The following table presents the homeownership rates, in percentages, by state for the years 1985, 1996 and 2002. These values represent the proportion of homes owned by the occupant to the total number of occupied homes.
|
State
|
1985
|
1996
|
2002
|
State
|
1985
|
1996
|
2002
|
|
Alabama
|
70.4
|
71.0
|
73.5
|
Montana
|
66.5
|
68.6
|
693
|
|
Alaska
|
61.2
|
62.9
|
67.3
|
Nebraska
|
685
|
66.8
|
68.4
|
|
Arizona
|
64.7
|
62.0
|
65.9
|
Nevada
|
57.0
|
61.1
|
65.5
|
|
Arkansas
|
66.6
|
66.6
|
70.2
|
New Hampshire
|
65.5
|
65.0
|
69.5
|
|
California
|
54.2
|
55.0
|
58.0
|
New Jersey
|
623
|
64.6
|
67.2
|
|
Colorado
|
63.6
|
64.5
|
69.1
|
New Mexico
|
68.2
|
67.1
|
70.3
|
|
Connecticut
|
69.0
|
69.0
|
71.6
|
New York
|
50.3
|
52.7
|
55.0
|
|
Delaware
|
70.3
|
715
|
75.6
|
North Carolina
|
68.0
|
70.4
|
70.0
|
|
Dist. of Columbia
|
37.4
|
40.4
|
44.1
|
North Dakota
|
69.9
|
68.2
|
695
|
|
Florida
|
67.2
|
67.1
|
68.7
|
Ohio
|
67.9
|
692
|
72.0
|
|
Georgia
|
62.7
|
69.3
|
71.7
|
Oklahoma
|
705
|
68.4
|
69.4
|
|
Hawaii
|
51.0
|
50.6
|
57.4
|
Oregon
|
61.5
|
63.1
|
66.2
|
|
Idaho
|
71.0
|
71.4
|
73.0
|
Pennsylvania
|
71.6
|
71.7
|
74.0
|
|
Illinois
|
60.6
|
68.2
|
70.2
|
Rhode Island
|
61.4
|
56.6
|
59.6
|
|
Indiana
|
67.6
|
74.2
|
75.0
|
South Carolina
|
72.0
|
72.9
|
77.3
|
|
Iowa
|
69.9
|
72.8
|
73.9
|
South Dakota
|
67.6
|
67.8
|
71.5
|
|
Kansas
|
68.3
|
67.5
|
702
|
Tennessee
|
67.6
|
68.8
|
70.1
|
|
Kentucky
|
683
|
73.2
|
73.5
|
Texas
|
603
|
61.8
|
63.8
|
|
Louisiana
|
70.2
|
64.9
|
67.1
|
Utah
|
713
|
72.7
|
72.7
|
|
Maine
|
73.7
|
76.5
|
73.9
|
Vermont
|
69.5
|
703
|
70.2
|
|
Maryland
|
65.6
|
66.9
|
72.0
|
Virginia
|
683
|
68.5
|
743
|
|
Massachusetts
|
60.5
|
61.7
|
62.7
|
Washington
|
66.8
|
63.1
|
67.0
|
|
Michigan
|
70.7
|
73.3
|
76.0
|
West Virginia
|
75.9
|
74.3
|
77.0
|
|
Minnesota
|
70.0
|
75.4
|
77.3
|
Wisconsin
|
63.8
|
68.2
|
72.0
|
|
Mississippi
|
69.6
|
73.0
|
74.8
|
Wyoming
|
731
|
68.0
|
72.8
|
|
Missouri
|
69.2
|
70.2
|
74.6
|
|
|
|
|
a. Construct a relative frequency histogram plot for the homeownership data given in the table for the years 1985, 1996, and 2002.
b. What major differences exist between the plots for the three years?
c. Why do you think the plots have changed over these 17 years?
d. How could Congress use the information in these plots for writing tax laws that allow major tax deductions for homeownership?