Data Brief: Vacant Housing Units in Detroit

October 30, 2026

Detroit has made significant progress in reducing housing vacancy since the height of the foreclosure crisis, yet vacancy remains a defining challenge in many neighborhoods. As new data becomes available, it is important to update our understanding of how vacancy has changed and which vacant units are on a path back to productive use.

“Data Brief: Vacant Housing Units in Detroit” is a new publication from Detroit Future City’s Center for Equity, Engagement, and Research. This data brief examines data from the American Community Survey to show how vacancy in the city has changed over the past decade and what the addition of the table “other vacancy status” can tell us about vacant units in the city.

• In Detroit the number of vacant housing units has decreased over the past decade, falling from 114,468 in 2014 to 69,724 in 2025.
• The Homeownership and Rental vacancy rates in the city have also declined and are now inline with national standards.
• The introduction of the American Community Survey table “Other Vacancy Status” added more detail on vacant housing units. We now know that there are a more than 11,800 making their way back to the housing market by “currently being repaired/renovated” or “preparing to rent/sell”. Another positive sign for Detroit’s housing market.