2009 Nielsen Claritas Update Demographics Shows California Dominates Top 20 Counties in Both Median Home Value Increases and Decreases
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2009 Nielsen Claritas Update Demographics Shows California Dominates Top 20 Counties in Both Median Home Value Increases and Decreases

NEW YORK, NY -- (MARKET WIRE) -- Apr 16, 2009 -- California and Florida, both beacons of the housing boom and subsequent bust, dominate the list of top 20 counties for the highest increases in median home value from 2000-07, as well as the list of highest decreases from 2007-09, according to an analysis of the 2009 Nielsen Claritas Update Demographics.

The analysis of 254 counties with populations of 250,000 or more found that 12 of the top 20 counties for median home value growth from 2000-07 were in California led by San Bernardino County, which increased 210 percent from $124,854 to $387,000, while Riverside County grew 201 percent from $134,998 to $406,300 over the same period.

Conversely, both counties ranked fourth and fifth on the top 20 list for the highest decreases from 2007-09, with San Bernardino showing a 31 percent drop to $266,639 and Riverside declining 30 percent to $282,870. Overall, 13 of the counties in this category were from California, nine of which were in the top 10. Merced County was out front among areas with declining values, undergoing a 38 percent drop from $323,700 to $201,905, followed by San Joaquin County, which dropped 36 percent from $399,500 to $255,450. (For the complete top 20 listing of both categories, see the list below.)

Florida had five counties in both categories. Broward County led the way for highest increasing values at number four overall, rising 194 percent from $102,817 to $302,500, while Lee County ranked number eight for highest decrease, dropping 28 percent from $241,100 to $172,677.

Nielsen Claritas Chief Demographer Ken Hodges, who conducted the analysis, explained that the 2000 estimates originated from the U.S. Census, the 2007 numbers were based on estimates from the American Community Survey (ACS), the Census Bureau's ongoing survey that produces important statistics about our nation's population and housing, and the 2009 estimates came from Nielsen Claritas -- Nielsen's leading marketing information source.

"Although drawn from varied sources, the data illustrate the striking reversal of trends in housing values," says Hodges. "The ACS data extend to 2007, but significant change has occurred since then with rapidly inflating markets having experienced sudden and sharp declines -- declines reflected in the 2009 Nielsen Claritas estimates."

He added that the use of ACS data underscores how Nielsen Claritas is committed to continuously learning how to incorporate credible new data resources into the Claritas Update Demographics™ in ways that innovate and improve estimation techniques.

Hodges said the update covers many geographic levels including national, state, county, place (city/town), census tract and block group. Data are also available for commonly-used areas such as metropolitan areas, ZIP Codes and media areas such as Designated Market Areas (DMAs).

"Because the demographic update is produced for small areas, it can be easily aggregated to custom geographic areas specified by the user," he said.

The first wave of data in the update is now available on the Nielsen Claritas data product websites -- Nielsen Claritas SiteReports.com and Nielsen Claritas MarketPlace -- and consists of 18 reports and 15 maps.

For more information about the 2009 Claritas Update Demographics, visit the Request Information page at claritas.com.

About The Nielsen Company

The Nielsen Company is a global information and media company with leading market positions in marketing and consumer information, television and other media measurement, online intelligence, mobile measurement, trade shows and business publications (Billboard, The Hollywood Reporter, Adweek). The privately held company is active in more than 100 countries, with headquarters in New York, USA. For more information, please visit, nielsen.com.


