housing,"Nation's Housing Units Top 106.8 Million" 6/12/95 EMBARGOED UNTIL: JUNE 12, 1995 (MONDAY) Public Information Office CB95-108 301-457-2794 301-457-4067 (TDD) Ed Byerly 301-457-2419 NATION'S HOUSING UNITS TOP 106.8 MILLION; MOST RAPID GROWTH IN WEST, CENSUS BUREAU REPORTS EMBARGOED UNTIL: JUNE 12, 1995 (MONDAY) - The nation's total housing stock was 106.8 million units in 1994, an increase of 4.5 percent since 1990, according to estimates released today by the Commerce Department's Census Bureau. More than 95.9 million households occupied nearly 90 percent of the housing units. The West--the region with the fastest growing population (7.7 percent)--also led the nation during this period in percentage increase in housing units (6 percent) and households (6.9 percent). Nevada ranked number one among states in all three categories, with population growing 21.2 percent; housing units, 19.2 percent; and households, 20.1 percent. The Northeast showed the slowest growth in population (1.2 percent), housing units (1.7 percent), and households (0.9 percent). Driven by the leading edge of the "Baby Boom" population, households in the United States maintained by persons aged 45 to 54 years old grew by 19.2 percent during the four-year period. As the "baby boomers" (those born between 1946 and 1964) age, householders 45 to 54 will represent an increasingly larger share of the nation's households. Nationally, households maintained by persons under age 35 declined since 1990, as persons born during the "Baby Bust" (1965 to 1976) make up this age category. Households maintained by the youngest householders, those aged 15 to 24, declined by 2.2 percent at the national level. An 8.6 percent decline in California households maintained by the youngest householders strongly contributed to the 1.5 percent drop in the West. The only region showing an increase in households maintained by persons aged 15 to 24 was the South (0.9 percent). Households maintained by persons aged 25 to 34 dropped by 5.2 percent between 1990 and 1994. All states except Nevada, Georgia, and Utah showed declines in households maintained by persons in this age group. Households maintained by householders aged 65 and over increased by 5 percent between 1990 and 1994. Every state in the nation shared in the growth of householders in this age group except the District of Columbia, which saw a 1.8 percent decline. The largest share (22.9 percent) of the nation's households is maintained by persons in the 35- to 44-year-old age group. Householders aged 65 years and older comprise the second largest share (21.8 percent). Among states, Florida (29 percent), West Virginia and Pennsylvania (26.6 percent) were the top three states with households maintained by the elderly. The national average number of persons per household was 2.64 in 1994. Utah (3.13), Hawaii (2.99), and California (2.83) ranked one-two-three in persons per household, while Iowa (2.52), Florida (2.50), and the District of Columbia (2.24) ranked at the low end of the scale. -X- Editor's Note: EMBARGOED UNTIL: JUNE 12, 1995 (MONDAY) - The accompanying tables will be available electronically on the Census Bureau's Internet site. HTTP address: www.census.gov.org.pop. Non-media requests for paper copies of the tables should be directed to the Population Division's Statistical Information Staff on 301-457-2422.