Source: US department of Housing and Urban Development (https://www.huduser.gov/portal/sites/default/files/pdf/2024-AHAR-Part-1.pdf)
Tool: Mapchart.net

Posted by FCguyATL

39 comments

  2. states with more homeless programs are likely going to identify more homeless people than states that ignore their existence, NY for example does a ton more for the homeless than Michigan where I previously lived

  3. One thing that keeps bothering me when I see maps of the US is the question: “Does the US not keep stats on its 5 territories?” They’re US citizens. So, why aren’t they ever on any maps?

  4. It’s also true that a lot of homeless people are shipped to the west coast or New York from states that just don’t want to deal with them.

  5. Other than Nebraska and Hawaii, this correlates very well with the percent of the population living in large cities.

    Nebraska depends on how you define “large city”,
    Hawaii has a state-wide housing issue for well known reasons

  9. New York and California treat homeless people better than other states, and that’s why they go there.

    Something like a little over 1/3rd of California homeless aren’t even from California.

  10. I does Alaska have a large homeless population? I would think homelessness would be a death sentence there.

  11. Homeless people aren’t immobile. They migrate to places that provide them more resources, whether that is better weather, more compassionate residents, or better infrastructure or regulations for their lifestyle.

  14. One of the rare times the map looks different than every other map of US statistics.

  15. a lot of homeless folks purposely move to california because of the weather, denser population, and social programs. unfortunately i don’t have a source this is just anecdotal from several people i know who lived through homelessness.

  16. Tell your states to stop sending them here please. Employed citizens are screwed on assistance because every resource is bogged down by junkies that do not give a solitary shit about getting better.

  17. How long before this post gets taken down, goes against what Reddit wants you too see. Great job OP showing the data. It’s a shame it will probably get removed eventually

  18. Im guessing illernoye stands out because of chicago?

  20. Is it just the case that no states fall into the 60.0-79.9 range or is the map missing data?

  21. Is that a typo or are there simply no states in the 60-79.9 range? 

    I can believe it, what with NY and HI being huge outliers. Looked at the data but couldn’t figure it out on the phone. 

    Did notice that, even though NY has one of the most homeless people per capita stat, only 4% of them are unsheltered! Which is the lowest of all the states. 

  22. How do you survive being homeless in Alaska? Wouldn’t you just die in the winter time? This is a serious question. I live in Florida and I can’t imagine surviving a winter in Alaska, let alone doing so while homeless.

  24. I wonder how much NYC and its greater metropolitan area would change the visualization? Great map!

  25. “If we just built more housing, we’d have fewer homeless,” is the worst conclusion to draw.

  26. This is where I ask “define homeless.” Most “homeless” in NY actually live in shelters (while often hanging in the streets at night) while other states have large tent cities/shanties without as many shelters.

  28. I promise you. Growing up in Appalachia there were DEFINITELY homeless people. Permanent figures on the trails. People that stayed in the woods, and never left. In the abandoned hunting cabins. In the old stills. People that lived on the road or in RVs. They were there. And always have been. They’re just not checking into services that homeless people in big cities are, and so they’re not counted. And I think that’s a really important note, on HOW this data is collected.

  29. It’s weird that it’s just the states people want to live in.

  30. Would love to see a map that shows homeless population by original resident state, many travel to big cities when homeless but come from other places in the US that have less social programs. My state breaks down the point in time by how long someone’s been in the state which is always illuminating 

  31. What’s considered a home in some rural parts is vastly different than what’s considered a home in a city.

  32. How the heck do people survive without homes in Alaska?!?!

  33. Missouri and Minnesota are equals finally after a long time

  34. Kind of surprised New York has a higher rate than the states on the west coast. I’ve been to all the west coast states and was alarmed by the amount of homeless people I saw in their big cities. NYC has a lot of homeless people too, but the concentration wasn’t as alarming for me.

  35. Apparently, the most important factor in reducing homelessness is being a shithole state.

  36. Every single place higher, weed is legal. Interesting.

  39. When homeless aren’t counted? No problem!
    States that have made being unhoused a crime usually aren’t trying to keep track and they pushed the homeless out of view.

    Texas homeless are supposed to be 3x the actual count.

    Phoenix alone estimates more than 600 homeless in a single year died of heat exposure in 2024.

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