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MBA Study Analysis Urban vs. Suburban Multifamily Markets

Oct 02, 2017
Urban households are more than twice as likely to live in multifamily housing than their suburban counterparts

Urban households are more than twice as likely to live in multifamily housing than their suburban counterparts, according to a new data analysis from the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA).
 
In its new study, the MBA concluded that 37 percent of urban households and 16 percent of suburban households now live in multifamily properties. While one might assume urban markets are dominated by apartment complexes, the MBA determined that 62 percent of urban households are living in buildings with one- to four-housing units.  
 
Furthermore, the MBA noted there was a greater racial and ethnic diversity within urban housing markets, where 33 percent of the population is Hispanic (compared to 17 percent of the nation as a whole), 17 percent is African-American (compared to 12 percent of the nation as a whole), 10 percent is Asian American (compared to five percent of the nation as a whole). Non-Hispanic whites make up 38 percent of the population in urban housing markets.

 
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