Census 2000 Selected Housing Characteristics

2000 Selected Housing Characteristics County Department of Planning and Development Planning Division May 2005 $5.00

CENSUS 2000: SELECTED HOUSING CHARACTERISTICS 2000: Selected Housing Characteristics May 3, 2005 County Department of Planning and Development Planning Division 446 West Crogan Street Lawrenceville, GA 30045 678-518-6000 www.gwinnettcounty.com

CENSUS 2000: SELECTED HOUSING CHARACTERISTICS CONTENTS Introduction... 1 Housing Inventory... 2 Housing Inventory Change... 4 Huge Increase in Single-family Housing... 5 Continued Growth in Multifamily Housing... 5 Occupancy Status... 6 Housing Tenure... 7 Housing Costs... 9 Physical Characteristics... 12 Summary... 12 FIGURES Figure 1. 2000 Single-family Housing Proportions... 3 Figure 2. 2000 Multifamily Housing Proportions... 3 Figure 3. 1990-2000 Net Change in Housing Units... 4 Figure 4. 1990-2000 Percent Change in Housing Units... 5 Figure 5. Owner Occupied Housing Proportions... 8 Figure 6. Owner Occupancy Rates 1970-2000... 8 Figure 7. 2000 Median Housing Value... 11 Figure 8. 2000 Median Contract Rent... 11 TABLES Table 1. 2000 Housing by Type... 29 Table 2. 2000 Occupancy Status and Tenure... 39 Table 3. 2000 Housing Value... 43 Table 4. 2000 Contract Rent... 49 Table 5. Year Built... 57 Table 6. 2000 Number of Bedrooms... 61 Table 7. 2000 Plumbing and Kitchen Facilities... 65 Table 8. 2000 Home Heating Fuel... 69 Table 9. 1990-2000 Housing Characteristic Changes... 73 MAPS Map 1. 2000 Single-family Housing Units as a Percent of Total Housing Units.15 Map 2. 2000 Multifamily Housing Units as a Percent of Total Housing Units. 16 Map 3. 1990-2000 Housing Unit Net Change... 17 Map 4. 1990-2000 Single-family Housing Unit Net Change... 18 Map 5. 1990-2000 Multifamily Housing Unit Net Change... 19 Map 6. 2000 Vacancy Rate... 20 Map 7. 2000 Percent of Owner Occupied Housing Units... 21 Map 8. 2000 Percent of Renter Occupied Housing Units... 22 Map 9. 1990-2000 Change in Owner Occupied Housing Proportion... 23 Map 10. 2000 Median Housing Value... 24 Map 11. 2000 Median Rent... 25 Map 12. 2000 Median Year Built... 26 Map 13. County 1990 s... 27 Map 14. County 2000 s... 28 Map 15. County Municipalities... 29

2000: Selected Housing Characteristics Introduction This report is the fourth in a series of reports that present data from the 2000. The reports concentrate on socio-economic and demographic changes over the past ten years at the census tract level for County and on the county level for the Atlanta Region (Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Fulton,, Henry, and Rockdale counties). The text summarizes and describes data depicted in the maps and tables. The purpose of these reports is to provide access to sub-county level data. Each report will cover various topics including population, housing, household, income and poverty status, and labor force characteristics and will be published as data processing and analyses are complete. The first report 2000: Selected Race and Ethnic Characteristics examines racial and ethnic changes in County s population since 1990. The second report - 2000: Selected Income and Poverty Status Characteristics presents population and household income and poverty level status data while the third report - 2000: Selected Journey to Work Characteristics includes data about place of work, means of transportation to work, travel times to work, and private vehicle occupancy. This report - 2000: Selected Housing Characteristics presents and analyzes data about County s housing inventory. The primary topics of information contained in this report include the mix of housing types, tenure status, housing costs, and housing physical characteristics in each of County's 2000 census tracts. In addition, changes in selected housing data between 1990 and 2000 are included. In this report and others, selected 2000 data are aggregated to the 1990 census tract level. This enables comparisons between 1990 and 2000 data. tracts are small, somewhat permanent statistical subdivisions of a county or equivalent area. The primary purpose of census tracts is to provide a relatively stable set of geographic units for the presentation of decennial census data. When first delineated, census tract boundaries are designed to be fairly homogeneous with respect to population, economic status, and living conditions. The spatial size of the census tracts varies widely depending on the density of area. (Summary File 1, 2000 of Population and Housing, Technical Documentation; U.S. Bureau, June 2001, p. A-11). tracts are split due to population growth or aggregated due to population decline. In County the number of census tracts increased from 45 in 1990 to 71 in 2000. Split tracts can be reformed to construct the original census tract. For example the 1990 census tract 501.01 located in the Buford area was split into the 2000 tracts of 501.03 and 501.04. To make comparisons between 1990 and 2000 for that area, the 2000 data for the two tracts must be aggregated. Table 1 presents the number and proportion of housing units by type in each census tract in County. These data can be used to identify the current number and composition of 's and the Atlanta area's housing inventory. Table 2 contains data about housing occupancy whether occupied or vacant and tenure for occupied housing either renter or owner occupied. Housing values for owner occupied housing and contract rent for renter occupied housing for each of 's census tracts are contained in Table 3 and Table 4 respectively. Table 5 presents year-built data for s residential structures. Tables 6, 7, and 8 present physical characteristic data concerning the number of bedrooms, kitchen and plumbing facilities, and heat source that can be used to roughly gauge the general condition of housing in County. Lastly, Table 9 lists changes from 1990 to 2000 in selected housing characteristics by 1990 census tract. The data located in the table may be used to measure an area's change or stability with respect to its housing inventory and characteristics. 1

