Big Sky Times

Montana ranked 46th in the nation in the first quarter with a rental vacancy rate of 3.4 percent, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

The rental vacancy rate is the proportion of the homeowner inventory vacant for rent at the time of the survey.

Vacancy rates are a leading economic indicator used by economic forecasters and the federal government to gauge the current economic climate.

The bureau compiles data from a sampling of approximately 72,000 occupied and vacant housing units across the country and the District of Columbia. The bureau also collects information on homeownership vacancies, as well as certain characteristics about housing units, such as the age of household members, family status, race/ethnicity and median family income.

Rental Vacancy Rates by State in Q1

Rank	State	Rental Vacancy Rate
1	North Dakota	13.6%
2	South Carolina	12.9%
3	Wyoming	9.2%
4	Kansas	8.8%
5	Indiana	8.7%
6	Oklahoma	8.5%
7	Iowa	8.3%
7	District of Columbia	8.3%
9	West Virginia	8%
10	Texas	7.7%
10	Mississippi	7.7%
12	Maryland	7.6%
12	Georgia	7.6%
14	Nevada	7.5%
14	Arkansas	7.5%
16	Alabama	6.9%
17	Minnesota	6.7%
18	Florida	6.6%
19	Pennsylvania	6.5%
20	Illinois	6.4%
21	Oregon	6.2%
21	North Carolina	6.2%
23	Maine	6.1%
23	Hawaii	6.1%
25	Tennessee	6%
25	Arizona	6%
27	Nebraska	5.6%
27	Kentucky	5.6%
29	South Dakota	5.4%
29	New Mexico	5.4%
31	Virginia	5.3%
31	New Hampshire	5.3%
33	Rhode Island	5.2%
34	New York	5.1%
34	Louisiana	5.1%
34	Alaska	5.1%
37	Utah	5%
38	Wisconsin	4.9%
38	Washington	4.9%
40	Connecticut	4.7%
41	Ohio	4.6%
42	Michigan	4.2%
43	New Jersey	4%
44	California	3.8%
45	Missouri	3.7%
46	Montana	3.4%
46	Colorado	3.4%
48	Idaho	3.3%
48	Delaware	3.3%
50	Massachusetts	2.8%
51	Vermont	2.5%