Table 2.  Rental and Homeowner Vacancy Rates, by Area:  First Quarter 1997 


Rental vacancy rates

                              First        First     Standard     Standard
                            quarter      quarter     error on     error on
                               1997         1996    1997 rate   difference


United States..........         7.5          7.9          0.2          0.3

  Inside MAs...........         7.3          7.6          0.2          0.3
    In central cities..         8.0          8.0          0.3          0.4
    Not in central cities
    (suburbs)..........         6.4          7.1          0.3          0.4
  Outside MAs..........         8.8          9.6          0.5          0.7

 Northeast.............         6.1          6.9          0.4          0.5
 Midwest...............         8.5          8.3          0.4          0.6
 South.................         8.7          8.5          0.3          0.5
 West..................         6.2          7.6          0.3          0.5

Homeowner vacancy rates

                              First        First     Standard     Standard
                            quarter      quarter     error on     error on
                               1997         1996    1997 rate   difference


United States..........         1.7          1.6          0.1          0.1

  Inside MAs...........         1.6          1.6          0.1          0.1
    In central cities..         2.0          2.1          0.1          0.2
    Not in central cities
    (suburbs)..........         1.5          1.3          0.1          0.1
  Outside MAs..........         2.0          1.7          0.1          0.2

 Northeast.............         1.8          1.7          0.2          0.2
 Midwest...............         1.3          1.5          0.1          0.2
 South.................         1.9          1.6          0.1          0.1
 West..................         1.8          1.7          0.1          0.2