National Center for Healthy Housing

The American Housing Survey (AHS) collects data on the Nation's housing, including apartments, single-family homes, mobile homes, vacant housing units, household characteristics, income, housing and neighborhood quality, housing costs, equipment and fuels, size of housing unit, and recent movers.

The Census Bureau conducts the survey for the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The results and details are available at www.census.gov/hhes/www/housing/ahs/ahs.html.  The Census Bureau collects national data in odd numbered years, and data for each of 46 selected Metropolitan Areas about every six years. The national sample covers an average 55,000 housing units. Each metropolitan area sample covers 4,100 or more housing units. The AHS returns to the same housing units year after year to gather data; therefore, this survey is ideal for analyzing the flow of households through housing.

NCHH identified the aspects of the AHS data that are directly related to the health and safety of residents living in the home.  From this analysis, NCHH developed a series of reports:

• Summary of National Data
• Comparison of 2007 and 2005 National Data
• Comparison of 47 Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs)
• Snapshot of Each MSA Compared to National Data
• Trends for Each MSA (where MSA has two years of data available after 1997) (data only available for five cities as of June 2007)
• Healthy Homes Profiles:  NCHH's Healthy Homes Profiles to help communities better understand how their rates of healthy housing problems compare to national averages and how units compare in central city versus non-central city areas within their Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). The table is based on MSA data from the American Housing Survey (AHS) for the most recent year available and compared to the same or new closest subsequent year for national data.
• Relationship Between Interior Problems and Exterior Problems: NCHH's report to help communities make homes healthier by giving them a better understanding the direct relationship between exterior programs such as a sloping outside wall and interior problems such as rats, large holes in the floor, and water damage that can impact resident health and safety. With this understanding, communities can more effectively and efficiently identify homes with serious health and safety threats and set priorities for assessments of the interior. The table is based on the American Housing Survey (AHS). The AHS tracks some but not all items related to health. For example, it does not track cockroaches, radon, lead-based paint, and carbon monoxide levels. 
• Definition of the Metropolitan Statistical Areas as of 2004
• Definitions of Healthy Homes Terms used by AHS.

Use the table below to find the reports for each of the 47 MSAs. Please note that the MSA reports only list the national data if the MSA data is more than 20% higher or lower than the national data and it is more than 0.25 points different.  View the Census Bureau full reports. Please note that the Census Bureau reports are more than 300 pages long.