WASHINGTON - The U.S. home ownership rate is the second highest on record, behind only 2000, since homeownership data collection began in 1890, says the U.S. Census Bureau.

But that rate decreased by 1.1 percentage points - to 65.1 percent between 2000 and 2010. The decline is also the largest since the Great Depression.

The Census Bureau also found there were 15 million vacant housing units, up 43.8 percent from the 2000, when it found 10.4 million. During the decade, the national gross vacancy rate - that is the percentage of vacant housing units to total housing units - increased from 9.0 percent in 2000 to 11.4 percent in 2010. A summary of the Census Bureau report is available here.

Altogether there are 131,704,730 homes, which are either owner occupied, rented or vacant.That number rose by 15.8 million during the last decade as home building surged across the U.S.

Home ownership has lost its appeal for many consumers, despite the fact that mortgage interest rates are at a record low. Home ownership rates are expected to decline further as more consumers opt for renting.

Housing ownership and construction rates are key in driving demand for all types of manufactured wood products, from primary wood for studs, construction framing, concrete moulding and subflooring, to secondary wood products including furniture, architectural millwork, windows, doors and cabinetry.