The U.S. homeownership rate is at its lowest level since 1999, said a report by the Wall Street Journal. According to the Census Bureau, 66.9 percent of households owned their homes. In 1999, the rate was 66.7 percent.
The homeownership rate hovered around 64 percent from 1985 to 1995, and rose during the Clinton and Bush administrations. It hit a high of 69 percent in 2004, when the housing boom was at its peak.
The Census Bureau survey also showed that there are approximately 19 million vacant homes in the U.S., a number that has remained nearly constant since 2008. In 2006, there were only 16 million vacant homes in the country. According to Census Bureau data, there are approximately 131 million housing units in the U.S.
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