A vacant home in a census table is not necessarily offered for sale or rent. Vacancy describes the status of housing units during a defined period, while market availability asks what a household can obtain now and on what terms. Keeping those questions separate prevents a historical percentage from becoming an unsupported claim about today's supply.
Why must the seasonal share appear beside vacancy?
The overall vacancy percentage uses all housing units as its denominator. The seasonal, recreational or occasional-use share uses vacant units as its denominator. They answer different questions. A seasonal home can be counted as vacant without being available for year-round occupancy. Other vacancy categories also require interpretation. Read the source definitions and dates before comparing places, and avoid assuming that the same vacancy percentage represents the same mix of housing in every municipality.
U.S. Census Bureau: vacant and seasonal housing definitions.
What does the local table establish?
The figures below describe the 2020 census housing stock in selected municipalities. They are not a current inventory of listings, rental advertisements or habitable homes ready for occupancy. The unit count also includes different building and occupancy situations. A change in asking prices or difficulty finding an apartment cannot be explained solely by these older categories. Use them as structural context, then obtain current evidence for the specific market and occupancy period you are investigating.
Which evidence is needed for a current housing search?
Verify the actual properties being offered, their availability dates, condition, price and terms. Distinguish a short-stay arrangement from a year-round lease and a property under renovation from one ready to occupy. If analyzing a trend, use a consistent current source and explain its coverage rather than comparing unlike snapshots. The assessment median below describes taxation and is also separate from listing prices. Each measure can be useful when its purpose is kept clear.
What does the local record show?
These towns provide local context for the decision in this article. The figures describe the published records and survey periods identified below. Compare the same measures across places, then confirm the details of any actual home before using them in a budget or offer.
Local Figures for This Decision
Download CSV, same columns, same definitions
Selected municipalities, shown alphabetically. Definitions below distinguish assessments, administrative benchmarks and survey estimates from current market quotes.
| Town | Vacant / Seasonal Share | 2020 Housing Units | Single-family Assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Great Barrington | 17.9% vacant; 57.9% of vacancies seasonal | 3,686 | $518,000 |
| Greenfield | 6.1% vacant; 13.0% of vacancies seasonal | 8,646 | $264,600 |
| Lenox | 23.7% vacant; 71.9% of vacancies seasonal | 3,184 | $543,800 |
What These Columns Mean
- Town
- Municipality; follow its record below for the full data and address check.
- Vacant / Seasonal Share
- First: vacant units as a share of all housing units in the 2020 census. Second: seasonal, recreational or occasional-use units as a share of vacant units. Neither number is a current rental availability rate.
- 2020 Housing Units
- Housing units counted in the 2020 census, including occupied and vacant units. Units are not buildings and this count does not describe today's homes for sale.
- Single-family Assessment
- Median assessed value of single-family parcels. This is a tax-roll statistic, not an asking price, appraisal or median sale price. Assessment years are identified in the sources.
Cite: RE413. “Local Figures for This Decision.” Updated September 19, 2026. https://www.re413.com/news/vacant-homes-vs-homes-for-sale-western-mass/, underlying sources at https://www.re413.com/sources/.
Great Barrington's town record. Vacant / seasonal share: 17.9% vacant; 57.9% of vacancies seasonal. 2020 housing units: 3,686. Single-family assessment: $518,000.
Greenfield's town record. Vacant / seasonal share: 6.1% vacant; 13.0% of vacancies seasonal. 2020 housing units: 8,646. Single-family assessment: $264,600.
Lenox's town record. Vacant / seasonal share: 23.7% vacant; 71.9% of vacancies seasonal. 2020 housing units: 3,184. Single-family assessment: $543,800.
Vacant housing includes seasonal and other unavailable units. The seasonal share uses vacant homes as its denominator, while the vacancy rate uses all housing units. A larger vacancy percentage therefore does not establish that more homes can be rented or bought today.
What should you check next?
- Read the vacancy rate with the seasonal share and identify the denominator used by each.
- Keep the census date and unit definition visible when discussing local housing composition.
- Investigate current availability, occupancy terms and condition separately before drawing conclusions about homes a household can obtain.
Keep the address, document date and source alongside each answer. If records disagree, identify which period and property each describes before treating the difference as a change. A missing result leaves a question open; it does not establish that a property has no problem or no cost.
Where can you continue the comparison?
Browse all housing guides by subject.
Open the linked town records for the wider context, including sources and dates. Use the property-specific records to narrow a decision, and keep current quotes separate from the historical figures used to explain it here.
Which official guidance supports this article?
- U.S. Census Bureau: vacant and seasonal housing definitions. Guidance checked 2026-09-05; confirm current requirements for your transaction.
Sources
- U.S. Census Bureau, decennial housing counts. vacant / seasonal share, 2020 housing units. Figures through 2020 census. Checked 2026-08-03.
- MassGIS and municipal assessors. single-family assessment. Figures through Great Barrington: FY2027; Greenfield: FY2025; Lenox: FY2026. Checked 2026-08-21.
"Figures through" is the period the publisher's data describes; "checked" is only when we last asked. The full sourcing: sources and method.