US Census Releases Most Accurate, Granular Housing Data Yet

A new tool from the U.S. Census Bureau offers a much more granular and accurate portrait of the U.S. housing market. As Alex Armlovich explains for the Niskanen Center, housing data that relies on the American Community Survey or building permit data has been notoriously uneven and inaccurate. 

Now, the new Address Count Listing Files offer a new way for state housing agencies and others to understand the housing supply. “By providing a direct count of housing units from its Master Address File every six months, the bureau empowers researchers and policymakers alike to track the change in the total housing stock over time all the way down to the census block.”

The new measurement is “a far more accurate proxy for new, habitable supply than either building permits, which can predate completion by years (and do not always complete), or the ACS.” It is based on “multiple, reinforcing sources.” 

This new data accuracy empowers agencies and governments to understand the real-world impact of zoning reforms and housing policies, see long-term housing production data from around the country, and target resources here they are most needed and have the greatest impact. According to Armlovich, “The housing crisis has persisted in part because we haven’t been able to measure our progress accurately. With the Census Bureau’s Address Count Listing File data, that excuse is gone.”