HUD's 2009 American Housing Survey (AHS) is the most thorough look inside the homes of millions of Americans and reveals everything from the square footage of homes to how many homes have front porches, garages or even usable fireplaces. This survey was started in 1973!  For example, the 2009 survey reveals that significantly more American homes are larger and have more bedrooms and bathrooms than homes 37 years ago. In addition, homes of 1973 were significantly less likely to have central air conditioning and other amenities considered commonplace today.

There are 130,112,000 residential housing units in the U.S.; 86 percent of these are occupied. The median age of ‘the American home’ is 36 years, though the survey finds that homes newly constructed since the 2007 AHS are generally larger, more expensive, have more bedrooms and bathrooms, and are more likely to include amenities such as central air conditioning. Some of the other key findings of the 2009 AHS include: 68 percent of U.S. homes are owner-occupied; 51 percent are located in suburban areas; 29 percent in central cities; and 20 percent outside metropolitan areas; and 37 percent are located in the South.

* The median size of an occupied home is 1,800 square feet (compared to 1,610 in 1985, the earliest year this information was collected).

* Median lot size for single-family homes, including mobile homes, is 0.27 acres (compared to .36 acres in 1973).

* Most homes (53 percent) have six or more rooms, with owner-occupied units generally having more rooms than renter-occupied ones. In 1973, only 39 percent of homes had six or more rooms.

* Most homes have three or more bedrooms (64 percent compared to just 48 percent in 1973).

* More than half of U.S. homes (51 percent) have two or more bathrooms compared to just 19 percent in 1973.

* The most commonly used cooking fuel is electricity (60 percent) followed by piped gas (35 percent).

* Two-thirds of the homes (66 percent) have a dishwasher, 51 percent have a disposal in the kitchen sink and three percent have a trash compactor.

* More than eight in ten homes have a washing machine (84 percent) and clothes dryer (81 percent).

* About two-thirds of U.S. homes (65 percent) have central air-conditioning and another 21 percent have window units. Only 17 percent of U.S. homes had central A/C in 1973 although 30 percent contained window units.

* About nine in 10 homes (93 percent) reported a smoke detector while 36 percent reported having a working carbon monoxide detector.

* About two-thirds of U.S. homes use warm-air furnace for heating; 12 percent use an electric heat pump; and 11 percent use steam or hot water system.

* The most commonly used home heating fuel is piped gas (51 percent) followed by electricity (34 percent), though new units are more likely to use electricity.

* The most commonly used fuel for heating water is piped gas followed by electricity.

* More than eight in ten units (88 percent) receive water from a public system or private company, and the remaining units received water from wells.

* More than nine in ten households rated their water as being safe.

* Eight in ten units use the public sewage disposal system and 20 percent use a septic tank, cesspool or chemical toilet.

* Most homes have a telephone (98 percent), porch, deck, balcony or patio (85 percent) and a garage or carport (66 percent).

* About one-third (35 percent) have a usable fireplace.

* Noise from traffic was a problem reported by almost one-quarter of residents (23 percent).

Mark Brian  Silver Star Real Estate

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