housing, "AHS for the San Jose, CA Metro Area, 1993" (6/21/95) EMBARGOED UNTIL: JUNE 21, 1995 (WEDNESDAY) Public Information Office CB95-H.05 301-457-2794 301-457-4067 (TDD) Ed Montfort 301-763-8551 CENSUS BUREAU ISSUES PERIODIC ANALYSIS OF HOUSING CONDITIONS IN SAN JOSE, CA METROPOLITAN AREA In the San Jose, CA Metropolitan Area (MA), about 24 percent of householders rated their neighborhoods a perfect "10" (on a scale of one to 10), and 27 percent said their home was the best place to live. These findings are in the report, "American Housing Survey for the San Jose, CA Metropolitan Area in 1993" (H170/93-61), released today by the Commerce Department's Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Of the householders living in San Jose, CA metropolitan neighborhoods, 7 percent reported problems with crime, 12 percent reported traffic problems, and 6 percent experienced problems with litter or housing deterioration. The report is based on data collected in the 1993 American Housing Survey (AHS) Metropolitan Sample. The 20-year-old AHS is sponsored by HUD and conducted by the Census Bureau. The San Jose, CA MA last participated in the survey in 1988. The 1993 MA included all of Santa Clara County. The following are additional facts about the San Jose, CA MA: - The area had 556,700 housing units in 1993, of which 534,700 were occupied (59 percent by owners and 41 percent by renters). - Single-family homes, at 70 percent of all occupied units, represented the predominant housing type in the area. - The median age of homes in San Jose City was 23 years, compared with 29 years for the remaining area. - Homes in the area had a median of 2.8 bedrooms. - Of owner-occupied housing units in the area, 22 percent had central air conditioning, 92 percent had clothes dryers, 84 percent had dishwashers, and 86 percent had garbage disposals. - Homes in the area had a median of 2.4 persons per unit and a median of 5.4 rooms per unit. - Thirty-one percent of the single detached and mobile homes had at least 2,000 square feet of living area, with the median being 1,695 square feet. About 64 percent of these homes had at least 500 square feet per person, with the median being 627 square feet per person. - Seven percent of the owner-occupied homes were located on an acre or more of land. - Of all area owner-occupied units, approximately 92 percent had a porch, deck, or patio; 97 percent had a garage or carport; and 79 percent had a usable fireplace. - During the two years prior to the survey, 18 percent of the owner-occupied units had some or all of the roof replaced and 12 percent had kitchens remodeled or added. - Thirteen percent of the homeowners spent $100 or more per month during the previous year on routine maintenance. - Fifty-seven percent of the owners and 30 percent of the renters had monthly housing costs that were $1,000 or more. - Twenty-one percent of the households had incomes of less than $25,000. - The 1993 median household income for area homeowners was $63,631, compared with $36,549 for renters. - Renters had median monthly housing costs that represented 30 percent of their current income, compared with 24 percent for owners. Monthly housing costs include mortgage payments or contract rent, utilities, fuels, insurance, real estate taxes (for owners), and other housing-related expenditures. - Forty percent of the homeowners had a yearly real estate tax of $1,800 or more. - Ninety-eight percent of the 8,200 owner-occupied homes built since the 1988 interview cost $100,000 or more; 44 percent of the owners of new homes used savings or cash on hand for their down payment. - Fifty-two percent of the homeowners with a mortgage had a current interest rate on their mortgage loan of less than 8 percent in 1993. Data in the report are shown separately for units with African American and Hispanic householders. Since data in the report are from a survey, they are subject to sampling variability. -X- Editor's note: media representatives may obtain copies of the report from the bureau's Public Information Office by telephone: 301-457-2794; fax: 301-457-3670; or e-mail: pio@census.gov. Non-media orders should be directed to the bureau's Customer