The American Housing Survey

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. National data are collected every other year in the odd numbered years. Data for each of 47 selected Metropolitan Areas are collected currently about every six years in the even numbered years. The national sample covers on average 55,000 homes. Each metropolitan areas sample covers from 4,100 to 5,500 or more homes. The survey is conducted by the Bureau of the Census for the Department of Housing and Urban Development. 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.