Vacant Properties
Under an agreement between United States Postal Service (USPS) and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), USPS shares quarterly data on addresses identified as “vacant.” The addresses reflects residential and commercial that USPS has recorded in their database. Vacant addresses have been identified as being vacant (not collecting their mail) for 90 days or longer. 

Hyper-vacancy is described as neighborhoods in which 20 percent or more of the buildings and lots are vacant. Vacant properties are often concentrated in areas that are experiencing losses in jobs, investment and economic opportunities. Further, vacant or abandoned properties are costly to cities as a result of decreased tax revenue and increased crime and maintenance costs. Vacant properties also contribute to general blight which has a negative effect on property values. A Philadelphia study found that vacant properties reduced household wealth due to blight by an aggregate $3.6 billion. 

The vacant indicator is useful for researchers and practitioners exploring population growth, development patterns, rent evictions or gentrification trends.