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

US states by rental vacancy rate (US)

North Dakota had the highest rental vacancy rate (US) of 51 states in 2016, at 15.4%. California had the lowest, at 3.6%. The median was 7.2% and the figure for the United States was 6.9%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest15.4North Dakota
Lowest3.6California
Median7.251 states
United States6.9History

Map of states, 2016

Alabama: 14.6 %Alaska: 8.1 %Arizona: 6.8 %Arkansas: 11.1 %California: 3.6 %Colorado: 4.7 %Connecticut: 7 %Delaware: 8.1 %District of Columbia: 5.8 %Florida: 8.1 %Georgia: 7.2 %Hawaii: 10.6 %Idaho: 6 %Illinois: 7.6 %Indiana: 9.8 %Iowa: 5.4 %Kansas: 11.1 %Kentucky: 7.3 %Louisiana: 11.4 %Maine: 4 %Maryland: 7.5 %Massachusetts: 4.1 %Michigan: 7.5 %Minnesota: 4.2 %Mississippi: 9.6 %Missouri: 9.1 %Montana: 6 %Nebraska: 6.5 %Nevada: 6.7 %New Hampshire: 4.6 %New Jersey: 5.5 %New Mexico: 9.5 %New York: 5.2 %North Carolina: 8.3 %North Dakota: 15.4 %Ohio: 6.9 %Oklahoma: 11.2 %Oregon: 4.4 %Pennsylvania: 6.3 %Rhode Island: 3.7 %South Carolina: 8.8 %South Dakota: 7.3 %Tennessee: 7.4 %Texas: 9.4 %Utah: 5.7 %Vermont: 4.5 %Virginia: 7 %Washington: 3.8 %West Virginia: 8.7 %Wisconsin: 5.3 %Wyoming: 12.2 %
  • Under 4.6
  • 4.6 to 6
  • 6 to 7.2
  • 7.2 to 8.1
  • 8.1 to 9.7
  • 9.7 and over
%, 2016. 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, 2016

North Dakota: 15.4 %North Dakota15.4Alabama: 14.6 %Alabama14.6Wyoming: 12.2 %Wyoming12.2Louisiana: 11.4 %Louisiana11.4Oklahoma: 11.2 %Oklahoma11.2Arkansas: 11.1 %Arkansas11.1Kansas: 11.1 %Kansas11.1Hawaii: 10.6 %Hawaii10.6Indiana: 9.8 %Indiana9.8Mississippi: 9.6 %Mississippi9.6New Mexico: 9.5 %New Mexico9.5Texas: 9.4 %Texas9.4Missouri: 9.1 %Missouri9.1South Carolina: 8.8 %South Carolina8.8West Virginia: 8.7 %West Virginia8.7North Carolina: 8.3 %North Carolina8.3Alaska: 8.1 %Alaska8.1Delaware: 8.1 %Delaware8.1Florida: 8.1 %Florida8.1Illinois: 7.6 %Illinois7.6Maryland: 7.5 %Maryland7.5Michigan: 7.5 %Michigan7.5Tennessee: 7.4 %Tennessee7.4Kentucky: 7.3 %Kentucky7.3South Dakota: 7.3 %South Dakota7.3Georgia: 7.2 %Georgia7.2Connecticut: 7 %Connecticut7Virginia: 7 %Virginia7Ohio: 6.9 %Ohio6.9Arizona: 6.8 %Arizona6.8Nevada: 6.7 %Nevada6.7Nebraska: 6.5 %Nebraska6.5Pennsylvania: 6.3 %Pennsylvania6.3Idaho: 6 %Idaho6Montana: 6 %Montana6District of Columbia: 5.8 %District of Columbia5.8Utah: 5.7 %Utah5.7New Jersey: 5.5 %New Jersey5.5Iowa: 5.4 %Iowa5.4Wisconsin: 5.3 %Wisconsin5.3New York: 5.2 %New York5.2Colorado: 4.7 %Colorado4.7New Hampshire: 4.6 %New Hampshire4.6Vermont: 4.5 %Vermont4.5Oregon: 4.4 %Oregon4.4Minnesota: 4.2 %Minnesota4.2Massachusetts: 4.1 %Massachusetts4.1Maine: 4 %Maine4Washington: 3.8 %Washington3.8Rhode Island: 3.7 %Rhode Island3.7California: 3.6 %California3.6North Dakota: 15.4 %North Dakota15.4Alabama: 14.6 %Alabama14.6Wyoming: 12.2 %Wyoming12.2Louisiana: 11.4 %Louisiana11.4Oklahoma: 11.2 %Oklahoma11.2Arkansas: 11.1 %Arkansas11.1Kansas: 11.1 %Kansas11.1Hawaii: 10.6 %Hawaii10.6Indiana: 9.8 %Indiana9.8Mississippi: 9.6 %Mississippi9.6New Mexico: 9.5 %New Mexico9.5Texas: 9.4 %Texas9.4Missouri: 9.1 %Missouri9.1South Carolina: 8.8 %South Carolina8.8West Virginia: 8.7 %West Virginia8.7North Carolina: 8.3 %North Carolina8.3Alaska: 8.1 %Alaska8.1Delaware: 8.1 %Delaware8.1Florida: 8.1 %Florida8.1Illinois: 7.6 %Illinois7.6Maryland: 7.5 %Maryland7.5Michigan: 7.5 %Michigan7.5Tennessee: 7.4 %Tennessee7.4Kentucky: 7.3 %Kentucky7.3South Dakota: 7.3 %South Dakota7.3Georgia: 7.2 %Georgia7.2Connecticut: 7 %Connecticut7Virginia: 7 %Virginia7Ohio: 6.9 %Ohio6.9Arizona: 6.8 %Arizona6.8Nevada: 6.7 %Nevada6.7Nebraska: 6.5 %Nebraska6.5Pennsylvania: 6.3 %Pennsylvania6.3Idaho: 6 %Idaho6Montana: 6 %Montana6District of Columbia: 5.8 %District of Columbia5.8Utah: 5.7 %Utah5.7New Jersey: 5.5 %New Jersey5.5Iowa: 5.4 %Iowa5.4Wisconsin: 5.3 %Wisconsin5.3New York: 5.2 %New York5.2Colorado: 4.7 %Colorado4.7New Hampshire: 4.6 %New Hampshire4.6Vermont: 4.5 %Vermont4.5Oregon: 4.4 %Oregon4.4Minnesota: 4.2 %Minnesota4.2Massachusetts: 4.1 %Massachusetts4.1Maine: 4 %Maine4Washington: 3.8 %Washington3.8Rhode Island: 3.7 %Rhode Island3.7California: 3.6 %California3.6
%. 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

