Of the 40 states and the District of Columbia where we are licensed, the District of Columbia has the largest share of housing units in buildings with 5 to 9 units: about 6.7 of every 100 housing units. Nevada, at about 6.6, and Illinois, at about 6.3, come next. The District of Columbia and Nevada are within their margins of error of each other. Minnesota has the smallest share, at about 2.2. The national figure is about 4.5.
The Census counts housing units, not buildings, and does not say how many of the buildings are rentals or are for sale. For the loan, see five to ten unit loans.
The table: 40 states and the District of Columbia
The Census sorts every housing unit by the number of units in its building. The second column counts housing units in buildings with 5 to 9 units out of every 100 housing units. The fourth counts housing units in buildings with 2 to 4 units out of every 100. The margin of error is the Census Bureau’s, at 90 in 100 confidence, and applies to the column before it.
| State | Per 100 housing units in buildings of 5 to 9 units | Margin of error | Per 100 housing units in buildings of 2 to 4 units | Margin of error | Housing units in buildings of 5 to 9 units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | 6.7 | 0.45 | 10.2 | 0.42 | 24,140 |
| Nevada | 6.6 | 0.18 | 7.2 | 0.20 | 87,432 |
| Illinois | 6.3 | 0.10 | 11.6 | 0.12 | 342,901 |
| Hawaii | 6.1 | 0.29 | 6.4 | 0.25 | 34,406 |
| California | 5.7 | 0.05 | 7.8 | 0.06 | 829,988 |
| Massachusetts | 5.7 | 0.11 | 20.0 | 0.22 | 171,725 |
| Maryland | 5.2 | 0.12 | 3.6 | 0.11 | 132,707 |
| Connecticut | 4.9 | 0.15 | 15.6 | 0.28 | 76,014 |
| Wisconsin | 4.9 | 0.10 | 9.4 | 0.14 | 135,243 |
| Alaska | 4.7 | 0.32 | 12.4 | 0.49 | 15,445 |
| Florida | 4.7 | 0.07 | 5.9 | 0.08 | 480,181 |
| New Jersey | 4.6 | 0.09 | 14.7 | 0.17 | 175,725 |
| New Hampshire | 4.6 | 0.19 | 10.5 | 0.30 | 29,948 |
| Kentucky | 4.6 | 0.13 | 7.1 | 0.18 | 93,378 |
| Indiana | 4.6 | 0.12 | 6.0 | 0.13 | 136,404 |
| Ohio | 4.6 | 0.08 | 7.9 | 0.11 | 241,029 |
| Virginia | 4.4 | 0.10 | 4.5 | 0.09 | 163,814 |
| Oregon | 4.4 | 0.15 | 7.0 | 0.18 | 82,065 |
| Texas | 4.4 | 0.06 | 5.3 | 0.07 | 532,928 |
| Colorado | 4.4 | 0.12 | 4.7 | 0.12 | 113,556 |
| Tennessee | 4.4 | 0.10 | 5.6 | 0.14 | 136,863 |
| Washington | 4.3 | 0.10 | 5.8 | 0.13 | 142,699 |
| Georgia | 4.3 | 0.11 | 5.1 | 0.09 | 194,747 |
| Michigan | 4.1 | 0.08 | 4.8 | 0.09 | 191,723 |
| Alabama | 4.1 | 0.12 | 4.8 | 0.13 | 96,496 |
| North Carolina | 4.0 | 0.08 | 4.6 | 0.09 | 197,301 |
| South Carolina | 4.0 | 0.12 | 4.5 | 0.12 | 98,274 |
| Delaware | 3.9 | 0.30 | 3.8 | 0.24 | 18,316 |
| Mississippi | 3.9 | 0.15 | 5.6 | 0.19 | 52,658 |
| Kansas | 3.7 | 0.15 | 6.1 | 0.19 | 48,184 |
| Oklahoma | 3.7 | 0.10 | 4.8 | 0.11 | 66,100 |
| Iowa | 3.6 | 0.13 | 5.6 | 0.15 | 51,416 |
| Arizona | 3.6 | 0.12 | 4.6 | 0.11 | 113,424 |
| Arkansas | 3.4 | 0.15 | 6.5 | 0.19 | 47,332 |
| Utah | 3.4 | 0.14 | 6.5 | 0.20 | 41,296 |
| Louisiana | 3.3 | 0.14 | 7.9 | 0.18 | 69,710 |
| Pennsylvania | 3.1 | 0.07 | 8.3 | 0.11 | 180,728 |
| Montana | 2.9 | 0.20 | 7.4 | 0.30 | 15,376 |
| Idaho | 2.9 | 0.18 | 6.5 | 0.24 | 22,754 |
| New Mexico | 2.8 | 0.14 | 5.8 | 0.20 | 26,494 |
| Minnesota | 2.2 | 0.06 | 4.2 | 0.09 | 56,133 |
| United States, national figure | 4.5 | 0.03 | 7.7 | 0.03 | 6,483,370 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, table B25024, read from data.census.gov on November 6, 2026. Shares and margins worked out by Fidelity Residential.
