Housing Statistics

Housing Reports

Fox Valley area housing starts -- monthly report

Fox Valley area housing starts -- annual history

Wisconsin Economic Outlook -- Fall 2011, report from the WI Department of Revenue

National Survey on Housing & Homeownership -- the results of this May 2011 survey, conducted jointly by Public Opinion Strategies and Lake Research Partners, make clear that owning a home is still very much a part of the American Dream. Americans believe that homeownership is the single best investment for middle class families and helps provide for their retirement and their children's education. They also believe that a strong housing industry means more jobs and more money in our communities. Read a summary of the survey's findings here.

The Cook Report -- article by Charlie Cook, June 2011, The Home Front: Despite the housing slump, Americans of all political pursuasions have a viseral desire to own their own home.

America's Rental Housing: Meeting Challenges, Building Opportunities -- May 2011 study from Harvard University's Joint Center for Housing Studies delves into the current phenomenon that today, both economic conditions and demographic forces are bolstering rental demand. Reversing trends prevailing from the mid-1990s to the mid-2000s, the housing bust and Great Recession have pushed up the share and number of renter households. Download the full report here.

Wisconsin's Economic Outlook, Spring 2011 -- report from the WI Department of Revenue

Home Sweet Home. Still. -- April 2011 publication of study results from the Pew Research Center demonstrates that the five-year swoon in home prices has done little to shake the confidence of the American public in the investment value of homeownership. Fully eight-in-ten (81%) adults agree that buying a home is the best long-term investment a person can make. Read the full report.

Focus on Housing -- March 11, 2011 media event includes Talking Points with Economic Outlook, Housing Studies and Legislative Changes information, and articles including: Trends in New Homes with data from a Dec. 2010 Better Home & Gardens reader survey; Remodeling Cost vs. Value as reported by Remodeling magazine; Remodeling Statistics from the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University's report A New Decade of Growth for Remodeling; Top Ways to Add Value to Your Home; Tips to Sell Your Home; Online Resources for Home Owners and Buyers; and Financing information.

A New Decade of Growth for Remodeling: Improving America's Housing -- a 2011 study from the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University (very large file)

The State of Housing -- a 2010 report from the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University (large file)

Wisconsin's Economic Outlook, Winter 2011 -- report from the WI Department of Revenue

Housing Tax Incentives Report -- this study from NAHB's Economics & Housing Policy Group explores the problems with government methods of measuring the size of housing tax expenditures and re-examines the income distribution of the mortgage interest and real estate tax deductions.

The Impact of Residential Construction on the Economy of WI -- 2009 report commissed by the Wisconsin Builders Association (WBA) and conducted by the National Association of Home Builders

The Metro Area Impact of Housing in the Appleton, WI MSA -- this 2007 report is the culmination of a study commissed by VHBA and conducted by the National Association of Home Builders

Comparing Costs to Revenue for Local Governments -- this 2007 report is the second phase of the report above, culminating from the same study commissed by VHBA and conducted by the National Association of Home Builders

Housing & Development Outlook -- this PowerPoint presentation (offered here in PDF format), looking at what got the Fox Valley to where it is today, was presented as part of VHBA's Economic Impact of Housing in the Fox Valley Educational Luncheon on May 9, 2007

Trends for Tomorrow that can Start Today -- this PowerPoint presentation (offered here in PDF format), looking at how quality, attainable supply can meet housing demands in the Fox Valley, was presented as part of VHBA's Economic Impact of Housing in the Fox Valley Educational Luncheon on May 9, 2007

Helpful links to housing and economic data

Eye on Housing -- the National Association of Home Builders' blog on economics and housing policy

Freddie Mac -- economic and housing research weekly commentary

U.S. Census Bureau Construction Price Index

Home Price Index -- this index measures average home appreciation in more than 250 metropolitan markets. Updated quarterly.

Characteristics of New Housing -- hghlights the latest data on new-home characteristics released by the U.S. Census Department. 

Random Lengths -- weekly reports of framing lumber and structural panel composite prices; other information for and about the wood products industry.

Realty Trac -- home foreclosure information by state (link leads directly to WI information)