By Jennifer Hunt MurtyA new federal report from the U.S. Census Bureau suggests housing costs for many American homeowners remained flat over the last five plus years, while data for Marion County reflects a steeper climb. Rents rise faster than U.S. averageTenants in Marion County are feeling the pressure more acutely than the typical American renter. The Census Bureau notes that nationally, “mortgages stayed flat,” with median monthly costs for mortgaged households remaining unchanged at $1,963. Although Marion County’s median monthly costs are not as high as those elsewhere around the nation, local residents did not enjoy the same stability – monthly costs for mortgaged households went from $1,352 to $1,406. The residential vacancy rate in Marion County plummeted from 17.6% in the 2015-2019 period to 12.4% in the most recent data.