America Counts: Stories Behind the Numbers

Nearly 327,000 people in the United States experiencing homelessness lived in shelters, a small proportion (0.1%) of the U.S. population from 2018 to 2022 but higher than from 2013 to 2017, according to American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates released in a working paper today.

The 2013-2017 ACS, the previous 5-year ACS with no overlapping years, showed there were approximately 267,000 people (0.08% of the U.S. population) in shelters during that period.

A change in the number of people experiencing homelessness and living in shelters could be due to a change in economic circumstances or resources devoted to shelters or a combination of both.

Continue reading to learn more about:

• The people who stay in shelters
• The sheltered population by state

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America Counts features stories on various topics including: 

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• Emergency Management, Health, Population, Income and Poverty

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