was related, to some extent, to the size of the unit--generally the higher priced houses contained more rooms.

Year-round not dilapidated, not for

rent or sale vacancies

Approximately 2.0 percent of the total dwelling units in 1955 were intended for yearround use and were not dilapidated. Some were not on the available rent or sale market because they were already rented or sold (0.5 percent), and others were being held off the market for other reasons (1.5 percent). The percentage for the comparable group of vacancies in 1950 indicates little change for the United States as a whole. However, the rate in the Northeast declined slightly while those in the South and West (particularly the West) increased. In all regions except the Northeast, rural units contributed heavily to this group of vacancies in both years.

The rate for units already rented or sold but not yet occupied (0.5 percent) was fairly constant for the four regions, for inside and outside standard metropolitan areas, and for urban and rural areas (tables 1 and 2). The count of units in this group is often considered part of the potential supply of available housing because other units may become available when the new owners and renters move from their present quarters.

Characteristics of the vacant units already rented or sold differ from the characteristics of vacancies being offered for rent or for sale. The comparison can best be made for nonfarm vacancies for which rent and value statistics were collected. Nonfarm vacancies already rented but not occupied had more rooms than vacancies being

Table D.--NONFARM AVAILABLE VACANT UNITS AND VACANT UNITS RENTED OR SOLD: SECOND QUARTER 1955

located

Units "held off the market" were largely in rural areas. Although they were intended for year-round use, many were used only occasionally by their owners who lived elsewhere but cultivated the farm land. Others, not on farms, were reserved for servants, caretakers,

Janitors, and the like, or were held off the market for personal reasons of the owner. Included with the "held off market" vacancies are a few vacancies which were for year-round use but which were temporarily occupied by persons with a usual place of residence elsewhere.

Considering the type of units included in the "held-off-market" vacancies, it is expected that a large proportion would be vacant for some time. At the time of enumeration, three-fifths had been vacant for four months or longer. The proportion for units outside standard metropolitan areas was somewhat higher than for those within such areas.

Year-round dilapidated vacancies

Year-round vacancies which were dilapidated constituted 1.2 percent of the total housing in 1955. By region, the rates were about the same as in 1950. In 1955, the rates ranged from 0.5 percent in the Northeast to 2.5 percent in the South. The dilapidated vacancies were found largely in rural areas where there was little demand for housing and the units were often abandoned or neglected. Vacancies in the dilapidated group are among the units most likely to drop out of the housing inventory. Vacant units which were unfit for human habitation or dilapidated to the extent that they were no longer considered living quarters were not included in the housing inventory.

Because of their structural condition, dilapidated vacancies are not considered part of the available housing supply, although some of

units in 1955 were in the Northeast, and the remaining half were about evenly distributed throughout the three other regions. The great majority were located in resort areas outside cities; a small proportion were on farms. Those connected with farms were generally for the use of seasonal farm workers--for harvesting, cotton picking, and the like.

Vacation homes for use during the summer constituted roughly three-fourths of the seasonal units. The remainder consisted mostly of homes for migrant workers and homes in winter resorts.