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 2019, at 12.6%. Massachusetts had the lowest, at 3.6%. The median was 6.7% and the figure for the United States was 6.7%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest12.6Alabama
Lowest3.6Massachusetts
Median6.751 states
United States6.7History

Map of states, 2019

Alabama: 12.6 %Alaska: 7.5 %Arizona: 5.8 %Arkansas: 9.6 %California: 4.2 %Colorado: 4.1 %Connecticut: 5.6 %Delaware: 6.3 %District of Columbia: 6 %Florida: 8.4 %Georgia: 7.6 %Hawaii: 7.4 %Idaho: 4.5 %Illinois: 7.5 %Indiana: 6.7 %Iowa: 6.7 %Kansas: 11.8 %Kentucky: 8.5 %Louisiana: 10.7 %Maine: 4.1 %Maryland: 8.1 %Massachusetts: 3.6 %Michigan: 6.8 %Minnesota: 5 %Mississippi: 8.7 %Missouri: 9.3 %Montana: 5 %Nebraska: 6.5 %Nevada: 5.8 %New Hampshire: 4 %New Jersey: 4.2 %New Mexico: 7.1 %New York: 5.2 %North Carolina: 6.7 %North Dakota: 11.6 %Ohio: 6.4 %Oklahoma: 10 %Oregon: 5.1 %Pennsylvania: 7.2 %Rhode Island: 3.9 %South Carolina: 10.8 %South Dakota: 9.5 %Tennessee: 10.1 %Texas: 9.5 %Utah: 3.8 %Vermont: 4.4 %Virginia: 7 %Washington: 4.1 %West Virginia: 5.8 %Wisconsin: 4.8 %Wyoming: 8.1 %
  • Under 4.3
  • 4.3 to 5.7
  • 5.7 to 6.7
  • 6.7 to 7.5
  • 7.5 to 9.5
  • 9.5 and over
%, 2019. 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, 2019

Alabama: 12.6 %Alabama12.6Kansas: 11.8 %Kansas11.8North Dakota: 11.6 %North Dakota11.6South Carolina: 10.8 %South Carolina10.8Louisiana: 10.7 %Louisiana10.7Tennessee: 10.1 %Tennessee10.1Oklahoma: 10 %Oklahoma10Arkansas: 9.6 %Arkansas9.6South Dakota: 9.5 %South Dakota9.5Texas: 9.5 %Texas9.5Missouri: 9.3 %Missouri9.3Mississippi: 8.7 %Mississippi8.7Kentucky: 8.5 %Kentucky8.5Florida: 8.4 %Florida8.4Maryland: 8.1 %Maryland8.1Wyoming: 8.1 %Wyoming8.1Georgia: 7.6 %Georgia7.6Alaska: 7.5 %Alaska7.5Illinois: 7.5 %Illinois7.5Hawaii: 7.4 %Hawaii7.4Pennsylvania: 7.2 %Pennsylvania7.2New Mexico: 7.1 %New Mexico7.1Virginia: 7 %Virginia7Michigan: 6.8 %Michigan6.8Indiana: 6.7 %Indiana6.7Iowa: 6.7 %Iowa6.7North Carolina: 6.7 %North Carolina6.7Nebraska: 6.5 %Nebraska6.5Ohio: 6.4 %Ohio6.4Delaware: 6.3 %Delaware6.3District of Columbia: 6 %District of Columbia6Arizona: 5.8 %Arizona5.8Nevada: 5.8 %Nevada5.8West Virginia: 5.8 %West Virginia5.8Connecticut: 5.6 %Connecticut5.6New York: 5.2 %New York5.2Oregon: 5.1 %Oregon5.1Minnesota: 5 %Minnesota5Montana: 5 %Montana5Wisconsin: 4.8 %Wisconsin4.8Idaho: 4.5 %Idaho4.5Vermont: 4.4 %Vermont4.4California: 4.2 %California4.2New Jersey: 4.2 %New Jersey4.2Colorado: 4.1 %Colorado4.1Maine: 4.1 %Maine4.1Washington: 4.1 %Washington4.1New Hampshire: 4 %New Hampshire4Rhode Island: 3.9 %Rhode Island3.9Utah: 3.8 %Utah3.8Massachusetts: 3.6 %Massachusetts3.6Alabama: 12.6 %Alabama12.6Kansas: 11.8 %Kansas11.8North Dakota: 11.6 %North Dakota11.6South Carolina: 10.8 %South Carolina10.8Louisiana: 10.7 %Louisiana10.7Tennessee: 10.1 %Tennessee10.1Oklahoma: 10 %Oklahoma10Arkansas: 9.6 %Arkansas9.6South Dakota: 9.5 %South Dakota9.5Texas: 9.5 %Texas9.5Missouri: 9.3 %Missouri9.3Mississippi: 8.7 %Mississippi8.7Kentucky: 8.5 %Kentucky8.5Florida: 8.4 %Florida8.4Maryland: 8.1 %Maryland8.1Wyoming: 8.1 %Wyoming8.1Georgia: 7.6 %Georgia7.6Alaska: 7.5 %Alaska7.5Illinois: 7.5 %Illinois7.5Hawaii: 7.4 %Hawaii7.4Pennsylvania: 7.2 %Pennsylvania7.2New Mexico: 7.1 %New Mexico7.1Virginia: 7 %Virginia7Michigan: 6.8 %Michigan6.8Indiana: 6.7 %Indiana6.7Iowa: 6.7 %Iowa6.7North Carolina: 6.7 %North Carolina6.7Nebraska: 6.5 %Nebraska6.5Ohio: 6.4 %Ohio6.4Delaware: 6.3 %Delaware6.3District of Columbia: 6 %District of Columbia6Arizona: 5.8 %Arizona5.8Nevada: 5.8 %Nevada5.8West Virginia: 5.8 %West Virginia5.8Connecticut: 5.6 %Connecticut5.6New York: 5.2 %New York5.2Oregon: 5.1 %Oregon5.1Minnesota: 5 %Minnesota5Montana: 5 %Montana5Wisconsin: 4.8 %Wisconsin4.8Idaho: 4.5 %Idaho4.5Vermont: 4.4 %Vermont4.4California: 4.2 %California4.2New Jersey: 4.2 %New Jersey4.2Colorado: 4.1 %Colorado4.1Maine: 4.1 %Maine4.1Washington: 4.1 %Washington4.1New Hampshire: 4 %New Hampshire4Rhode Island: 3.9 %Rhode Island3.9Utah: 3.8 %Utah3.8Massachusetts: 3.6 %Massachusetts3.6
%. 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