CENSUS 2000: SELECTED HOUSING CHARACTERISTICS Housing Inventory Table 1 presents the 2000 inventory of housing by type for County's census tracts and municipalities as well as for the counties in the Atlanta metro and surrounding areas. Figure 1 compares the proportion of single-family housing to total housing in County and the other counties in the Atlanta area while Figure 2 shows the proportion of multifamily housing for the same areas. In 2000 there were 209,682 housing units in County. Of this number, 157,733 or 75 percent were single-family, 46,929 or 22 percent were multifamily and 4,919 or two (2) percent were mobile homes. The total number and accompanying proportion of single-family units in Table 1 and Figure 1 are comprised of single-family detached units and singlefamily attached units. The multifamily category includes units in structures that are composed of two or more housing units. The mobile home category includes only those mobile homes either occupied by permanent residents or intended for occupancy on the site where they were located. For some areas, the housing units classified in Table 1 as single-family, multifamily, or mobile home sum to a figure less than that shown for total units. The difference in the totals are housing units classified as other type. The total housing unit category contains a number of households that reside in nonstandard housing such as tents, cars and boats as well as households that chose this category because they felt that their home did not fit into one of the other more specific categories. The data on units in structure (also referred to as type of structure ) were obtained from answers to long-form questionnaire Item 34, which was asked on a sample basis at both occupied and vacant housing units. A structure is a separate building that either has open spaces on all sides or is separated from other structures by dividing walls that extend from ground to roof. In determining the number of units in a structure, all housing units, both occupied and vacant, are counted. Stores and office space are excluded. The statistics are presented for the number of housing units in structures of specified type and size, not for the number of residential buildings. 1-unit, detached. This is a 1-unit structure detached from any other house; that is, with open space on all four sides. Such structures are considered detached even if they have an adjoining shed or garage. A 1-family house that contains a business is considered detached as long as the building has open space on all four sides. Mobile homes to which one or more permanent rooms have been added or built also are included. 1-unit, attached. This is a 1-unit structure that has one or more walls extending from ground to roof separating it from adjoining structures. In row houses (sometimes called townhouses), double houses, or houses attached to nonresidential structures, each house is a separate, attached structure if the dividing or common wall goes from ground to roof. 2 or more units. These are units in structures containing 2 or more housing units, further categorized as units in structures with 2, 3 or 4, 5 to 9, 10 to 19, 20 to 49, and 50 or more units. Mobile home. Both occupied and vacant mobile homes to which no permanent rooms have been added are counted in this category. Mobile homes used only for business purposes or for extra sleeping space and mobile homes for sale on a dealer s lot, at the factory, or in storage are not counted in the housing inventory. In 1990, the category was mobile home or trailer. Boat, RV, van, etc. This category is for any living quarters occupied as a housing unit that does not fit in the previous categories. Examples that fit in this category are houseboats, railroad cars, campers, and vans. (U.S. Bureau, 2000 of Population and Housing, Summary File 3: Technical Documentation, 2002.) 2

2000: Selected Housing Characteristics Figure 1 Clarke Fulton DeKalb Jackson Clayton United States Atl Reg Cobb Bartow Spalding Hall Butts Barrow Douglas Walton Rockdale Oconee Newton Coweta Henry Cherokee Paulding Forsyth Fayette 2000 Single-family Housing Proportions 49.7 53.5 63.3 63.6 64.8 65.8 67.0 67.1 71.4 71.7 71.9 72.0 73.4 74.0 75.2 76.7 79.2 79.8 82.0 82.0 83.2 84.3 86.0 86.6 87.4 87.7 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 Percent As depicted in Figure 1, Fayette County and Forsyth County had the highest percentage of single-family units over 87 percent of all housing units were single-family while Clarke County had the smallest proportion less than half. Obviously, the presence of the University of in Athens and Clarke County contributed to the county s smaller proportion of single-family units compared to other areas. Within the Atlanta Region, Fulton County had the smallest proportion of single-family units 54 percent. Generally, traditional single-family detached dwelling units comprised the largest proportion of housing in the more affluent suburban and exurban areas of the region including Cherokee, Fayette, Forsyth, and Paulding counties. All of these counties had single-family housing proportions of 86 percent or more which was significantly higher than the and Atlanta Region share at 67 percent. As presented in Figure 2, Fulton County had the highest proportion of multifamily units 46 percent followed by Clarke County with 44 percent. Forsyth County had the smallest percentage of multifamily housing only two (2) percent of the county s inventory consisted of multifamily units. Excluding Clarke County with its unique characteristic as the location of the University of, the largest proportions of multifamily housing were found in the more dense, urban core counties of Fulton, DeKalb and Clayton. The multifamily housing proportions in these counties were equal or greater than the Atlanta Region proportion of 31 percent and were significantly larger than the State figure of 21 percent. Figure 2 Forsyth Paulding Oconee Jackson Cherokee Fayette Henry Walton Bartow Newton Butts Barrow Coweta Hall Douglas Rockdale Spalding United States Cobb Clayton Atl Reg DeKalb Clarke Fulton 2000 Multifamily Housing Proportions 2.2 4.7 5.3 5.4 6.2 8.1 8.5 8.9 9.1 9.2 9.4 9.5 10.1 12.4 15.4 15.9 17.6 20.8 22.4 26.4 26.4 30.8 30.8 36.3 43.6 46.0 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 Percent In addition to single-family and multifamily housing types, the Bureau also counts mobile homes. The Atlanta area s more rural, exurban counties had the largest mobile home proportions. For instance, Jackson County located northeast of Atlanta had the area s largest proportion of mobile homes almost one-third of the county s housing units were mobile homes. With more restrictive zoning and land use regulations, higher property values and accompanying taxes, less available rural large-lot land parcels, and the redevelopment of many existing mobile home parks for other uses, mobile homes comprised less than five (5) percent of the housing stock in the more 3

