,312.6 126.9 287.9 581.1 316.7 1996 1,412.9 125.1 304.5 637.1 346.2 AVG. RSE (%) 1 3 2 2 1 1996 First 5 months 510.0 42.2 101.8 234.7 131.3 1997 First 5 months 531.6 53.5 105.6 244.1 128.5 AVG. RSE (%) 2 5 4 3 2 1996 - 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 129.9 13.2 27.1 59.7 30.0 November 122.7 13.5 30.0 52.3 27.0 December 141.8 13.3 30.3 64.7 33.6 1997 - January 95.7 8.5 21.2 41.6 24.4 February 104.8 10.5 20.5 49.0 24.7 March(r) 109.6 13.4 19.0 51.9 25.4 April(r) 110.4 8.7 22.8 52.6 26.2 MAY(p) 111.1 12.4 22.1 48.9 27.8 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. Year to date - Avg. RSE for the current period and the same period last year. 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: MAY 1997 In structures with -- 3 and 4 5 units Period Total 1 unit 2 units units or more Seasonally adjusted 1996 - May 826 590 24 212 June 826 594 25 207 July 825 593 27 205 August 820 593 24 203 September 825 592 25 208 October 825 588 26 211 November 828 584 28 216 December 815 571 28 216 1997 - January 818 573 29 216 February 821 574 28 219 March(r) 814 566 27 221 April(r) 815 565 26 224 MAY(p) 816 565 25 226 AVG. RSE (%) 1 2 7 3 Not seasonally adjusted 1996 - 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 855.1 614.0 10.8 16.7 213.6 November 843.3 596.7 9.3 19.2 218.2 December 792.3 550.0 9.0 19.1 214.3 1997 - January 777.2 536.2 9.1 19.0 212.8 February 763.7 524.1 9.1 17.5 213.1 March(r) 772.9 530.7 8.7 17.5 216.0 April(r) 802.3 551.9 9.0 16.8 224.6 MAY(p) 823.4 567.9 8.8 16.3 230.3 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: MAY 1997 North- Mid- Period Total east west South West Seasonally adjusted 1996 - May 826 90 180 353 203 June 826 88 180 354 204 July 825 91 180 352 202 August 820 90 181 347 202 September 825 90 183 354 198 October 825 89 183 352 201 November 828 86 182 355 205 December 815 86 180 350 199 1997 - January 818 88 179 352 199 February 821 86 182 351 202 March(r) 814 84 179 349 202 April(r) 815 84 179 352 200 MAY(p) 816 83 179 351 203 AVG. RSE (%) 1 4 4 2 2 Not seasonally adjusted 1996 - 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 855.1 92.4 195.1 357.2 210.3 November 843.3 88.8 191.1 356.5 207.0 December 792.3 85.2 178.0 337.6 191.4 1997 - January 777.2 84.8 167.0 335.8 189.6 February 763.7 80.1 162.3 333.1 188.2 March(r) 772.9 77.8 164.9 336.6 193.6 April(r) 802.3 81.7 170.4 351.3 198.9 MAY(p) 823.4 81.4 178.4 359.5 204.1 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.