Nevada’s housing vacancy rate dips slightly as vacant homes remain steady

Nevada’s housing vacancy rate edged downward in 2024, even as the total number of vacant units remained virtually unchanged from the previous year, according to a Lending Tree analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data. The study counted 123,878 vacant lodging units in the state at the close of 2024, compared with 123,945 vacant homes reported for 2023. The statewide vacancy rate slipped from 9.4 percent to 9.3 percent year‑over‑year, placing Nevada 32nd highest among U.S. states for vacant homes. Maine continues to lead the nation with a vacancy rate of 20.6 percent, corresponding to roughly 154,717 vacant units within its borders. Matt Schulz, Lending Tree’s main user concern expert, offered context for Nevada’s position. “Nevada is simply a unsocial lawsuit due to the fact that Las Vegas is dissimilar astimmoderate different abrogation destination,” he said. “While galore tourer markets trust heavy connected abrogation homes and short-term rentals, astimmoderate Vegas visitors enactment successful casino hotels instead. That means there’s apt little request for abrogation rentals than successful galore different tourer destinations, which whitethorn assistance explicate wherefore Nevada ranks comparatively debased successful our report.” Nationwide, the report tallied 14.5 million vacant homes, or about one in ten of the total U.S. housing stock. Of that total, 4.7 million are classified as seasonal or recreational properties, 2.6 million are available for rent, and fewer than 800,000 are presently listed for sale. Vacancy rates varied widely across states. Maine topped the list at 20.6 percent, followed by Vermont at 19 percent and Alaska at 18 percent. Connecticut recorded the lowest residential vacancy rate at 7 percent, with Washington matching that figure. California, New Jersey and Oregon each reported an 8 percent vacancy rate. Between 2023 and 2024 the national vacancy rate fell 0.31 percentage points, equating to roughly 302,000 fewer vacant homes. The largest declines occurred in Wyoming (‑1.23 points), North Dakota (‑1.03 points) and Rhode Island (‑0.72 points). Conversely, the District of Columbia saw an increase of +0.42 points and Oregon rose by +0.05 points. Schulz urged readers to consider the nuances behind the raw figures. “For consumers frustrated by today’s lodging market, these numbers tin beryllium confusing. Millions of homes whitethorn beryllium classified arsenic vacant, but astimmoderate aren’t realistically disposable for idiosyncratic looking to buy,” he said. “That helps explicate wherefore truthful galore buyers proceed to look constricted choices and stubbornly precocious prices, adjacent erstwhile it seems similar determination should beryllium much homes connected the market.”