RankStates2019 (%)Change on 2018
1Alabama12.6-0.6 pts
2Kansas11.8+1.3 pts
3North Dakota11.6-2.7 pts
4South Carolina10.8-0.2 pts
5Louisiana10.7+0.6 pts
6Tennessee10.1+1.5 pts
7Oklahoma10-1.6 pts
8Arkansas9.6-0.3 pts
9South Dakota9.5+2.2 pts
9Texas9.5+0.6 pts
11Missouri9.3-0.7 pts
12Mississippi8.7-1 pts
13Kentucky8.5+2.3 pts
14Florida8.4+0.2 pts
15Maryland8.1-0.9 pts
15Wyoming8.1-4.9 pts
17Georgia7.6+0.5 pts
18Alaska7.5-3.6 pts
18Illinois7.5+0.1 pts
20Hawaii7.4-1.1 pts
21Pennsylvania7.2+0.5 pts
22New Mexico7.1-2 pts
23Virginia7+0.5 pts
24Michigan6.8-0.6 pts
25Indiana6.7-2.3 pts
25Iowa6.7-0.7 pts
25North Carolina6.7-0.4 pts
28Nebraska6.5-0.8 pts
29Ohio6.4-0.7 pts
30Delaware6.3-0.8 pts
31District of Columbia6-1.9 pts
32Arizona5.8-0.2 pts
32Nevada5.8-0.4 pts
32West Virginia5.8-1.6 pts
35Connecticut5.6-0.5 pts
36New York5.20 pts
37Oregon5.1+0.5 pts
38Minnesota50 pts
38Montana5-0.9 pts
40Wisconsin4.8+0.2 pts
41Idaho4.5-1 pts
42Vermont4.4+0.2 pts
43California4.2-0.2 pts
43New Jersey4.2-0.8 pts
45Colorado4.1+0.7 pts
45Maine4.1-0.3 pts
45Washington4.1-1 pts
48New Hampshire4+0.3 pts
49Rhode Island3.9+0.7 pts
50Utah3.8-1.6 pts
51Massachusetts3.6-0.6 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), 2019) [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), 2019. 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=2019. 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), 2019. 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=2019.

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), 2019 [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=2019 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_us_states_by_rental_2019,
  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), 2019}},
  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=2019. 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), 2019
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=2019
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/rental-vacancy-rate/us-states?period=2019.
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)?

Alabama, with 12.6% in 2019, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

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

Massachusetts, with 3.6% in 2019.

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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