High housing costs are a burden on many rural households.
The U.S. Census Bureau sets 30 percent of income as the level at which housing becomes unaffordable. In the Coastal Plain 20 counties have more than 20 percent of households with unaffordable housing. Only eight counties in the Piedmont and two counties in the Mountain region have more than 20 percent of households with unaffordable
housing.
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Source: US Bureau of the Census
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Though problems exist in some areas, the rural housing stock has improved.
The percent of rural homes without complete plumbing has fallen dramatically over the last two decades. For example, the number of rural homes without complete plumbing has declined rapidly, from more than 95,000 in 1980 to approximately 12,000 in 2000. There is no region of the state with more than one percent of its housing stock without complete plumbing or considered substandard. However, five counties in the East and Northeast have more than 2 percent of their housing stock without complete plumbing.
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Source: US Bureau of the Census
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