CENSUS 2000: SELECTED HOUSING CHARACTERISTICS urban, centrally located counties. Overall, only two (2) percent of the Atlanta Region s housing inventory consisted of mobile homes compared to s 12 percent share. Map 1 presents the distribution of single-family housing units by census tract in County. Single-family housing units dominated the housing stock in central and eastern. The vast majority of the county including the Chattahoochee River, Berkeley Lake, Suwanee, Collins Hill, Hamilton Mill, Braselton, Auburn, Dacula, Harbins, Grayson, Loganville, Snellville, Centerville, and Mountain Park areas had single-family housing proportions of 75 percent or greater. In fact, the housing inventory in many areas of the county was almost exclusively single-family. For example, single-family housing proportions of 99 percent or greater were found in census tracts 503.07 and 503.08 in Peachtree Corners adjacent to the Chattahoochee River, 504.26, 504.28, and 504.29 in Mountain Park, 507.12, 507.13, 507.18, and 507.20 in Snellville, 507.17 in Centerville, and 505.14 near Dacula. Conversely, Map 2 shows the distribution of multifamily units in County by census tract. 's multifamily developments were overwhelmingly concentrated in the southwestern portion of the county particularly in Peachtree Corners adjacent to DeKalb and Fulton Counties, Place Mall vicinity, and within the I-85 corridor in the Norcross, Lilburn and Duluth areas. Multifamily dwelling units comprised at least 25 percent of the housing stock in 20 census tracts primarily located in these areas. One area in particular with a large concentration of multifamily units was located in Peachtree Corners adjacent to DeKalb and Fulton counties. The three adjoining census tracts 503.04, 503.15, and 503.16 had multifamily housing proportions of 61 percent, 69 percent, and 92 percent respectively. Another area where multifamily units accounted for the majority of the housing was located adjacent to DeKalb County east of I-85. The three census tracts that comprised this area - 504.17, 504.18, and 504.20 had multifamily proportions of 65, 75, and 66 percent respectively. Lastly, several census tracts straddling I-85 in the Duluth area had multifamily housing proportions greater than 50 percent. Clearly, County s multifamily housing is concentrated in the areas of the county where adequate public facilities and services including sewer and transportation are available to accommodate the more intense development. Housing Inventory Change Table 9 contains the changes in housing units between 1990 and 2000 for counties in the Atlanta area and by 1990 census tract for County. Maps 3 through 5 depict the changes by 1990 tract in County. Figure 3 shows the net change in housing units from 1990 to 2000 by county in the Atlanta area. As contained in the chart, County experienced the largest net increase in its housing stock followed by Fulton, Cobb, and DeKalb counties. Between 1990 and 2000, added over 72,000 new housing units averaging 7,200 new units per year. The area s smaller and more suburban, exurban, and rural counties had the smallest net increases ranging from 1,800 in Butts County to over 21,000 in Henry County. Figure 3 Fulton Cobb DeKalb Henry Cheroke Forsyth Clayton Paulding Coweta Hall Fayette Douglas Walton Newton Bartow Clarke Barrow Rockdale Jackson Oconee Spalding Butts 1990-2000 Net Change in Housing Units 2,967 2,299 1,844 6,155 5,492 5,119 4,451 8,330 7,986 7,539 6,994 14,037 12,769 12,731 10,298 14,535 21,891 18,097 18,636 29,711 47,650 51,129 72,074 0 10,000 20,000 30,000 40,000 50,000 60,000 70,000 80,000 4

