--- title: Affordable, desirable housing....How about a caravan? | .id blog description: "In 1935, a prediction was made about \"trailer park\" living in the USA – that by 1955 HALF the population would be living in a caravan. But what happened? Read more here." image: https://blog.id.com.au/hubfs/ID-Blog-Media-2024/highly-polished-airstream-trailers-by-airstream-life.jpg --- [![id-Master-logo-colour-tight-crop](https://blog.id.com.au/hs-fs/hubfs/Logos/id-Master-logo-colour-tight-crop.png?width=2440&height=881&name=id-Master-logo-colour-tight-crop.png) ![id-Master-logo-colour-tight-crop](https://blog.id.com.au/hs-fs/hubfs/Logos/id-Master-logo-colour-tight-crop.png?width=2440&height=881&name=id-Master-logo-colour-tight-crop.png)](https://home.id.com.au) - Services - [Services for Local Government](https://home.id.com.au/services/local-government) - [Services for Industry](https://home.id.com.au/industry-services) - [Resources](https://home.id.com.au/demographic-resources) - [Case studies](https://home.id.com.au/case-studies) - [Blog](https://blog.id.com.au/) - [About](https://home.id.com.au/about-us) - [About .id (informed decisions)](https://home.id.com.au/about-us) - [Meet our team](https://home.id.com.au/about-us/meet-the-team) - [Careers](https://home.id.com.au/about-us/careers) - [.id scholarship](https://home.id.com.au/about-us/scholarship) - [Contact](https://home.id.com.au/contact-us) [BY INDUSTRY](https://home.id.com.au/#industry-services) - [Local government](https://home.id.com.au/services/local-government) - [Financial services](https://home.id.com.au/industries/financial-services) - [Utilities](https://home.id.com.au/industries/utilities) - [Education](https://home.id.com.au/industries/education) - [Retail](https://home.id.com.au/industries/retail) - [Emergency services](https://home.id.com.au/industries/emergency-services) [BY EXPERTISE](https://home.id.com.au/services/local-government#streams) - [Consulting](https://home.id.com.au/consulting-services/local-government) - [Demographics](https://home.id.com.au/services/local-government/demographics) - [Forecasting](https://home.id.com.au/forecasting/) - [Economics](https://home.id.com.au/services/local-government/economics) - [Housing](https://home.id.com.au/services/local-government/housing) - [Community views](https://home.id.com.au/community-views) [DIGITAL PLATFORM](https://home.id.com.au/services/local-government#platform) - [profile.id](https://home.id.com.au/community-profile) - [atlas.id](https://home.id.com.au/social-atlas) - [forecast.id](https://home.id.com.au/forecasting/forecast.id) - [economy.id](https://home.id.com.au/economic-profile) - [housing.id](https://home.id.com.au/housing-monitor) - [views.id](https://home.id.com.au/community-views) - [About .id (informed decisions)](https://home.id.com.au/about-us) - [Meet the team](https://home.id.com.au/about-us/meet-the-team) - [Careers](https://home.id.com.au/about-us/careers) - [.id scholarship](https://home.id.com.au/about-us/scholarship) - [Referencing .id as a source](https://home.id.com.au/about-us/referencing-and-sources) #### [BLOG](https://blog.id.com.au) # Affordable, desirable housing….How about a caravan? - [Population](https://home.id.com.au/idinsight/topic/population) - [Demographic analysis](https://home.id.com.au/idinsight/topic/demographic-analysis) - [Local area analysis](https://home.id.com.au/idinsight/topic/local-area-analysis) - [Population trends](https://home.id.com.au/idinsight/topic/population-trends) - [Australian census](https://home.id.com.au/idinsight/topic/australian-census) - [New Zealand population and census](https://home.id.com.au/idinsight/topic/new-zealand-population-and-census) - [Population forecasting](https://home.id.com.au/idinsight/topic/population-forecasting) - [Economic analysis](https://home.id.com.au/idinsight/topic/economic-analysis) - [Housing](https://home.id.com.au/idinsight/topic/housing) - [Community views](https://home.id.com.au/idinsight/topic/community-views) - [.id news](https://home.id.com.au/idinsight/topic/-id-news) - [Fun stuff](https://home.id.com.au/idinsight/topic/fun-stuff) - [Online