National Association of Home Builders Economic Research Blog

Shorter Apartment Construction Time in 2025
Shorter Apartment Construction Time in 2025
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The average time needed to complete construction of a multifamily building after obtaining authorization edged down in 2025, according to the 2025 Survey of Construction (SOC) from the Census Bureau. ...
Beating Expectations: U.S. Economy Adds 162,000 Jobs in August
Beating Expectations: U.S. Economy Adds 162,000 Jobs in August
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The U.S. labor market rebounded in August, with nonfarm payrolls increasing by 162,000 and upward revisions adding 55,000 jobs to June and July. The unemployment rate held steady at 4.1%, ...
New vs. Existing Home Prices: What the National Median Misses
New vs. Existing Home Prices: What the National Median Misses
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In the second quarter of 2026, the national median price for a new single-family home was $410,700, $25,000 lower than the national median price of an existing home, which stood at $435,700. This marks the largest difference between the national median trends for existing and new home ...
Mortgage Rates Climb as Global Forces Push Yields Higher
Mortgage Rates Climb as Global Forces Push Yields Higher
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Mortgage rates increased in August as Treasury yields remained elevated amid persistent inflation concerns. According to Freddie Mac, the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.67% in August, up 13 basis points ...
Share of New Homes with Patios Dips to a Six-Year Low
Share of New Homes with Patios Dips to a Six-Year Low
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The share of new homes with patios dipped below 61% for the first time since 2019, according to NAHB tabulation of data from the Survey of Construction (conducted by the ...
Private Residential Construction Spending Continues to Weaken
Private Residential Construction Spending Continues to Weaken
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Private residential construction spending fell further in July, marking its fourth consecutive monthly decline. According to the latest construction spending data from the U.S. Census Bureau, private residential construction spending ...
House Price Appreciation by State and Metro Area in the Second Quarter of 2026
House Price Appreciation by State and Metro Area in the Second Quarter of 2026
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U.S. house prices continued to rise in the second quarter of 2026, with most states and metropolitan areas recording annual gains. Elevated borrowing costs and affordability constraints remained important headwinds, ...
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The share of minority-owned new residential builders and remodelers has more than doubled since the Great Recession, with noticeable gains from 2017 to 2022. Nevertheless, when compared to the overall U.S. population, minority-owned firms continue to be underrepresented within both housing sectors. New Residential Builders...

The average time needed to complete construction of a multifamily building after obtaining authorization edged down in 2024, according to the 2024 Survey of Construction (SOC) from the Census Bureau. On average, it took 19.6 months from permit to completion, about 0.3 months shorter than...

Though the rate of inflation peaked in June 2022, consumer prices continued to increase throughout 2023 and 2024 as inflation drove further price growth, according to 2024 CPI review from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Nonetheless, the rate of inflation slowed from 3.4% in 2023...

Median square foot prices for new single-family detached (SFD) homes started in 2024 grew modestly, according to NAHB’s analysis of the latest Survey of Construction (SOC) data. For custom, or contractor-built, homes, the median price was $166 per square foot of floor space, up slightly...

Only 17% of NAHB builder members build age-restricted housing for people age 55 or older, according to 2024 Member Census.  This is up two percentage points from the previous year.  However, this share has remained within a narrow band (15%-17%) since the question was added...

Consumer confidence fell to a five-month low as consumers remain concerned about reignited inflation and a weakening labor market amid economic uncertainty. The labor market differential, which measures the gap between consumers viewing job as plentiful and hard-to-get, has narrowed for nine straight month and...

The count of open, unfilled positions in the construction industry decreased in August, per the Bureau of Labor Statistics Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS). The decline occurred as home building weakened in 2025. The number of open jobs for the overall economy was...

In 2024, approximately 43,000 homes were built in age-restricted communities, representing just over 3% of all housing starts. According to the Census Bureau’s Survey of Construction, roughly three-quarters of these homes (32,000) were single-family units. The remaining 11,000 were multifamily units, which marked the lowest...

Real gross domestic product (GDP) increased in 48 states in the second quarter of 2025 compared to the first quarter, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA). Mississippi and Arkansas reported declines, while the District of Columbia reported no change during this time. Growth...

In the second quarter of 2025, property tax revenue for state and local governments recorded a new high, although it decreased as a share of total tax revenue. . On a seasonally adjusted basis, state and local government property tax revenue grew 0.7% over the...

Average mortgage rates in September trended lower as the bond market priced in expectations of rate cuts by the Federal Reserve. According to Freddie Mac, the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.35%, 24 basis points (bps) lower than August. Meanwhile, the 15-year rate declined 21 bps...

Existing home sales dipped in August as elevated mortgage rates and higher home prices continued to sideline buyers, according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR). August sales reflected deals closed in June and July, when mortgage rates remained above 6.5%, about 50 basis points...

A modest drop in mortgage rates led to a surprisingly large jump in new home sales in August, though the figure may be revised downward in the coming month. Sales of newly built single-family homes jumped 20.5% in August to a seasonally adjusted annual rate...

The NAHB Land Acquisition, Development and Construction (AD&C) loan survey in the second quarter reported tightening credit conditions for builders. Consequently, FDIC data reporting the outstanding volume of 1-4 family construction loans fell in the second quarter. The total volume of all AD&C loans fell...

In August, the official, or standardly referenced, unemployment rate rose slightly to 4.3%, up from 4.2% in July. This marks the highest level in nearly four years, though it remains historically low. Although the national unemployment rate provides a broader view of labor market conditions,...

Building a new single-family home took less time in 2024 compared to the previous two years. On average, it now takes 9.1 months from start to finish. That includes 1.4 months for authorization to start construction and another 7.6 months to finish construction. Data from...

The latest government state employment report paints a mixed picture of the job market. While a few states saw modest employment gains, most areas showed little to no progress. The pace of hiring appears to be slowing, raising concerns about the strength of the recovery....

Every year since 2008, the NAHB has conducted a member census in order to better understand the composition and characteristics of the people who belong to its organization. Similar to a previous post about builder members, NAHB conducted a related analysis of its associate members....

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