Comparison by Housing Characteristic

Supporting Documentation

 

The AHS’s Rating system for severe physical problems is based on 5 categories - plumbing, heating, electric/kitchen, hallways, and upkeep. A unit has severe problems if it meets the severe criteria for any one of the 5 severe categories. For example, a severe physical plumbing problem is lacking hot or cold piped water or a flush toilet or lacking both bathtub and shower.

*In 2007, AHS dropped the questions about common hallways. As a result, the definition of moderate and severe physical problems was modified so that it now only considers four major elements: plumbing, heating, electric/kitchen, and upkeep.
 

 

Severe physical problems

State MSA MSA Central City Outside Central City Rental Owner Occupied Year
AL Birmingham 2.8% 6.5% 1.7% 5.8% 1.7% 2011
AZ Phoenix 0.9% 1.1% 0.7% 1.7% 0.5% 2011
CA Anaheim-Santa Ana (Orange County) 2.2% 1.5% 2.4% 3.8% 1.0% 2011
CA Los Angeles-Long Beach 2.1% 2.4% 1.8% 2.7% 1.5% 2011
CA Oakland 1.7% 1.8% 1.6% 2.6% 1.0% 2011
CA Sacramento 1.5% 2.5% 1.1% 2.3% 1.0% 2011
CA San Bernardino-Riverside (metro surveys) 1.5% 2.2% 1.3% 2.7% 0.8% 2011
CA San Diego 2.5% 3.3% 1.8% 4.5% 0.7% 2011
CA San Francisco 3.5% 5.0% 2.0% 5.4% 1.5% 2011
CA San Jose 1.7% 1.8% 1.4% 3.4% 0.3% 2011
CO Denver 2.4% 3.6% 2.0% 4.6% 1.1% 2011
CT Hartford 1.9% 5.2% 1.6% 3.7% 1.1% 2004
DC Washington 1.4% 2.3% 1.2% 1.8% 1.2% 2007
FL Miami-Hialeah 1.1% 2.5% 0.9% 1.8% 0.7% 2007
FL Tampa-Saint Petersburg-Clearwater 1.6% 2.0% 1.5% 1.6% 1.6% 2007
GA Atlanta 1.4% 1.1% 1.4% 2.6% 0.7% 2011
IL Chicago 1.5% 2.7% 0.6% 2.3% 1.1% 2009
IN Indianapolis 1.1% 1.5% 0.7% 1.9% 0.7% 2011
LA New Orleans 1.8% 2.3% 1.6% 3.1% 1.1% 2011
MA Boston 2.2% 2.9% 2.0% 3.8% 1.2% 2007
MD Baltimore 1.7% 3.2% 1.3% 3.3% 1.1% 2007
MI Detroit 2.1% 5.1% 1.3% 4.2% 1.3% 2009
MN Minneapolis-Saint Paul 1.6% 4.1% 0.8% 3.6% 0.8% 2007
MO Kansas City 1.1% 1.5% 0.8% 1.9% 0.7% 2011
MO Saint Louis 0.8% 0.3% 0.9% 0.6% 0.9% 2011
NC Charlotte 1.1% 1.1% 1.5% 0.9% 2011
NJ Northern New Jersey 2.3% 5.0% 1.9% 4.4% 1.1% 2009
NY Buffalo 2.3% 2.7% 2.1% 3.6% 1.7% 2011
NY New York City 6.2% 8.0% 2.4% 7.9% 4.4% 2009
NY Rochester 1.8% 2.6% 1.6% 2.6% 1.5% 2004
OH Cincinnati 2.6% 6.5% 1.7% 2.7% 2.5% 2011
OH Cleveland 2.2% 2.4% 2.1% 4.4% 1.1% 2011
OH Columbus 2.0% 2.5% 1.3% 3.0% 1.2% 2011
OK Oklahoma City 1.4% 1.6% 1.2% 2.5% 0.8% 2004
OR Portland 1.3% 1.8% 1.2% 1.8% 1.1% 2011
PA Philadelphia 1.7% 1.3% 1.8% 2.8% 1.2% 2009
PA Pittsburgh 1.5% 1.5% 1.5% 1.7% 1.4% 2011
RI Providence 2.8% 5.6% 2.0% 5.7% 1.1% 2011
TN Memphis 2.8% 3.4% 2.3% 3.4% 2.5% 2011
TX Dallas 2.2% 2.8% 1.8% 3.6% 1.3% 2011
TX Fort Worth-Arlington 1.1% 1.0% 1.3% 2.2% 0.5% 2011
TX Houston 1.4% 1.6% 1.3% 1.7% 1.3% 2007
TX San Antonio 1.9% 2.1% 1.5% 2.9% 1.4% 2004
VA Norfolk/Newport News 1.5% 1.5% 1.5% 2.7% 0.7% 2011
WA Seattle 2.2% 3.0% 1.9% 2.7% 2.0% 2009
WI Milwaukee 2.1% 2.5% 1.8% 2.2% 2.1% 2011


National Averages

YearMSACentral CityOutside Central CityRentalOwner Occupied
1999 2.1 3.1 1.4 3.6 1.2
2005 1.9 2.7 1.4 3.3 1.2
2007 1.7 2.4 1.3 3.2 0.9
2009 1.7 2.5 1.2 2.8 1.1
2011 1.9 2.7 1.4 3.3 1.1