Data / Rankings / Rental vacancy rate (US) / US states

US states by rental vacancy rate (US)

Alabama had the highest rental vacancy rate (US) of 51 states in 2015, at 14.9%. Montana had the lowest, at 3.9%. The median was 7.4% and the figure for the United States was 7.1%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Keep it in a collection in your library.
Highest14.9Alabama
Lowest3.9Montana
Median7.451 states
United States7.1History

Map of states, 2015

Alabama: 14.9 %Alaska: 6.8 %Arizona: 7.7 %Arkansas: 11.3 %California: 4.1 %Colorado: 5.3 %Connecticut: 6.3 %Delaware: 6.4 %District of Columbia: 5.4 %Florida: 8 %Georgia: 8 %Hawaii: 8.7 %Idaho: 5.8 %Illinois: 7.5 %Indiana: 9.2 %Iowa: 5.7 %Kansas: 12 %Kentucky: 7.7 %Louisiana: 10 %Maine: 4.4 %Maryland: 8.1 %Massachusetts: 4.2 %Michigan: 7.4 %Minnesota: 4.9 %Mississippi: 10.4 %Missouri: 9.1 %Montana: 3.9 %Nebraska: 5.9 %Nevada: 8 %New Hampshire: 5.7 %New Jersey: 5.5 %New Mexico: 10.3 %New York: 5.1 %North Carolina: 9.8 %North Dakota: 9.6 %Ohio: 7.8 %Oklahoma: 8.3 %Oregon: 4.6 %Pennsylvania: 7.2 %Rhode Island: 4.4 %South Carolina: 8.9 %South Dakota: 6.4 %Tennessee: 7.5 %Texas: 9.6 %Utah: 5.1 %Vermont: 4.5 %Virginia: 6.6 %Washington: 4.6 %West Virginia: 8.3 %Wisconsin: 5.3 %Wyoming: 9.8 %
  • Under 5
  • 5 to 5.8
  • 5.8 to 7.4
  • 7.4 to 8
  • 8 to 9.6
  • 9.6 and over
%, 2015. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Housing Vacancies and Homeownership (CPS/HVS) annual statistics, Table 3, rental vacancy rates by state, United States and states, annual averages. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

