The national homeownership rate was 65.5% in the second quarter of this year, slightly lower than the second quarter 2011 rate of 65.9% and nearly unchanged from the 65.4% rate in the first quarter of this year, according to data released by the U.S. Department of Commerce's Census Bureau.

For the second quarter of this year, the homeownership rates were highest in the Midwest (69.6%) and lowest in the West (59.7%). The homeownership rates were highest for householders ages 65 years and over (81.6%) and lowest for those under 35 years of age (36.5%).

Among demographic categories, the homeownership rate in the second quarter for non-Hispanic whites reporting a single race was 73.5%, while African American homeownership was at 43.8% and Hispanic homeownership was at 46.5%.

Separately, the Census Bureau reports that national vacancy rates in the second quarter were 8.6% for rental housing and 2.1% for homeowner housing. The rental vacancy rate was 0.6 percentage points lower than the rate recorded in the second quarter of 2011 and 0.2 percentage points lower than the first quarter of this year. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0.4 percentage points lower than the second quarter 2011 rate and barely unchanged from the first quarter 2011 rate of 2.2%.