United States of America

North Carolina

Apex

Cary

Wake County

Fuquay-Varina

Holly Springs

Raleigh

© 2024 Apex Housing Data Dashboard. All rights reserved.

Built in partnership with [HR&A Advisors, Digital Products](https://www.housingweaver.com/).

Use of this Website constitutes your acceptance of and agreement to the Terms and Conditions.

## **User Guide, Glossary, and Sources** 

The following section provides an overview of the user guide, glossary of terms, and data sources used for the Apex Housing Dashboard. 


User Help

Dashboard

About

#### How to Use This Data Dashboard

On the **Dashboard Page**, users can quickly access key data snapshots for Apex. This includes details on the housing market, rental housing needs, and owner housing needs, in addition to mapped data for all three topics. From there, selecting the link to **Generate a Full Report** will automatically generate a more detailed and comprehensive housing and demographic analysis and report for the location selected.

**Step 1: View Trends based on Apex's Housing Goals**

Indicators are bucketed into categories on the data dashboard. There are three categories: market fundamentals, rental affordability, and homeownership. Click the buttons to view different indicators for each category. 

**Step 2: Download Individual Datasets**

Click the **'download' button** to download individual chart data to a CSV, which you can then use for your own reports. To learn more about the data sources for these charts, please visit the [Data Sources Tab](apexhousingdata.orghelp?tab=Data-Sources).  

**Step 3: Generate a Housing Needs Assessment**

Export a housing needs assessment for Apex. This will generate a full grouping of charts, included descriptive text explaining each chart. You will be brought to a new tab with a new link. In the new tab, you can click the **‘download’ button** to download the report as a CSV (Excel) or PDF. 

**Step 4: Compare to Other Geographies**

Back on the main data portal tab, click **Comparison View**. This view allows the user to add additional geographies, including Cary and Raleigh at the local level, Raleigh-Cary CBSA and Wake County at the regional level, and North Carolina and United States at the state and national level. To add additional geographies click the **+ Add Another Geography Button**. 

Guide

#### Data Sources

- **[5-Year American Community Survey (ACS):](https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/about.html)** The ACS is conducted by the United States Census Bureau and provides a wide range of demographic and socioeconomic data at the local level. The 5-year estimates provide a more detailed and reliable picture of the population than the annual estimates, making it a useful tool for businesses and researchers seeking to understand population characteristics. ACS demographic characteristics encompass all Census variables. While most demographic data is available through the ACS, some variables produced by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) may be accessed through the Current Population Survey, which provides national data that may set economic baselines. HR&A accesses ACS variables from Social Explorer and Current Population Survey variables from iPUMS USA or data.gov. Data are currently available through 2022.

- **[Building Permit Survey:](https://www.census.gov/construction/bps/index.html)** The Building Permit Survey is conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau to collect data on new residential construction, additions, alterations, and demolitions. This data is used to analyze trends in construction activity, which can provide insights into economic growth, urban development, and housing market dynamics. Data are currently available through 2024.

- **[Bureau of Labor Statistics:](https://www.bls.gov/data/)** The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) conducts surveys and gathers data related to labor market conditions, employment trends, wage information, inflation rates, and productivity. The BLS's data provides insights into the economic health of the nation and is widely used by policymakers, economists, and businesses. Data are currently available through 2024.

- **[Decennial Census:](https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census/about.html)** The Decennial Census is a comprehensive population count carried out by the United States Census Bureau every ten years. This survey aims to collect demographic data on every individual living in the country, including age, race, gender, and household information. The data gathered influences political representation, allocation of resources, and decision-making at various levels of government. Data are currently available through 2020.

- **[The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development:](https://www.huduser.gov/portal/pdrdatas_landing.html)** The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) gathers data related to housing and urban development policies and programs. This includes information on housing market conditions, affordable housing initiatives, homelessness, fair housing practices, and more. HUD's data is crucial for policymakers and researchers working on housing-related issues. Data are currently available through 2024.

- **[Internal Revenue Service Data:](https://www.irs.gov/statistics)** The Internal Revenue Service (IRS), since 1990, has published statistics on county-to-county and state-to-state migration based on its wealth of administrative data from individualized tax returns. An individual who files a return in a state or county differing from that of their prior year tax return is categorized as migrating from their prior year tax geography to their latter-year geography. IRS Tax Migration data are perhaps the best publicly available data source tracking internal migration within the United States. Data are currently available through 2022.

- **[LEHD OnTheMap:](https://lehd.ces.census.gov/data/)** The Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics (LEHD) program is an initiative by the U.S. Census Bureau that provides detailed data on the relationships between employers and employees, as well as residential and workplace locations. LEHD data is particularly useful for analyzing labor market dynamics, commuting patterns, and economic trends. By mapping LEHD data, researchers and policymakers can visualize geographic concentrations of employment, identify commuting flows, and assess the distribution of jobs and workers across different regions. This spatial analysis helps in understanding workforce movements, urban development, and the impact of economic policies on local and regional labor markets. Data are currently available through 2022.

