City Directories: Home Owners vs. Renters
Determining Home Ownership vs. Rental Statistic
Most city directories list whether the person living at a given address owns or rents the property. This information helps researchers determine ownership and rental statistics, as well as helps to trace the ownership of a given site. These statistics can also aid researchers in finding out when a family was able to own a home, or if they always rented.
Scroll down for activities related to these directory pages
Charleston City Directory 1960
Charleston Directory 1966
Look at the two city directories shown above. Answer the following questions based on the information you see in the directories. For the 1960 directory, use the entries between Jas. E. Johnson and Ledora Jones. For the 1966 directory, use the entries between James E. Johnson and Ledora Jones.
***h=home owner, r=renter***
1) How many people owned the homes they lived in during each year?
2) How many residents rented the homes they lived in during each year?
3) Did the owner/renter status of Verda Johnson, Anita Jones, and Ledora Jones change between 1960 and 1966? If so, in what ways did their status change?
4) Did anyone who owned a home in 1960 own a different home in 1966? If so, list their names and their new address.