2000: Selected Housing Characteristics Figure 4 compares the percent change in housing units from 1990 to 2000 by county in the Atlanta area. Generally, counties that had smaller housing inventories experienced the largest percentage gains during the 1990s since the rate of growth is generally larger when the absolute numbers are lower. With growth rates over 100 percent, Henry and Forsyth counties doubled their existing housing inventories during the last decade. County was an exception it had the largest net change as well as one of the largest percentage increases in the area. Figure 4 Forsyth Henry Paulding Coweta Walton Cherokee Newton Barrow Fayette Oconee Jackson Butts Bartow Hall Douglas Atl Region Rockdale Cobb Clayton Fulton Clarke United States DeKalb Spalding 1990-2000 Percent Change in Housing Units 62.6 55.0 53.5 52.4 48.7 46.5 45.9 45.2 37.8 33.3 33.2 32.1 31.4 26.5 25.6 25.1 24.4 20.2 17.2 17.1 13.3 12.8 11.1 92.1 104.3 102.9 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 Percent Map 3 shows the net change in the number of housing units in County from 1990 to 2000 by 1990 census tract. As stated earlier, County s housing stock increased by over 72,000 units or 52 percent between 1990 and 2000. tracts located in the central and eastern areas of the county experienced the most growth. For instance four census tracts 505.02 and 505.03 north and east of Lawrenceville and 502.03 and 505.06 near Duluth all had increases greater than 6,000 units. Smaller amounts of residential growth occurred in the more developed areas of the county including Norcross, Peachtree Corners, Lilburn, Mountain Park, Centerville, and Snellville. However, this smaller amount of growth was relative since many of the tracts in southwest had increases of over 500 housing units. There were four census tracts located in southwest that actually lost housing units. The losses in these tracts ranged from 29 to 271 units. These losses may have occurred because of the demolition of existing housing for the expansion or new construction of nonresidential land uses, the expansion or construction of public facilities, or the conversion of single-family homes to businesses. Huge Increase in Single-family Housing Map 4 shows the net change in single-family housing units in County by 1990 census tract. Overall, the number of single-family units in increased by over 61,000 or 65 percent and by 2000, totaled 157,733 units. The largest net increases in single-family units occurred in census tracts located in the north-central and northeastern sections of the county including the Collins Hill, Suwanee, Auburn, Braselton, and Hamilton Mill areas. tracts in these areas gained over 4,000 additional single-family housing units during the past decade. Compared to other areas of a relatively smaller amount of single-family residential growth occurred in the more developed southwest section of the county. The census tracts stretching from Peachtree Corners through Lilburn and Mountain Park to Centerville gained fewer than 2,000 new units between 1990 and 2000. Generally the relative lack of developable land in these areas restricted the amount of new housing construction during the 1990s. Continued Multifamily Housing Growth Map 5 shows the 1990-2000 change in multifamily housing units in County by 1990 census 5

CENSUS 2000: SELECTED HOUSING CHARACTERISTICS tract. Since 1990, the number of multifamily units in County has increased by over 10,000 or 28 percent and by 2000, there were over 46,000 multifamily units in the county. Despite the large increase, multifamily units accounted for just 14 percent s housing growth during the last decade. During the 1990s, apartment and condominium construction was concentrated in central, primarily in the Duluth area. Specifically, census tracts 502.03 and 505.06 located east and west of I- 85 gained 3,245 and 3,404 multifamily units respectively. In fact, these two tracts accounted for 65 percent of the county s multifamily housing increase. According to the 2000, several census tracts located throughout lost a significant number of multifamily housing units between 1990 and 2000. For instance, census tract 503.04 in Peachtree Corners lost 279 units, 503.11, 503.12 and 504.07 in Norcross lost 248, 315 and 185 units respectively, and 504.10 in Lilburn lost 196 units. These losses may have been caused by the demolition of multifamily housing for the new construction or expansion of nonresidential uses including public facilities. However, these losses may be the result of coding discrepancies from the 1990. For instance, many of the housing units counted in 1990 may have been assigned to the wrong number of units in structure category or assigned to the wrong census tract. These errors may have been corrected in the 2000 with the stated results. While the number of multifamily housing units in County has increased considerably since 1990, 's housing stock is still primarily composed of single-family housing units. Despite adding over 10,200 new multifamily units since 1990, the county s proportion of multifamily units actually dropped from 27 percent to 22 percent with a corresponding increase in the single-family proportion from 70 percent to 75 percent. Occupancy Status Table 2 contains 2000 data about housing occupancy - whether a housing unit is occupied or vacant. In addition, the 2000 residential vacancy rates for County by census tract are shown on Map 6. The data on vacancy status were obtained from Enumerator Questionnaire Item C. Vacancy status and other characteristics of vacant units were determined by census enumerators obtaining information from landlords, owners, neighbors, rental agents, and others. Vacant units are subdivided according to their housing market classification. (U.S. Bureau, 2000 of Population and Housing, Summary File 3: Technical Documentation, 2002.) The residential vacancy rate in County in 2000 was 3.5 percent - the lowest vacancy rate in the Atlanta Metro area. Vacancy rates for the surrounding counties ranged from a high of 12.5 percent in Butts County to the next lowest - 3.7 percent in Henry County. County s residential vacancy rate in 2000 was less than half the 7.7 percent recorded in 1990 - a period of relatively slow economic growth in the Atlanta area and the county. In particular, vacancy rates for County s multifamily inventory reached 18 percent in 1990. s residential vacancy rates were generally affected by the location and type of housing unit. For instance, residential vacancy rates were smaller in the more established, developed portions of the county and/or in areas that had few multifamily developments. Residential vacancy rates ranged from one (1) to three (3) percent in the Berkeley Lake, Mountain Park, Snellville, Grayson, Collins Hill, Loganville, and Lawrenceville areas places at the time of the 2000 census were more developed or contained a smaller number of multifamily units. The vacancy rates ranged from three (3) percent to a high of 9.3 percent in the developing portions of the county including the Suwanee, Sugar Hill, Hamilton Mill, Auburn, Dacula, Hog Mountain, and Harbins areas as well as in the sections of the county that had a large number of multifamily housing units 6

