Tampa keeps on making lists it would just as soon avoid.
The latest example: Tampa comes in at No. 9 in CNBC.com's rankings of the Top 10 Emptiest Cities. "Emptiest" refers to those metros hard-hit by the housing crisis that are now laboring under a high number of vacant homes and rental units.
The list is drawn from U.S. Census Bureau data on homeowner and rental vacancies in the 75 largest cities. The weighted ranking is based on a 12-month average of vacancy rates.
Tampa's 12-month average is a rental vacancy rate of 12.8 percent and homeowner vacancy rate of 3.2 percent.
At least Tampa has the consolation that it reserves Interstate 4 bragging rights. The most vacant U.S. city — and only other Florida city on the list — is Orlando. It has a homeowner vacancy rate of 2.2 percent and rental vacancy rate at a towering 18.8 percent.
Jeff Harrington, Times staff writer
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