In 2023, there were about 653,104 homeless people estimated to be living in the United States, the highest number of homeless people recorded within the provided time period. In comparison, the second-highest number of homeless people living in the U.S. within this time period was in 2007, at 647,258. How is homelessness calculated? Calculating homelessness is complicated for several different reasons. For one, it is challenging to determine how many people are homeless as there is no direct definition for homelessness. Additionally, it is difficult to try and find every single homeless person that exists. Sometimes they cannot be reached, leaving people unaccounted for. In the United States, the Department of Housing and Urban Development calculates the homeless population by counting the number of people on the streets and the number of people in homeless shelters on one night each year. According to this count, Los Angeles City and New York City are the cities with the most homeless people in the United States. Homelessness in the United States Between 2022 and 2023, New Hampshire saw the highest increase in the number of homeless people. However, California was the state with the highest number of homeless people, followed by New York and Florida. The vast amount of homelessness in California is a result of multiple factors, one of them being the extreme high cost of living, as well as opposition to mandatory mental health counseling and drug addiction. However, the District of Columbia had the highest estimated rate of homelessness per 10,000 people in 2023. This was followed by New York, Vermont, and Oregon.

"Ratio of Homeless Population to General Population in major US Cities in 2012. *This represents a list of large U.S. cities for which DHS was able to confirm a recent estimate of the unsheltered population. Unsheltered estimates are from 2011 except for Seattle and New York City (2012) and Chicago (2009). All General Population figures are from the 2010 U.S. Census enumeration."

This statistic depicts the rate of homeless individuals in the United States in 2017, by metropolitan area. In 2017, the rate of homelessness per 10,000 individuals was highest in New York City, at 88.7.

When analyzing the ratio of homelessness to state population, New York, Vermont, and Oregon had the highest rates in 2023. However, Washington, D.C. had an estimated 73 homeless individuals per 10,000 people, which was significantly higher than any of the 50 states. Homeless people by race The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development performs homeless counts at the end of January each year, which includes people in both sheltered and unsheltered locations. The estimated number of homeless people increased to 653,104 in 2023 – the highest level since 2007. However, the true figure is likely to be much higher, as some individuals prefer to stay with family or friends - making it challenging to count the actual number of homeless people living in the country. In 2023, nearly half of the people experiencing homelessness were white, while the number of Black homeless people exceeded 243,000. How many veterans are homeless in America? The  number of homeless veterans in the United States has halved since 2010. The state of California, which is currently suffering a homeless crisis, accounted for the highest number of homeless veterans in 2022. There are many causes of homelessness among veterans of the U.S. military, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), substance abuse problems, and a lack of affordable housing.

Table of homeless population by Year (for years 2009 through 2012)

Analysis of ‘Directory Of Unsheltered Street Homeless To General Population Ratio 2010’ provided by Analyst-2 (analyst-2.ai), based on source dataset retrieved from https://catalog.data.gov/dataset/783fe600-3a75-46d8-8b91-4b626e273ffd on 27 January 2022.

--- Dataset description provided by original source is as follows ---

"Ratio of Homeless Population to General Population in major US Cities in 2010. *This represents a list of large U.S. cities for which DHS was able to confirm a recent estimate of the unsheltered population. A 2010 result is only available for Seattle, WA. Other cities either did not conduct a count in 2010, or their 2010 results are not yet available. 2009 unsheltered census figures were used for Los Angeles, San Francisco, Miami, and Washington, DC, and Boston; the 2007 estimate is used for Chicago. General population figures are the latest estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau."

--- Original source retains full ownership of the source dataset ---

Analysis of ‘Directory Of Unsheltered Street Homeless To General Population Ratio 2012’ provided by Analyst-2 (analyst-2.ai), based on source dataset retrieved from https://catalog.data.gov/dataset/3938b01a-ab66-4fd1-967a-478702f97b87 on 27 January 2022.

--- Dataset description provided by original source is as follows ---

"Ratio of Homeless Population to General Population in major US Cities in 2012. *This represents a list of large U.S. cities for which DHS was able to confirm a recent estimate of the unsheltered population. Unsheltered estimates are from 2011 except for Seattle and New York City (2012) and Chicago (2009). All General Population figures are from the 2010 U.S. Census enumeration."

--- Original source retains full ownership of the source dataset ---

In the United States in 2023, 98.5 percent of the unaccompanied homeless youth in the Watsonville/Santa Cruz City and County, California were unsheltered.

