Data & Trends

Census Bureau: Nearly Half of Renter Households Are Cost-Burdened, Proportions Differ by Race

Over 21 million renter households spent more than 30% of their income on housing costs in 2023, representing nearly half (49.7%) of the 42.5 million renter households in the United States for whom rent burden is calculated. Although the median ratio of income-to-housing costs for renters remained unchanged from 2022 at 31%, there are differences in the…

Census Bureau: Household Pulse Survey Phase 4.2 Monthly Data Released

The U.S. Census Bureau today released new data from Phase 4.2 of the experimental Household Pulse Survey (HPS). The HPS is an effort by the Census Bureau and other federal statistical agencies to measure how emergent issues are impacting U.S. households from a social and economic perspective. Phase 4.2 includes new, reinstated and updated questions. Some previously…

Census Bureau: Income, Poverty and Health Insurance Coverage in the U.S. Data Released for 2023

The U.S. Census Bureau today announced that real median household income increased by 4.0% between 2022 and 2023. This is the first statistically significant annual increase in real median household income since 2019. The official poverty rate fell 0.4 percentage points, to 11.1%, in 2023. The Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM) rate in 2023 was 12.9%,…

Census Bureau: 2022 Local Estimates of Internet Adoption Released

The U.S. Census Bureau and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) today released the 2022 Local Estimates of Internet Adoption (LEIA), an experimental data product that measures Internet adoption at the county level. As part of the federal government’s efforts to improve the availability, adoption and effective use of high speed Internet service through the Digital Equity Actprograms and the Broadband…

FHFA: Mortgage Loan and Natural Disaster Dashboard Released

Agency unveils online tool using existing information to estimate county-level damages and mortgage loan concentrations in disaster-prone areas, and to identify U.S. communities most vulnerable to natural hazards. The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) released an online risk analysis tool that provides geographic estimates for physical risks from various types of natural disasters as well…

CFPB: Report Highlights Consumer Protection Issues in Medical and Rental Debt Collection

Debt collectors are pursuing consumers using illegal tactics for debts they do not owe The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) today issued its annual report on debt collection, which highlights aggressive and illegal practices in the collection of medical debt and rental debt. The report discusses how problems with real estate companies’ “revenue management software” can result…

FHFA: U.S. House Prices Rise 5.7 Percent Over the Last Year; Up 0.9 Percent from the First Quarter 2024

U.S. house prices rose 5.7 percent between the second quarter of 2023 and the second quarter of 2024, according to the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) House Price Index (FHFA HPI®).  House prices were up 0.9 percent compared to the first quarter of 2024.  FHFA’s seasonally adjusted monthly index for June was down 0.1 percent from May. “U.S. house prices saw…

CFPB: Report Finds Large Retail Chains Charging Cash-Back Fees to Customers Using Debit and Prepaid Cards

Closures of banks have created conditions for major dollar store chains to charge for cash back Today, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) published a new report finding Americans are paying tens of millions of dollars in fees to access their own money when getting “cash back” at large retail stores when making a purchase…

HUD and Census Bureau: New Residential Sales Report Released for July 2024

The U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development jointly announced the following new residential sales statistics for July 2024: New Home SalesSales of new single-family houses in July 2024 were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 739,000, according to estimates released jointly today by the U.S. Census Bureau and…

Census Bureau: Household Pulse Survey Phase 4.1 Monthly Data Released

The U.S. Census Bureau today released new data from Phase 4.1 of the experimental Household Pulse Survey (HPS). The HPS is an effort by the Census Bureau and other federal statistical agencies to measure how emergent issues are impacting U.S. households from a social and economic perspective. Topics for Phase 4.1 include employment status, spending, food…