        Top 20 Counties With the Highest Percentage Increase in
                     Median Home Value From 2000-07


                                         Median
                                          Home     Median
                               Median    Value -    Home
                                Home      2007     Value -
                               Value -   American    2009
                                2000    Community  Nielsen  Percent Percent
                                Census    Survey   Claritas Change  Change
COUNTY NAME                    Estimate  Estimate  Estimate 2000-07 2007-09
-----------                    --------  --------  -------- ------- -------
1.  San Bernardino County, CA  $124,854  $387,000  $266,639   210.0   -31.1
2.  Riverside County, CA       $134,998  $406,300  $282,870   201.0   -30.4
3.  Prince William County, VA  $147,870  $435,100  $347,097   194.2   -20.2
4.  Broward County, FL         $102,817  $302,500  $247,213   194.2   -18.3
5.  District of Columbia       $153,467  $450,900  $358,329   193.8   -20.5
6.  Los Angeles County, CA     $201,386  $589,100  $470,287   192.5   -20.2
7.  Merced County, CA          $110,862  $323,700  $201,905   192.0   -37.6
8.  Stanislaus County, CA      $123,856  $358,500  $241,677   189.4   -32.6
9.  Fresno County, CA          $102,648  $296,300  $228,656   188.7   -22.8
10. Kern County, CA            $ 89,446  $256,800  $193,787   187.1   -24.5
11. San Joaquin County, CA     $139,756  $399,500  $255,450   185.9   -36.1
12. Miami-Dade County, FL      $113,203  $318,100  $260,777   181.0   -18.0
13. Collier County, FL         $148,972  $411,900  $303,426   176.5   -26.3
14. Solano County, CA          $174,948  $479,000  $345,199   174.1   -28.0
15. Loudoun County, VA         $202,263  $544,400  $443,779   169.2   -18.5
16. Palm Beach County, FL      $114,988  $308,900  $239,690   168.6   -22.4
17. Ventura County, CA         $238,776  $641,300  $489,577   168.6   -23.7
18. Orange County, CA          $252,960  $670,600  $527,064   165.1   -21.4
19. San Luis Obispo
     County, CA                $218,558  $578,900  $466,900   164.9   -19.3
20. St. Lucie County, FL       $ 81,491  $214,900  $158,067   163.7   -26.4




         Top 20 Counties With the Highest Percentage Decrease in
                      Median Home Value From 2007-09


                                         Median
                                          Home     Median
                               Median    Value -    Home
                                Home      2007     Value -
                               Value -   American    2009
                                2000    Community  Nielsen  Percent Percent
                                Census    Survey   Claritas Change  Change
COUNTY NAME                    Estimate  Estimate  Estimate 2000-07 2007-09
-----------                    --------  -------- --------- ------- -------
1.  Merced County, CA          $110,862  $323,700  $201,905   192.0   -37.6
2.  San Joaquin County, CA     $139,756  $399,500  $255,450   185.9   -36.1
3.  Stanislaus County, CA      $123,856  $358,500  $241,677   189.4   -32.6
4.  San Bernardino County, CA  $124,854  $387,000  $266,639   210.0   -31.1
5.  Riverside County, CA       $134,998  $406,300  $282,870   201.0   -30.4
6.  Sacramento County, CA      $141,145  $370,600  $260,295   162.6   -29.8
7.  Monterey County, CA        $254,767  $658,700  $467,946   158.5   -29.0
8.  Lee County, FL             $ 96,711  $241,100  $172,677   149.3   -28.4
9.  Solano County, CA          $174,948  $479,500  $345,199   174.1   -28.0
10. Placer County, CA          $208,781  $483,700  $353,372   131.7   -26.9
11. St. Lucie County, FL       $ 81,491  $214,900  $158,067   163.7   -26.4
12. Collier County, FL         $148,972  $411,900  $303,426   176.5   -26.3
13. San Diego County, CA       $212,045  $556,500  $412,788   162.4   -25.8
14. Pinal County, AZ           $ 76,273  $197,500  $147,063   158.9   -25.5
15. Clark County, NV           $132,186  $315,300  $235,928   138.5   -25.2
16. Kern County, CA            $ 89,446  $256,800  $193,787   187.1   -24.5
17. Manatee County, FL         $ 96,013  $238,100  $180,776   148.0   -24.1
18. Ventura County, CA         $238,776  $641,300  $489,577   168.6   -23.7
19. Santa Barbara County, CA   $264,132  $641,800  $490,414   143.0   -23.6
20. Sarasota County, FL        $111,968  $248,400  $190,965   121.8   -23.1

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