tools](https://home.id.com.au/idinsight/topic/online-tools) - [Community profiles](https://content.id.com.au/community-profiles-australia) - [Social atlas](https://content.id.com.au/social-atlases-australia) - [Population forecasts](https://content.id.com.au/population-forecast-australia) - [Economic profiles](https://content.id.com.au/economic-profiles-australia) - [Housing monitors](https://housing.id.com.au/) - [Community views](https://views.id.com.au/local_governments) - [How to](https://home.id.com.au/idinsight/topic/how-to) - [Features and updates](https://home.id.com.au/new-data-and-features) ## Affordable, desirable housing….How about a caravan? [Jim - ideas, observations and handy shortcuts](https://blog.id.com.au/author/jim-ideas-observations-and-handy-shortcuts) 28 Sept, 2011 Would 10 million people in Australia live in a caravan park? That’s right, about 50% of the total population. If so, we’d certainly need more caravan parks. [![highly-polished-airstream-trailers-by-airstream-life](https://blog.id.com.au/hs-fs/hubfs/ID-Blog-Media-2024/highly-polished-airstream-trailers-by-airstream-life.jpg?width=300&height=200&name=highly-polished-airstream-trailers-by-airstream-life.jpg)](https://blog.id.com.au/hs-fs/hubfs/ID-Blog-Media-2024/highly-polished-airstream-trailers-by-airstream-life.jpg) At present, less than 0.5% of Australia’s population live in a caravan park – and the trend is actually decreasing. But back in 1935, a prediction was made about “trailer park” living in the USA – that by 1955 HALF the population would be living in a caravan (that would be almost 150m people today). The outrageous prediction was made by Roger Babson – a statistician, entrepreneur and one-time US Presidential candidate. What led him to make such a momentous overstatement? Babson was, at the time, seen as a financial guru, much like Alan Greenspan or Warren Buffett.  He had predicted the stock market crash of 1929 and had also made a fortune out of prudent investments, based on a series of statistical analyses he developed – many of which are still in practice today.  The firm he established, Babson’s Statistical Organisation, still exists, and is now known as Babson-United inc. In the 1930’s following the great depression, housing was expensive for most people but the trailer boom had begun.  They were affordable, and more importantly offered flexibility in living and working arrangements for families that wanted (or needed) to travel around seeking work. Babson’s statements actually fueled this boom, with new trailer manufacturers coming into the market to satisfy the rampant demand. As a stock market investor, it’s also possible that Babson had an investment in the sector, and so he might have predicted his own income growth! By the late 30’s the boom had run out of steam and the “golden age” of trailers was over.  In any case, it remains one of the most grandiose predictions of our time…..think about it next time you drop in to the local caravan park on holiday – it could have been 1000x bigger! ***.id is a team of demographers, population forecasters, spatial planners, urban economists, and data experts who use a unique combination of online tools and consulting to help governments and organisations understand their local areas. [Access our free demographic resources here](https://blog.id.com.au/demographic-resources)*** Tags: [Fun stuff](https://blog.id.com.au/topic/fun-stuff) ##### Jim - ideas, observations and handy shortcuts Jim has been a member of the .id team since early 2010, following 10 years as a Director in local government and prior to that, many years at IBM. Jim is also a former .id client and recognised the value of .id’s tools in council decision making. He decided to join .id to help spread the word! He manages .id’s local government clients in Queensland and South Australia, helping them to use .id’s tools for informed strategy and policy decisions. Outside work, Jim enjoys learning Spanish, travel (especially to Spanish speaking locales) and collects the odd car or two… Previous Story [Quartiles - a technique