All states, 2015

Alabama: 14.9 %Alabama14.9Kansas: 12 %Kansas12Arkansas: 11.3 %Arkansas11.3Mississippi: 10.4 %Mississippi10.4New Mexico: 10.3 %New Mexico10.3Louisiana: 10 %Louisiana10North Carolina: 9.8 %North Carolina9.8Wyoming: 9.8 %Wyoming9.8North Dakota: 9.6 %North Dakota9.6Texas: 9.6 %Texas9.6Indiana: 9.2 %Indiana9.2Missouri: 9.1 %Missouri9.1South Carolina: 8.9 %South Carolina8.9Hawaii: 8.7 %Hawaii8.7Oklahoma: 8.3 %Oklahoma8.3West Virginia: 8.3 %West Virginia8.3Maryland: 8.1 %Maryland8.1Florida: 8 %Florida8Georgia: 8 %Georgia8Nevada: 8 %Nevada8Ohio: 7.8 %Ohio7.8Arizona: 7.7 %Arizona7.7Kentucky: 7.7 %Kentucky7.7Illinois: 7.5 %Illinois7.5Tennessee: 7.5 %Tennessee7.5Michigan: 7.4 %Michigan7.4Pennsylvania: 7.2 %Pennsylvania7.2Alaska: 6.8 %Alaska6.8Virginia: 6.6 %Virginia6.6Delaware: 6.4 %Delaware6.4South Dakota: 6.4 %South Dakota6.4Connecticut: 6.3 %Connecticut6.3Nebraska: 5.9 %Nebraska5.9Idaho: 5.8 %Idaho5.8Iowa: 5.7 %Iowa5.7New Hampshire: 5.7 %New Hampshire5.7New Jersey: 5.5 %New Jersey5.5District of Columbia: 5.4 %District of Columbia5.4Colorado: 5.3 %Colorado5.3Wisconsin: 5.3 %Wisconsin5.3New York: 5.1 %New York5.1Utah: 5.1 %Utah5.1Minnesota: 4.9 %Minnesota4.9Oregon: 4.6 %Oregon4.6Washington: 4.6 %Washington4.6Vermont: 4.5 %Vermont4.5Maine: 4.4 %Maine4.4Rhode Island: 4.4 %Rhode Island4.4Massachusetts: 4.2 %Massachusetts4.2California: 4.1 %California4.1Montana: 3.9 %Montana3.9Alabama: 14.9 %Alabama14.9Kansas: 12 %Kansas12Arkansas: 11.3 %Arkansas11.3Mississippi: 10.4 %Mississippi10.4New Mexico: 10.3 %New Mexico10.3Louisiana: 10 %Louisiana10North Carolina: 9.8 %North Carolina9.8Wyoming: 9.8 %Wyoming9.8North Dakota: 9.6 %North Dakota9.6Texas: 9.6 %Texas9.6Indiana: 9.2 %Indiana9.2Missouri: 9.1 %Missouri9.1South Carolina: 8.9 %South Carolina8.9Hawaii: 8.7 %Hawaii8.7Oklahoma: 8.3 %Oklahoma8.3West Virginia: 8.3 %West Virginia8.3Maryland: 8.1 %Maryland8.1Florida: 8 %Florida8Georgia: 8 %Georgia8Nevada: 8 %Nevada8Ohio: 7.8 %Ohio7.8Arizona: 7.7 %Arizona7.7Kentucky: 7.7 %Kentucky7.7Illinois: 7.5 %Illinois7.5Tennessee: 7.5 %Tennessee7.5Michigan: 7.4 %Michigan7.4Pennsylvania: 7.2 %Pennsylvania7.2Alaska: 6.8 %Alaska6.8Virginia: 6.6 %Virginia6.6Delaware: 6.4 %Delaware6.4South Dakota: 6.4 %South Dakota6.4Connecticut: 6.3 %Connecticut6.3Nebraska: 5.9 %Nebraska5.9Idaho: 5.8 %Idaho5.8Iowa: 5.7 %Iowa5.7New Hampshire: 5.7 %New Hampshire5.7New Jersey: 5.5 %New Jersey5.5District of Columbia: 5.4 %District of Columbia5.4Colorado: 5.3 %Colorado5.3Wisconsin: 5.3 %Wisconsin5.3New York: 5.1 %New York5.1Utah: 5.1 %Utah5.1Minnesota: 4.9 %Minnesota4.9Oregon: 4.6 %Oregon4.6Washington: 4.6 %Washington4.6Vermont: 4.5 %Vermont4.5Maine: 4.4 %Maine4.4Rhode Island: 4.4 %Rhode Island4.4Massachusetts: 4.2 %Massachusetts4.2California: 4.1 %California4.1Montana: 3.9 %Montana3.9
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Housing Vacancies and Homeownership (CPS/HVS) annual statistics, Table 3, rental vacancy rates by state, United States and states, annual averages. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankStates2015 (%)Change on 2014
1Alabama14.9+0.9 pts
2Kansas12+3.2 pts
3Arkansas11.3-3.4 pts
4Mississippi10.4-0.7 pts
5New Mexico10.3-0.5 pts
6Louisiana10+1.6 pts
7North Carolina9.8+1.7 pts
7Wyoming9.8+1.8 pts
9North Dakota9.6+1 pts
9Texas9.6+0.1 pts
11Indiana9.2-1.6 pts
12Missouri9.1-0.8 pts
13South Carolina8.9-3.1 pts
14Hawaii8.7+0.4 pts
15Oklahoma8.3-3.1 pts
15West Virginia8.3-0.8 pts
17Maryland8.1+0.6 pts
18Florida8-2.1 pts
18Georgia8-1.7 pts
18Nevada8-1.7 pts
21Ohio7.8+0.4 pts
22Arizona7.7-1.8 pts
22Kentucky7.7+1.2 pts
24Illinois7.5-1.7 pts
24Tennessee7.5-1 pts
26Michigan7.4-0.8 pts
27Pennsylvania7.2-1.5 pts
28Alaska6.80 pts
29Virginia6.6-0.8 pts
30Delaware6.4-1 pts
30South Dakota6.4-1.9 pts
32Connecticut6.3+0.5 pts
33Nebraska5.9+0.4 pts
34Idaho5.8-0.3 pts
35Iowa5.70 pts
35New Hampshire5.7+0.1 pts
37New Jersey5.5-0.7 pts
38District of Columbia5.4-1.1 pts
39Colorado5.3+0.4 pts
39Wisconsin5.3+0.7 pts
41New York5.1+0.2 pts
41Utah5.1-3.5 pts
43Minnesota4.9-0.7 pts
44Oregon4.6+0.5 pts
44Washington4.6-0.3 pts
46Vermont4.5-0.5 pts
47Maine4.4-0.7 pts
47Rhode Island4.4-2.3 pts
49Massachusetts4.2-1.4 pts
50California4.1-0.4 pts
51Montana3.9-0.1 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

Vacant housing units available for year-round use and offered for rent as a percentage of the rental inventory (renter-occupied units, vacant units for rent and units rented but not yet occupied). Annual CPS/HVS average for the United States and states. Seasonal and other off-market vacancies are excluded.

