U.S. Housing Unit Data Sources: Census, ACS, NAHB, NAR & Local

Reliable housing statistics come from several authoritative sources, each with distinct methodologies and geographic granularities.

Primary Federal Sources

1. U.S. Census Bureau – Decennial Census
   • Complete enumeration every 10 years (last: 2020)
   • Total housing units, occupancy, tenure, structure type, value/rent
   • Nation down to block level
2. American Community Survey (ACS)
   • Annual rolling sample (~3.5M addresses/year)
   • Detailed characteristics: age of structure, rooms, heating fuel, costs, mortgage status
   • 1-year estimates (pop ≥65k), 5-year estimates (all geographies down to tract/block group)

Industry Association Data

3. National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)
   • Housing starts, permits, builder confidence index, new home prices/sales
   • Monthly/quarterly national & regional; forecasts
4. National Association of Realtors (NAR)
   • Existing home sales, prices, inventory, days on market, affordability index
   • Monthly national, state, metro; historical series

Local Government Sources

• City/county planning/building departments: permits, certificates of occupancy, assessor records
• Metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs): regional housing needs assessments
• Housing authorities: subsidized unit inventories, waitlists

Choosing the Right Source

Need	Best Source
Official total count (decennial)	Decennial Census
Annual trends, detailed characteristics	ACS 1-year (large areas) / 5-year (small areas)
New construction activity	NAHB / Census Building Permits Survey
Resale market dynamics	NAR / Local MLS
Parcel-level, current status	County assessor / building dept