By Per Capita Experiences of Homelessness. Population size is important. But another critical question is: how common is it to experience homelessness within a jurisdiction? Per capita data answers this question by highlighting the share of the general population falling into the group.
Per capita experiences of homelessness vary greatly. For example, at the state level, Mississippi represents a low rate of homelessness, with only 4 people out of every 10,000 experiencing homelessness. Californians have the highest likelihood of being unhoused, however—44 out of every 10,000 residents. Similar variation exists at the local level, with Humboldt County, California reporting the highest per capita experiences of homelessness (121 out of every 10,000 people) and the CoC serving Dearborn, Michigan having the lowest (2 out of every 10,000 people).
Several major cities with high housing costs top the list of CoCs with the highest likelihood of homelessness, including San Francisco, New York City, Los Angeles, Boston, Washington, D.C., Portland, and Seattle. Implementing solutions to the housing affordability crisis in those areas would tremendously advance the goal of ending homelessness.
While housing costs and population size play into per capita experiences of homelessness, there are likely other factors contributing to high per capita rates. Researchers, data experts, and others should continue efforts to identify and unpack them.