Annual CPS/HVS survey estimates, distinct from ACS five-year estimates. State figures have sampling uncertainty, so a small change need not be statistically significant. Revised columns published on a new basis replace the original year and are marked as series breaks. Pandemic restrictions changed interviewing in 2020 and 2021, affecting comparability. The 2025 average covers 11 months: October was not collected during the lapse in federal funding, increasing uncertainty.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the states are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

U.S. Census Bureau. Housing Vacancies and Homeownership (CPS/HVS) annual statistics, Table 3, rental vacancy rates by state, United States and states, annual averages. https://www.census.gov/housing/hvs/files/annual25/ann25t_3.xlsx. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Citation styles

The publisher is the author. Invokely is named only as the place the figures were read, where a style asks for it.

APA 7

U.S. Census Bureau. (2026). Housing Vacancies and Homeownership (CPS/HVS) annual statistics, Table 3, rental vacancy rates by state, United States and states, annual averages (US states by rental vacancy rate (US), 2015) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www.census.gov/housing/hvs/files/annual25/ann25t_3.xlsx

MLA 9

Housing Vacancies and Homeownership (CPS/HVS) annual statistics, Table 3, rental vacancy rates by state, United States and states, annual averages, US states by rental vacancy rate (US), 2015. U.S. Census Bureau, 28 Apr. 2026, https://www.census.gov/housing/hvs/files/annual25/ann25t_3.xlsx. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/rental-vacancy-rate/us-states?period=2015. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Census Bureau. 2026. Housing Vacancies and Homeownership (CPS/HVS) annual statistics, Table 3, rental vacancy rates by state, United States and states, annual averages. US states by rental vacancy rate (US), 2015. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www.census.gov/housing/hvs/files/annual25/ann25t_3.xlsx. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/rental-vacancy-rate/us-states?period=2015.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2026) Housing Vacancies and Homeownership (CPS/HVS) annual statistics, Table 3, rental vacancy rates by state, United States and states, annual averages, US states by rental vacancy rate (US), 2015 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www.census.gov/housing/hvs/files/annual25/ann25t_3.xlsx, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/rental-vacancy-rate/us-states?period=2015 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_us_states_by_rental_2015,
  author = {{U.S. Census Bureau}},
  title = {{Housing Vacancies and Homeownership (CPS/HVS) annual statistics, Table 3, rental vacancy rates by state, United States and states, annual averages: US states by rental vacancy rate (US), 2015}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www.census.gov/housing/hvs/files/annual25/ann25t_3.xlsx},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/rental-vacancy-rate/us-states?period=2015. Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. Housing Vacancies and Homeownership (CPS/HVS) annual statistics, Table 3, rental vacancy rates by state, United States and states, annual averages. https://www.census.gov/housing/hvs/files/annual25/ann25t\_3.xlsx. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Census Bureau
TI  - Housing Vacancies and Homeownership (CPS/HVS) annual statistics, Table 3, rental vacancy rates by state, United States and states, annual averages: US states by rental vacancy rate (US), 2015
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/04/28
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www.census.gov/housing/hvs/files/annual25/ann25t_3.xlsx
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/rental-vacancy-rate/us-states?period=2015
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/rental-vacancy-rate/us-states?period=2015.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. Housing Vacancies and Homeownership (CPS/HVS) annual statistics, Table 3, rental vacancy rates by state, United States and states, annual averages. https://www.census.gov/housing/hvs/files/annual25/ann25t_3.xlsx. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -
Embed this chart

Paste this code into a web page or a blog post. The chart shows the latest figures as they are published, with the source and a link back to this page.

Sites that read oEmbed links, such as WordPress, can show the chart when you paste the link to this page.

Use this data in your AI agent

Invokely serves this figure to AI assistants through MCP and to code through a REST API, with the source and citation attached. Ask your assistant:

Rank US states by rental vacancy rate (US) using official data, and cite the source.
rank_places {"indicator":"rental_vacancy_rate","level":"region","within":"United States","limit":10}
GET https://invokely.ai/api/v1/rank?indicator=rental_vacancy_rate&level=region&within=United%20States&limit=10

Connect Claude, ChatGPT or Cursor in one step. The trial answers 25 calls a day without an account.

Questions

Which state has the highest rental vacancy rate (US)?

Alabama, with 14.9% in 2015, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which state has the lowest rental vacancy rate (US)?

Montana, with 3.9% in 2015.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Census Bureau, Housing Vacancies and Homeownership (CPS/HVS) annual statistics, Table 3, rental vacancy rates by state, United States and states, annual averages. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

US states: more rankings