2000: Selected Housing Characteristics including the Peachtree Corners, Lilburn, Duluth and I-85 corridor areas. The distribution of areas of higher vacancy rates in County may be attributed to two major factors: the higher than average rates in the northeastern and eastern portions of the county may be the result of new single-family housing stock built during the late 1990s that was not yet occupied when the 2000 was taken while the higher rates in the southwestern portion of the county may be the result of the large in the number of apartments and other rental units in the area. Housing Tenure Table 2 also contains 2000 tenure data for occupied housing whether the unit is renter or owner occupied. Maps 7 and 8 depict 2000 tenure data by census tract while the change from 1990 to 2000 in owner occupancy rates is shown on Map 9. Owner occupancy is defined as the percentage of all housing units that are occupied by the unit owner. Owner occupancy rates have been used to measure neighborhood stability as well as housing stock quality. It is important to note that a significant amount of the single-family housing stock is renter occupied, but the vast majority of owners live in single-family units. The data on tenure, which was asked at all occupied housing units, were obtained from answers to long-form questionnaire Item 33 and short-form questionnaire Item 2. All occupied housing units are classified as either owner occupied or renter occupied. A housing unit is owner occupied if the owner or co-owner lives in the unit even if it is mortgaged or not fully paid for. The owner or co-owner must live in the unit and usually is Person 1 on the questionnaire. The unit is Owned by you or someone in this household with a mortgage or loan if it is being purchased with a mortgage or some other debt arrangement, such as a deed of trust, trust deed, contract to purchase, land contract, or purchase agreement. The unit is also considered owned with a mortgage if it is built on leased land and there is a mortgage on the unit. Mobile homes occupied by owners with installment loans balances are also included in this category. A housing unit is Owned by you or someone in this household free and clear (without a mortgage or loan) if there is no mortgage or other similar debt on the house, apartment, or mobile home including units built on leased land if the unit is owned outright without a mortgage. The tenure item on the 2000 questionnaire distinguishes between units owned with a mortgage or loan and those owned free and clear. In the sample data products, as in the 100-percent products, the tenure item provides data for total owner-occupied units. Detailed information that identifies mortgaged and non-mortgaged units are provided in other sample housing matrices. All occupied housing units that are not owner occupied, whether they are rented for cash rent or occupied without payment of cash rent, are classified as renter occupied. No cash rent units are separately identified in the rent tabulations. Such units are generally provided free by friends or relatives or in exchange for services, such as resident manager, caretaker, minister, or tenant farmer. Housing units on military bases also are classified in the No cash rent category. Rented for cash rent includes units in continuing care, sometimes called life care arrangements. These arrangements usually involve a contract between one or more individuals and a service provider guaranteeing the individual shelter, usually a house or apartment, and services, such as meals or transportation to shopping or recreation. (U.S. Bureau, 2000 of Population and Housing, Summary File 3: Technical Documentation, 2002.) 7

CENSUS 2000: SELECTED HOUSING CHARACTERISTICS Figure 5 Forsyth Paulding Fayette Henry Cherokee Oconee Coweta Newton Butts Walton Barrow Bartow Jackson Douglas Rockdale Hall Cobb United States Atl Region Spalding Clayton DeKalb Fulton Clarke 2000 Owner Occupied Housing Proportions 42.1 52 88.1 86.8 86.6 85.3 83.9 80.2 78 77.7 76.6 76.5 75.5 75.2 74.9 74.8 74.5 72.4 71.1 68.2 67.5 66.2 64.3 62.8 60.6 58.5 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 Percent First, more multifamily housing units and fewer single-family structures comprised the overall housing stock than ever before. In addition, economic forces precluded more persons from pursuing housing unit ownership including increasing land, construction, and financing costs. Lastly, there was a large young adult population during this decade that may have postponed home ownership in preference to a rental lifestyle. However, County s owner occupancy rate increased between 1990 and 2000 from 68.8 percent to 72.4 percent. Many factors may have contributed to the rise in home ownership over the last decade. While the number of apartment units increased in the county, these numbers were dwarfed by the sheer growth in single-family homes creating a much larger pool of potential ownership opportunities. Figure 6 Figure 5 shows the 2000 owner occupancy rates for County and the other counties in the Atlanta area. With an owner occupancy rate of 72.4 percent, had the largest rate compared to the other major counties in the Atlanta metro area as well as a rate greater than the 10-county Atlanta Region,, and the United States. However, County's rates were less than the more suburban and exurban counties in the area. Generally, these more suburban, exurban, and rural counties contain few multifamily developments which are usually renter occupied. The housing stock in these counties is overwhelmingly single-family which are primarily occupied by the unit owners. Overall, owner occupancy rates ranged from a high of 88 percent in Forsyth County to a low of 52 percent in Fulton County reflecting the general mix of the housing stock in both counties. 75.4 Owner Occupancy Rates 1970-2000 78.1 68.8 72.4 65.2 68.9 60.4 64.3 1970 1980 1990 2000 1970 1980 1990 2000 Region 100 80 60 40 20 0 Figure 6 presents the change in owner occupancy rates in County and the 10-county Atlanta Region since 1970. After increasing from 1970 to 1980, the owner occupancy rates in County and the Atlanta Region declined during the 1980s. There were several reasons for this decline in owner occupancy, both locally and across the Region. Home ownership also became relatively more affordable during the 1990s because of the surging economy (with the accompanying jobs and incomes) for much of the decade coupled with historically low interest rates that permitted home ownership costs to be on par with rental costs. In addition, housing costs were relatively more affordable as development 8