- **[National Health Interview Survey:](https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhis/about_nhis.htm)** The National Center for Health Statistics conducts the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), used to monitor the health of the U.S. population on a broad range of health topics by many demographic and socioeconomic characteristics. During household interviews, NHIS collects information on the demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of respondents, in addition to information on activity limitation, illnesses, chronic conditions, health insurance coverage (or lack of), utilization of health care, and other health topics. Data are currently available through 2021.

- **[National Housing Preservation Database:](https://preservationdatabase.org/about-the-database/)** The National Housing Preservation Database (NHPD) compiles data on federally assisted rental housing properties in the United States. It tracks information about affordable housing units, their locations, funding sources, and physical conditions, aiding in the preservation of affordable housing options. Data are currently available through 2024.

- **[Public Use Microdata Sample:](https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/microdata.html)** The Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) is a subset of data from the Decennial Census and the American Community Survey that provides anonymized individual and household-level data. PUMS allows researchers to access detailed demographic, economic, and housing data for customized analyses while protecting respondents' privacy. Data are currently available through 2022.

- **[Zillow Research:](https://www.zillow.com/research/data/)** Zillow Research is a division of the online real estate marketplace Zillow that focuses on conducting and publishing housing market analyses and reports. Their research covers various aspects of the housing market, such as home values, rental trends, housing affordability, and market predictions, using data collected from their platform and other sources. Data are currently available through 2024.



Data Sources

#### Glossary
- **Area Median Income (AMI):** represents the midpoint in the distribution of household incomes within a certain geographic region. HUD publishes annual AMI levels for regions, adjusted for family size. The HUD-provided AMI is used to determine applicants’ eligibility for both federally and locally funded housing programs where participation is dependent on income levels.

- **Cost Burden:** A household is considered cost burdened when 30% or more of household income is spent on gross housing costs (can apply to renters or homeowners). Related to Severe Cost Burden (see below). 

- **Core-Based Statistical Area (CBSA):** A Core-Based Statistical Area is a geographical entity defined by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) that comprises adjacent metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas. These areas are grouped together because they share significant economic and social ties, often in the form of commuting patterns and other indicators. CBSAs provide a broader regional context for analyzing demographic, economic, and social trends across interconnected urban and rural areas. Unlike cities or towns, which are individual localities with their own local governments, CBSAs encompass multiple cities, towns, and potentially rural areas, emphasizing economic relationships and connections rather than specific administrative boundaries.

- **Deed-Restricted Units:** Otherwise known as subsidized units or covenanted units, these homes may receive forms of government subsidy, and typically have some form of covenant that restricts rent growth.

- **Dissimilarity Index:** For this project, the dissimilarity index is a measure of racial segregation, which demonstrates the degree of racial segregation within specific geographic regions. A dissimilarity index of 0 demonstrates an environment of integration under which groups (in this case racial or ethnic groups) are distributed in the same proportions across all neighborhoods. A dissimilarity index of 100 indicates total segregation such that the members of one group are located in completely different neighborhoods than the second group.

- **Housing Typology:** A housing typology is based on the number of units in a structure, and can include single family housing (detached and attached single units) or multifamily housing (residential buildings consisting of more than two housing units).

- **Multifamily Housing:** For the purposes of this document, multifamily housing is defined as a residential building consisting of more than two housing units.

- **Naturally Occurring Affordable Housing (NOAH):** Naturally occurring affordable housing is defined as housing that is priced by market forces at rates that are affordable to low income households. Housing is traditionally considered affordable if the total housing cost (rent or mortgage plus utilities) for the household represents no more than 30% of its income. NOAH housing often makes up a significant portion of a jurisdiction’s affordable housing stock, in addition to publicly subsidized housing.

- **Opportunity:** Locating housing in opportunity areas means that households will have equitable access to employment, transit, schooling, healthcare, and other needs. When housing is located in segregated or impoverished areas, or when poverty becomes concentrated, residents have fewer opportunities, poorer health, and even lower life expectancy.

- **Single Family Housing:** Residential building typology, which may include detached or attached units, which only includes 1 unit.

- **Severe Cost Burden:** A household is considered severely cost burdened when 50% or more of household income is spent on housing.

- **Tenure:** Housing tenure refers to the financial arrangement and ownership structure under which someone has the right to live in a house or apartment. Typical forms of tenure include renter-occupancy and owner-occupancy.

- **Vacant and Available:** Residential units that are unoccupied are considered to be vacant. There are several different reasons a home may be vacant, including: if the home is for rent or for sale, if it is a second home (seasonal use), if it is rented or owned but not currently occupied, or if the home was foreclosed upon or in need of repair. This resource defines homes as “Vacant and Available” if they are for rent or for sale only, and therefore available for new renters and homeowners.