RankStates2016 (%)Change on 2015
1North Dakota15.4+5.8 pts
2Alabama14.6-0.3 pts
3Wyoming12.2+2.4 pts
4Louisiana11.4+1.4 pts
5Oklahoma11.2+2.9 pts
6Arkansas11.1-0.2 pts
6Kansas11.1-0.9 pts
8Hawaii10.6+1.9 pts
9Indiana9.8+0.6 pts
10Mississippi9.6-0.8 pts
11New Mexico9.5-0.8 pts
12Texas9.4-0.2 pts
13Missouri9.10 pts
14South Carolina8.8-0.1 pts
15West Virginia8.7+0.4 pts
16North Carolina8.3-1.5 pts
17Alaska8.1+1.3 pts
17Delaware8.1+1.7 pts
17Florida8.1+0.1 pts
20Illinois7.6+0.1 pts
21Maryland7.5-0.6 pts
21Michigan7.5+0.1 pts
23Tennessee7.4-0.1 pts
24Kentucky7.3-0.4 pts
24South Dakota7.3+0.9 pts
26Georgia7.2-0.8 pts
27Connecticut7+0.7 pts
27Virginia7+0.4 pts
29Ohio6.9-0.9 pts
30Arizona6.8-0.9 pts
31Nevada6.7-1.3 pts
32Nebraska6.5+0.6 pts
33Pennsylvania6.3-0.9 pts
34Idaho6+0.2 pts
34Montana6+2.1 pts
36District of Columbia5.8+0.4 pts
37Utah5.7+0.6 pts
38New Jersey5.50 pts
39Iowa5.4-0.3 pts
40Wisconsin5.30 pts
41New York5.2+0.1 pts
42Colorado4.7-0.6 pts
43New Hampshire4.6-1.1 pts
44Vermont4.50 pts
45Oregon4.4-0.2 pts
46Minnesota4.2-0.7 pts
47Massachusetts4.1-0.1 pts
48Maine4-0.4 pts
49Washington3.8-0.8 pts
50Rhode Island3.7-0.7 pts
51California3.6-0.5 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), 2016) [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), 2016. 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=2016. 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), 2016. 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=2016.

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), 2016 [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=2016 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_us_states_by_rental_2016,
  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), 2016}},
  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=2016. 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), 2016
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=2016
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/rental-vacancy-rate/us-states?period=2016.
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  -
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Questions

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

North Dakota, with 15.4% in 2016, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

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

California, with 3.6% in 2016.

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.

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