2000: Selected Housing Characteristics reached eastern where land costs were generally less and the introduction of more dense smaller-lot single-family and townhome subdivisions. Changes in s population may have contributed as well including the huge influx of persons from throughout the world looking for home ownership opportunities and an aging population moving into the prime home buying years 35 to 64. All of these conditions may have helped increase County s and the Atlanta Region s home ownership rates during the1990s. Map 7 shows the distribution and magnitude of owner occupancy rates in 2000 across County. Housing in the Berkeley Lake, Suwanee, Sugar Hill, Collins Hill, Braselton, Hamilton Mill, Hog Mountain, Auburn, Dacula, Lawrenceville, Grayson, Snellville, Centerville, and Mountain Park areas was almost exclusively owner occupied. All of these areas had owner occupied housing proportions greater than 75 percent. Conversely, Map 8 shows the proportion of County s housing units that were occupied by renters in 2000. The preponderance of renter occupied housing in southwest, particularly in Peachtree Corners, the I-85 corridor of Norcross, Duluth and Lilburn, and the Place Mall area of the county is clear. Obviously, the places with the largest renter occupancy rates contain the majority of 's multifamily developments. Map 9 shows the change in owner occupancy rates in County from 1990 to 2000 by 1990 census tract. Overall, the owner occupancy rate in the county increased from 68.8 percent to 72.4 percent. Home occupancy rates increased throughout the county including the Peachtree Corners, Buford, Hamilton Mill, Auburn, Braselton, Dacula, Harbins, Grayson, Snellville, Mountain Park, and Loganville areas. Most of the census tracts in these areas experienced owner occupancy increases ranging from 1 to 10 percentage points. The largest increases occurred in the Norcross and Berkeley Lake area. The two census tracts that comprised this area had owner occupancy proportion changes greater than 10 percentage points. For instance, the owner occupancy rate in census tract 503.11 (historic Norcross) increased from 53.8 percent to 81.1 percent a 27.3 point jump. Several areas in that experienced a decrease in owner occupancy rates are evident as well. Owner occupancy rates dropped in the Norcross, Lilburn, Duluth, Suwanee, Collins Hill, and Centerville areas. In general, the decrease in owner occupancy in the Duluth, Suwanee, and Collins Hill areas may be the result of the large increase of multifamily housing units during the last decade thus more rental stock was available. The decrease in the owner occupancy rates in the Doraville, Pleasantdale, Beaver Ruin, and Centerville areas may be the result of the combined effects of the construction of a limited amount of new multifamily units and the conversion of formerly owner occupied single-family units to rental stock. As new single-family housing stock was constructed in the eastern areas of as well as surrounding counties, many owners in the southwestern portion of the county migrated to these new neighborhoods. This shift enabled some of the single-family stock in the more urban areas of to be used as rental units. Housing Costs 2000 housing values and rents for County and other counties in the Atlanta area are presented in Tables 4 and 5. Figure 7 compares the 2000 median housing values for County and the other counties in the Atlanta area. The data on value (also referred to as price asked for vacant units) were obtained from answers to long-form questionnaire Item 51, which was asked on a sample basis at owneroccupied housing units and units that were being bought, or vacant for sale at the time of enumeration. Value is the respondent s estimate of how much the property (house and lot, mobile 9

CENSUS 2000: SELECTED HOUSING CHARACTERISTICS home and lot, or condominium unit) would sell for if it were for sale. If the house or mobile home was owned or being bought, but the land on which it sits was not, the respondent was asked to estimate the combined value of the house or mobile home and the land. For vacant units, value was the price asked for the property. Value was tabulated separately for all owner-occupied and vacant-forsale housing units, owner-occupied and vacant-forsale mobile homes, and specified owner-occupied and specified vacant-for-sale housing units. Specified owner-occupied and specified vacant-forsale housing units include only 1-family houses on less than 10 acres without a business or medical office on the property. The data for specified units exclude mobile homes, houses with a business or medical office, houses on 10 or more acres, and housing units in multiunit buildings. The median divides the value distribution into two equal parts: one-half of the cases falling below the median value of the property (house and lot, mobile home and lot, or condominium unit) and one-half above the median. The data on contract rent (also referred to as rent asked for vacant units) were obtained from answers to long-form questionnaire Item 46, which was asked on a sample basis at occupied housing units that were rented for cash rent and vacant housing units that were for rent at the time of enumeration. Housing units that are renter occupied without payment of cash rent are shown separately as No cash rent in census data products. The unit may be owned by friends or relatives who live elsewhere and who allow occupancy without charge. Rent-free houses or apartments may be provided to compensate caretakers, ministers, tenant farmers, sharecroppers, or others. or for living quarters occupied by another household, only that part of the rent estimated to be for the respondent s unit was included. Excluded was any rent paid for additional units or for business premises. If a renter pays rent to the owner of a condominium or cooperative, and the condominium fee or cooperative carrying charge also is paid by the renter to the owner, the condominium fee or carrying charge was included as rent. If a renter receives payments from lodgers or roomers who are listed as members of the household, the rent without deduction for any payments received from the lodgers or roomers was to be reported. The respondent was to report the rent agreed to or contracted for even if paid by someone else such as friends or relatives living elsewhere, a church or welfare agency, or the government through subsidies or vouchers. In some tabulations, contract rent is presented for all renter-occupied housing units, as well as specified renter-occupied and vacant-for-rent units. In some tabulations, contract rent is presented for specified renter-occupied and vacant-for-rent units. Specified renter-occupied and specified vacant-forrent units exclude 1-family houses on 10 acres or more. The median divides the rent distribution into two equal parts: one-half of the cases falling below the median contract rent and one-half above the median. (U.S. Bureau, 2000 of Population and Housing, Summary File 3: Technical Documentation, 2002.) Contract rent is the monthly rent agreed to or contracted for, regardless of any furnishings, utilities, fees, meals, or services that may be included. For vacant units, it is the monthly rent asked for the rental unit at the time of enumeration. If the contract rent includes rent for a business unit 10

