Oregon Had Nation’s Lowest Rate of Vacant Homes in 2020

Oregon had the lowest home vacancy rate in the country in 2020, according to an analysis of U.S. Census data from the National Association of Realtors. Just 7.8% of the state’s homes were vacant in 2020. That’s one-third below the national average of 12% and vastly lower than states such as Vermont (23%), Maine (23%) and Alaska (21%).

There are two ways to look at Oregon’s position: “A low vacancy rate is considered positive for the market because it means that housing demand is high, and people want to live in that particular area; higher rates mean just the opposite,” writes NAR economist Nadia Evangelou.

Read more from Willamette Week here.