for comparing incomes...](https://blog.id.com.au/2011/how-to/comparing-incomes) Next Story [Australia’s newest migrants – where are they...](https://blog.id.com.au/2011/population/demographic-trends/australia-newest-migrants) ### Related Posts [Fun stuff](https://blog.id.com.au/topic/fun-stuff) [![What is Australia's largest suburb?](https://blog.id.com.au/hubfs/martin-david-4415uJ8nxAs-unsplash.jpg)](https://blog.id.com.au/what-is-australias-largest-suburb) 19 July, 2024 [What is Australia's largest suburb?](https://blog.id.com.au/what-is-australias-largest-suburb) [Fun stuff](https://blog.id.com.au/topic/fun-stuff) [![Australia’s life expectancy falls slightly due to COVID](https://blog.id.com.au/hubfs/Life%20expectancy%20at%20birth%2c%201992%20to%202020-2022.png)](https://blog.id.com.au/2023/population/population-trends/australias-life-expectancy-falls-slightly-due-to-covid) 16 Nov, 2023 [Australia’s life expectancy falls slightly due to COVID](https://blog.id.com.au/2023/population/population-trends/australias-life-expectancy-falls-slightly-due-to-covid) [Fun stuff](https://blog.id.com.au/topic/fun-stuff) [![Australia’s life expectancy ranks 6th in the world](https://blog.id.com.au/hubfs/ID-Blog-Media-2024/Life-expectancy-at-birth-1990-to-2018-2020.png)](https://blog.id.com.au/2021/population/population-trends/australias-life-expectancy-ranks-6th-in-the-world) 08 Nov, 2021 [Australia’s life expectancy ranks 6th in the world](https://blog.id.com.au/2021/population/population-trends/australias-life-expectancy-ranks-6th-in-the-world) ### Leave a Reply [Next Story Australia’s newest migrants – where are they coming from?](https://blog.id.com.au/2011/population/demographic-trends/australia-newest-migrants) [Previous Story Quartiles - a technique for comparing incomes across time and place](https://blog.id.com.au/2011/how-to/comparing-incomes) ###### Other Resources [![Visit the demographic resource centre](https://hubspot-no-cache-ap1-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/cta/default/320463/9f91699d-64e2-4b1a-862a-a9b326d7ace7.png)](https://hubspot-cta-redirect-ap1-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/cta/redirect/320463/9f91699d-64e2-4b1a-862a-a9b326d7ace7) [![New Call-to-Action](https://hubspot-no-cache-ap1-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/cta/default/320463/c38b4439-45ab-4e1b-b8e2-e2c83dcd4f2d.png)](https://hubspot-cta-redirect-ap1-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/cta/redirect/320463/c38b4439-45ab-4e1b-b8e2-e2c83dcd4f2d) [![Living in place - Things to consider when surveying communities](https://hubspot-no-cache-ap1-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/cta/default/320463/edc7cbe4-2147-4109-804c-c409a6cc4ad4.png)](https://hubspot-cta-redirect-ap1-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/cta/redirect/320463/edc7cbe4-2147-4109-804c-c409a6cc4ad4) [![New Call-to-Action](https://hubspot-no-cache-ap1-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/cta/default/320463/daf7b77f-d989-4d66-964e-394afb2b297c.png)](https://hubspot-cta-redirect-ap1-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/cta/redirect/320463/daf7b77f-d989-4d66-964e-394afb2b297c) [![Living in place - learnings and applications](https://hubspot-no-cache-ap1-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/cta/default/320463/d18ace05-bcc1-4478-a1b4-b01c86d003e9.png)](https://hubspot-cta-redirect-ap1-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/cta/redirect/320463/d18ace05-bcc1-4478-a1b4-b01c86d003e9) [![New Call-to-action](https://hubspot-no-cache-ap1-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/cta/default/320463/afec380f-71d7-4e79-b8b0-5b952ebe12e0.png)](https://hubspot-cta-redirect-ap1-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/cta/redirect/320463/afec380f-71d7-4e79-b8b0-5b952ebe12e0) ![AoC-Australia-sm-1668562151-412x274](https://blog.id.com.au/hubfs/AoC-Australia-sm-1668562151-412x274.webp) In the spirit of reconciliation .id acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. 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