2000: Selected Housing Characteristics Figure 7 Figure 8 Forsyth Fulton Fayette Oconee Cobb Cherokee DeKalb Henry Coweta Hall United Rockdale Walton Clarke Paulding Barrow Jackson Douglas Newton Bartow Clayton Butts Spalding 2000 Median Housing Value $184,600 $180,700 $171,500 $151,600 $147,600 $142,100 $139,900 $135,100 $122,400 $121,700 $120,200 $119,600 $118,000 $113,300 $111,300 $111,200 $106,100 $103,400 $102,900 $102,700 $101,300 $99,600 $92,700 $86,700 $86,600 $0 $50,000 $100,000 $150,000 $200,000 Median Value Fayette Cobb DeKalb Rockdale Henry Cherokee Douglas Fulton Clayton Forsyth Hall Paulding United Oconee Coweta Bartow Newton Clarke Barrow Walton Spalding Jackson Butts 2000 Median Contract Rent $756 $719 $698 $671 $651 $636 $622 $620 $612 $599 $558 $520 $519 $519 $505 $485 $477 $460 $455 $451 $451 $424 $399 $398 $360 $0 $200 $400 $600 $800 Median Rent With a median value of $184,600, Forsyth County had the largest median house value in the area while Spalding County and Butts County contained homes with the smallest median values - $86,600 and $86,700 respectively. County had a median home value of $142,100 which was one of the largest median values in the area and significantly higher than the median value of homes in and the United States. Figure 8 compares the 2000 median rent for County and other counties in the Atlanta area. Homes in Fayette County had the largest median rents - $756 while the smallest rents were found in Butts County - $360. Overall, the highest median rents were found in the area s more urban and suburban, affluent counties with more expensive single-family homes and apartment developments. Smaller rents occurred in the more rural and exurban counties located farther from the urban center that had few if any apartments, less expensive singlefamily housing and more mobile homes in the mix. All of these factors may have influenced the cost of home rental in these counties. Map 10 presents 2000 median housing values for County by census tract while 2000 median rents for County by census tract are shown on Map 11. As depicted, census tracts where the median housing value was $125,000 or less stretched from the Doraville, Norcross, and Lilburn areas in the southwestern portion of the county eastward along I-85 and Highway 316 into Lawrenceville. Other pockets of similarly valued housing were located in Buford and west of Snellville along U.S. Highway 78. The majority of 's census tracts had median housing values between $125,000 and $175,000. These census tracts were distributed throughout the county ranging from Norcross, Duluth, Mountain Park, and Snellville east to Hamilton Mill, Auburn, Dacula, Harbins, and Grayson. Housing units that fell into the next median value category, $175,000 to $225,000 were located primarily in three census tracts - 504.28 in Mountain Park, 502.04 in Duluth, and 502.02 in Suwanee. Lastly, 's most highly valued housing units were in the census tracts located in the Peachtree Corners, Chattahoochee River and Berkeley Lake area bordering Fulton and DeKalb counties. The 11

CENSUS 2000: SELECTED HOUSING CHARACTERISTICS median value of homes in this area was over $225,000. The median rents in County followed a somewhat different spatial pattern than median housing values. The lowest median rents in the county - ranging from $452 to $650 per month were found in Buford, East Lawrenceville, Braselton, Dacula, and Harbins. The lower median rents in these areas may be attributed to smaller single-family housing units that command less rent, more mobile homes for in the rental stock mix, and the presence of smaller, older apartment complexes in the cities of Lawrenceville and Buford. Generally, the highest median rents were located in the Peachtree Corners, Duluth, Suwanee, Collins Hill, Mountain Park, and Centerville areas of the county. Median rents in these census tracts ranged from $750 to $939. The higher median rents in these areas may be attributed to the newer, more expensive apartment communities located in several of these census tracts. In addition, the rental stock in many of the census tracts located in these areas is almost exclusively single-family dwelling units that usually command higher rents. Physical Characteristics This section presents data from the 2000 that describe the physical characteristics of s housing inventory. These physical characteristics include year built, number of bedrooms, plumbing and kitchen facilities and home heat source. These data can be used to roughly gauge the general condition of housing in County. Table 5 presents year built data for s residential structures. Tables 6, 7, and 8 present data concerning the number of bedrooms, kitchen and plumbing facilities, and heat source for County s housing stock. The data on year structure built were obtained from answers to long-form questionnaire Item 35, which was asked on a sample basis at both occupied and vacant housing units. Year structure built refers to when the building was first constructed, not when it was remodeled, added to, or converted. For housing units under construction that met the housing unit definition that is, all exterior windows, doors, and final usable floors were in place the category 1999 or 2000 was used for tabulations. For mobile homes, houseboats, RVs, etc., the manufacturer s model year was assumed to be the year built. The data relate to the number of units built during the specified periods that were still in existence at the time of enumeration. Median year structure built divides the distribution into two equal parts: one-half of the cases falling below the median year structure built and one-half above the median. Median year structure built is computed on the basis of a standard distribution Median year structure built is rounded to the nearest whole number. Median age of housing can be obtained by subtracting median year structure built from 2000. For example, if the median year structure built is 1967, the median age of housing in that area is 33 years (2000 minus 1967). Data on year structure built are more susceptible to errors of response and non-reporting than data on many other items because respondents must rely on their memory or on estimates by people who have lived in the neighborhood a long time. The data on bedrooms were obtained from answers to long-form questionnaire Item 38, which was asked at both occupied and vacant housing units. This item was asked on a sample basis. The number of bedrooms is the count of rooms designed to be used as bedrooms; that is, the number of rooms that would be listed as bedrooms if the house, apartment, or mobile home were on the market for sale or for rent. Included are all rooms intended to be used as bedrooms even if they currently are being used for some other purpose. A housing unit consisting of only one room, such as a one-room efficiency apartment, is classified, by definition, as having no bedroom. Data on kitchen facilities were obtained from answers to long-form questionnaire Item 40, which was asked at both occupied and vacant housing units. This item was asked on a sample basis. A 12