The purpose of the San Mateo County Homeless Census and Survey is to gather and analyze information to help us understand who is homeless in our community, why they are homeless and what interventions they need to end their homelessness. This data forms the basis for effective planning to solve this complex and longstanding problem. The San Mateo County Human Services Agency’s Center on Homelessness the San Mateo County Continuum of Care Steering Committee were responsible for overseeing this data collection effort, with assistance from a broad group of community partners, including non-profit social service providers, city and town governments, and homeless and formerly homeless individuals. The Census and Survey was designed to meet two related sets of data needs. The first is the requirement of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) that communities applying for McKinney-Vento Homelessness Assistance funds (also known as Continuum of Care or “CoC” funds) must conduct a point-in-time count of homeless people a minimum of every two years. These counts are required to take place in the last ten days of January.

This study examines the spatial patterns of homelessness and resources for the homeless population in Louisville, KY with the goal of identifying where homeless populations are located in relation to resources. Working with census data and some of the resources for the homeless, this study uncovers the realities that the homeless face in different parts of the city. This research research was made as a senior thesis for the University of Louisville's department of Geographic and Environmental Sciences. Table 1. Income and Poverty between the United States and Louisville/Jefferson County metro government, Kentucky in 2019 (United States Census Bureau 2021)Homeless people are thought of as less than full citizens. Whether the rest of the city's people agree or disagree, they are citizens, and should have rights to the city as much as everyone else. The opioid crisis, unmanaged mental illnesses, lack of employment, and other issues like limitations on affordable housing have increased the population of homeless people in Louisville in recent years (Reed 2021). More than 1.5 million children experience homelessness in the United States (Poverty USA 2019). The poverty rate in Louisville, Kentucky is 15.9%, and 1 in 10 renters were facing eviction as of 2019. The 2019 Point In Time Count shows that on a randomly picked night in Louisville, 1071 of the city's people are experiencing homelessness, which is an increase of 15% from the 2018 count (Coalition for the Homeless 2019). The previous data compared to the count for 2020 of 1102 people, shows a trend in increasing homeless population (Coalition for the Homeless 2020).

In 2023, there were about 10,173 homeless youth living in California, the most out of any U.S. state. New York had the second-highest number of homeless youth in that year, at 4,468.

Community housing and homeless shelters, mostly small nonprofits, heavily depend on government and charitable funding. According to the Annual Homelessness Assessment Report (AHAR 2023), out % of 653,100 individuals experiencing homelessness, 60.7% were sheltered, while 39.3% remained unsheltered, highlighting a significant underserved market. The pandemic increased unemployment, housing costs and poverty levels, raising demand for shelter services, with government support aiding many establishments. As a result, industry revenue grew at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.0%, reaching $21.9 billion by 2024, with a 2.0% climb in 2024 alone. Notably, industry profit rose to 7.0%, with most profit reinvested into operations, as 96.0% of shelters are nonprofits and 98.0% of community housing providers are federally tax-exempt. Individual service needs vary widely. About one-third of shelter services cater to emergency housing. Six out of ten people experiencing homelessness are in urban areas, explaining the concentration of shelters in cities. Also, three out of ten people experiencing homelessness come from a family with children. Catering to a diverse demographic (families, youths, adults, veterans) can restrict economies of scale, but specialized services can attract targeted charitable contributions. Urban shelters face higher rents and costs because of competitive pressures. However, they can gain from group purchasing, network development for better rates and spreading positive information to boost donations. Service provision is expected to remain fragmented, with shelters competing intensely for grants. Donations will fluctuate depending on the economy, increasing during booms and decreasing in downturns. Shelters integrating telehealth, training and security measures may attract a broader group, reducing unsheltered homelessness and increasing revenue for service and infrastructure improvements. Despite favorable economic trends, such as decreasing poverty and unemployment rates and slower housing price growth, revenue will strengthen at a CAGR of only 0.2%, reaching $22.0 billion by 2029.

This dataset provides data on DYCD Runaway & Homeless Youth participant demographics, services accessed, and exit dispositions. For more information about programs, visit https://www1.nyc.gov/site/dycd/services/services.page and https://discoverdycd.dycdconnect.nyc/home.

For the RHY Data Collection, please follow this link.

In 2023, there were 358,435 beds available to homeless people in emergency shelters in the United States. In that year, there were estimated to be 653,104 homeless people nationwide.

This statistic shows the estimated number of homeless veterans in the United States in 2022, by state. In 2022, about 10,395 veterans living in California were homeless.