How the figures were worked out
- Buildings with 5 to 9 units: the Census row for 5 to 9 units.
- Buildings with 2 to 4 units: the rows for 2 units and for 3 or 4 units, added together.
- Margins of error: from the Census Bureau’s margins and its formulas for sums and proportions, so they are approximations.
- Counts are estimates too, each with its own margin; the largest for a state is about 7,700 housing units, for California. The estimates pool 2020 to 2024.
What the table shows
- Four places are at about 6 or more: the District of Columbia, Nevada, Illinois and Hawaii. Four are below about 3: Montana, Idaho, New Mexico and Minnesota.
- Above and below the nation. Eleven of the 41 are above the national figure of about 4.5 by more than their margins of error and 22 are below it. Eight are within their margins of it: Alaska, New Hampshire, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Virginia, Oregon and Colorado.
- Buildings with 2 to 4 units. Nationally, about 7.7 of every 100 housing units are in such buildings. Massachusetts is highest at about 20.0, then Connecticut at about 15.6 and New Jersey at about 14.7, each apart from the others by more than the margins. Maryland has the smallest figure, about 3.6.
- Counts. California has the most housing units in buildings with 5 to 9 units, 829,988; Montana has the fewest, 15,376.
- New Jersey is 12th of the 41 at about 4.6, with 175,725 housing units in buildings with 5 to 9 units. That is above the national figure by more than the margins, but the place in the order is not firm: Alaska, Florida, New Hampshire, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio and Oregon are each within their margins of it. On the second measure it is third of the 41, at about 14.7, against the national 7.7.
If you want to read about loans on small buildings
The table says nothing about any loan. Our page on five to ten unit loans says a residential building of five to ten units can be financed on the rent it brings in. New Jersey readers can also read five to ten unit loans in New Jersey. For a Census look at rental homes with no one living in them, see rental vacancies by state.
Frequently asked questions
Why does the table show 40 states and the District of Columbia?
Fidelity Residential is licensed in 40 states and the District of Columbia, and the table covers those. The national figure covers the whole country.
Does the Census count buildings?
No. It counts housing units and sorts them by the number of units in their building. It does not say how many of the buildings are rentals or are for sale. Our page on five to ten unit loans is the place to read about that loan.
Does the 5 to 9 column cover every building of five to ten units?
No. The Census groups buildings as 5 to 9 units and 10 to 19 units, so a building of ten units is in the 10 to 19 group, which the table leaves out.
Sources
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, table B25024, Units in Structure, states (opens in a new tab), accessed November 6, 2026.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, table B25024, Units in Structure, United States (opens in a new tab), accessed November 6, 2026.
- U.S. Census Bureau, Understanding and Using American Community Survey Data: What All Data Users Need to Know (margins of error for sums and proportions) (opens in a new tab), accessed November 6, 2026.
Facts from these sources are stated in our own words. Last reviewed .
Follow our articles in Google Search:
(opens in a new tab)