2000: Selected Housing Characteristics unit has complete kitchen facilities when it has all of the following: (1) a sink with piped water; (2) a range, or cook top and oven; and (3) a refrigerator. All kitchen facilities must be located in the house, apartment, or mobile home, but they need not be in the same room. A housing unit having only a microwave or portable heating equipment, such as a hot plate or camping stove, should not be considered as having complete kitchen facilities. An ice box is not considered to be a refrigerator. The data on plumbing facilities were obtained from answers to long-form questionnaire Item 39, which was asked on a sample basis at both occupied and vacant housing units. Complete plumbing facilities include: (1) hot and cold piped water, (2) a flush toilet, and (3) a bathtub or shower. All three facilities must be located inside the house, apartment, or mobile home, but not necessarily in the same room. Housing units are classified as lacking complete plumbing facilities when any of the three facilities is not present. The data on house heating fuel were obtained from answers to long-form questionnaire Item 42, which was asked on a sample basis at occupied housing units. The data show the type of fuel used most often to heat the house, apartment, or mobile home. Utility gas. This category includes gas piped through underground pipes from a central system to serve the neighborhood. Bottled, tank, or LP gas. This category includes liquid propane gas stored in bottles or tanks which are refilled or exchanged when empty. Electricity. Electricity is generally supplied by means of above or underground electric power lines. Fuel oil, kerosene, etc. This category includes fuel oil, kerosene, gasoline, alcohol, and other combustible liquids. Coal or coke. This category includes coal or coke that is usually delivered by truck. Wood. This category includes purchased wood, wood cut by household members on their property or elsewhere, driftwood, sawmill or construction scraps, or the like. Solar energy. This category includes heat provided by sunlight that is collected, stored, and actively distributed to most of the rooms. Other fuel. This category includes all other fuels not specified elsewhere. No fuel used. This category includes units that do not use any fuel or that do not have heating equipment. (U.S. Bureau, 2000 of Population and Housing, Summary File 3: Technical Documentation, 2002.) Map 12 presents 2000 median year built data for County by census tract. County has experienced waves of development that have with some exceptions, progressed from the southwest through central to the eastern edges of the county. Thus excluding the central cities of Buford, Norcross, and Lawrenceville, the median age of housing in generally decreases as one moves eastward across the county. The oldest housing in County was primarily found in the southwestern area of the county. The median year built ranged from 1970 to 1980 in many of the census tracts located in Peachtree Corners, Norcross, Lilburn, and Mountain Park. The median year built was also generally lower in the traditional town centers of Norcross, Lawrenceville and Buford. During the 1980s, development began to move into the central area of the county including portions of Duluth, Lawrenceville, and Snellville. Thus the census tracts in these areas had year built medians ranging from 1980 to 1990. In fact, the median year built for all housing in was 1988. 13

CENSUS 2000: SELECTED HOUSING CHARACTERISTICS The latest year built median ranges were found in census tracts located primarily in the eastern section of the county. For example, many of the census tracts located in the Suwanee, Sugar Hill, Collins Hill, Hamilton Mill, Braselton, Auburn, Dacula, Harbins, Grayson, and Loganville areas had a median year built of 1990 or later. As development has swept eastward across the county, these areas have been the last ones to experience building activity. However, there were several census tracts in the Duluth area that also had year built medians later than 1990. This may be attributed to the large number of new apartment and townhome developments built there during the 1990s. Summary The number and characteristics of 's housing inventory underwent a dramatic transformation during the 1990s. One of the most visible signs was the huge increase in the number of housing units in, particularly single-family housing. Attracted by employment opportunities and quality education services and facilities, 's population explosion during the 1990s spurred the construction of a large number of housing units. 's housing stock increased by over 72,000 new units with the number of single-family units increasing by half and multifamily units by almost a third. Despite the large increase in multifamily housing units, is still a county primarily comprised of single-family housing units - detached in particular. In 2000, over 75 percent of 's housing units were single-family. Housing trends in County during the 2000s may include continued single-family detached housing unit development especially in the eastern portions of the county and additional multifamily development particularly in the I-85, I-985, and Highway 316 corridors of central and eastern. These new housing units may be smaller and more expensive as 's population ages and its households become smaller and wealthier. As a result of higher land costs, additional housing trends during the 2000s may include the development of more dense, attached forms of owner occupied housing and more infill housing in previously passed over areas in the southwestern and central sections of. County. Despite the tremendous increase in the number of housing units, 's average vacancy rate actually decreased during the 1990s. County s overall vacancy rate decreased from 7.7 percent to 3.5 percent an indication of the strong, continued demand for housing in the county. The increase in 's owner occupancy rate can be attributed to the large increase in the county's single-family housing stock. 's rate increased four percentage points during the 1990s from 68 percent to 72 percent. The strong economy of the 1990s and historically low interest rates made home ownership more affordable for many persons in County. 14