For many Americans, finding affordable housing continues to be a challenge, whether you’re renting or buying. In today’s real estate market, many overpriced homes sit vacant while populations experiencing homelessness continue to grow. In this study, we took a closer look at data from the U.S. Census and the Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) to compare the number of people experiencing homelessness to the number of vacant housing units in 100 major cities across the country. Continue reading to learn more about which cities have the highest risk of homelessness in America.

KEY FINDINGS

• Over 580,000 Americans are experiencing homelessness. There are currently 28 vacant homes for every one person experiencing homelessness in the U.S.
• While cities like New York City, Los Angeles and Seattle have some of the largest unhoused populations in the country, Detroit has the most vacant homes per unhoused person – 116 empty homes per unhoused person.
• Syracuse, New York has the second-most vacant homes per unhoused person – 110 vacant homes per unhoused person.
• San Jose, California has the highest population of Gen-Z youth experiencing homelessness with nearly 85 unhoused Gen-Zers for every 100,000 residents.
• Pacific Islander and Black Americans are the populations most at risk to experience homelessness.