Point-in-Time Count of People Experiencing Homelessness Fell to 745,652 in January 2025
In January 2025, 745,652 people experiencing homelessness were counted, fewer than a year earlier.
Where the Point-in-Time Count of People Experiencing Homelessness stands now
The Point-in-Time Count of People Experiencing Homelessness was 745,652 in 2025, lower than its peak in 2024.
What it means for households: Household Financial Health Statistics
How the Point-in-Time Count of People Experiencing Homelessness has moved since 2007
Point-in-Time Count of People Experiencing Homelessness: down since 2024
HUD Annual Homeless Assessment Report, point-in-time count on one night in January: 745,652 in 2025, lower than a year earlier. Annual, 2007–2025.
What the Point-in-Time Count of People Experiencing Homelessness measures
A higher count is worse for households.
Point-in-Time Count of People Experiencing Homelessness by year, 2007 to 2025
| Year | Count | Change from a year earlier |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 746K | −25K |
| 2024 | 771K | +118K |
| 2023 | 653K | +71K |
| 2022 | 582K | — |
| 2020 | 580K | +12K |
| 2019 | 568K | +15K |
| 2018 | 553K | +2K |
| 2017 | 551K | +1K |
| 2016 | 550K | −15K |
| 2015 | 565K | −11K |
| 2014 | 576K | −14K |
| 2013 | 590K | −32K |
| 2012 | 622K | −2K |
| 2011 | 624K | −13K |
| 2010 | 637K | +7K |
| 2009 | 630K | −10K |
| 2008 | 640K | −7K |
| 2007 | 647K | — |
Annual · U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Annual Homeless Assessment Report
Counties with the highest safety net and buffer scores
There's no county figure for this measure, so this list uses the safety net and buffer part of our County Distress Index.
| Rank | County | Score (0–100) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Choctaw County, OK | 94.8 |
| 2 | Stewart County, GA | 94.2 |
| 3 | Noxubee County, MS | 94.2 |
| 4 | Hudspeth County, TX | 94 |
| 5 | Brooks County, TX | 94 |
| 6 | Lake County, TN | 94 |
| 7 | Duval County, TX | 93.9 |
| 8 | Ripley County, MO | 93.5 |
| 9 | Dunklin County, MO | 93.3 |
| 10 | Quitman County, GA | 93.2 |
Questions about the Point-in-Time Count of People Experiencing Homelessness
How many people are homeless in the U.S.?
HUD's latest national count, for one night in January 2025, is 745,652 people. More people are homeless at some point over a year than on any one night: HUD's shelter records show about 1.39 million people used an emergency shelter, transitional housing or a safe haven from October 2021 to September 2022, and that figure leaves out people who were only unsheltered.
Is homelessness going up?
HUD's 2025 count was 745,652, 3.3% lower than the 2024 count of 771,480. Some of any change can come from counting methods, weather and carried-forward street counts rather than from more or fewer people becoming homeless.
Who is left out of the count?
People who are doubled up or couch-surfing, people in permanent supportive housing or rapid rehousing, and people in housing not set aside for homeless people. The Education Department's larger count of homeless students uses a different definition that includes doubled-up families, so it is not the same measure.
Where does the homelessness count come from?
HUD's Annual Homeless Assessment Report, Part 1. Local Continuums of Care count people in shelters and in unsheltered places on one night in late January, and HUD publishes the national total with no fixed release date.
Sources and method for the Point-in-Time Count of People Experiencing Homelessness
- U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Annual Homeless Assessment Report We use the annual figures as published, from 2007 through 2025, with no adjustment of our own. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s report (1) U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s report (2)
We write with assistance from AI tools. Figures come from the data and sources named on this page.