The share of new homes with decks inched upward, from an all-time low of 17.4% in 2024 to 17.8% in 2025, according to NAHB tabulation of data from the HUD/Census Bureau Survey of Construction (SOC). Historically, the share of new homes with decks dropped significantly...
State-level employment data for September continued to show a mixed labor market, with job gains and losses split across the county. Although national nonfarm payroll employment increased modestly, year-over-year job growth varied considerably across states. Construction employment continued to expand nationally, but state-level trends remained...
Diversifying the construction labor force remains a key priority amid persistent skilled labor shortages. According to NAHB analysis of the 2024 American Community Survey, non-Hispanic White workers account for the majority of the construction industry at 55.8%. Hispanic workers now represent nearly one-third of the...
The total market share of non-site-built single-family homes (modular and panelized) was just 3% of single-family homes in 2025, according to NAHB analysis of completion data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Survey of Construction (SOC). This matched the 3% market share recorded in both 2023...
Single-family housing starts declined in September as builders faced higher financing, building material costs, and ongoing labor shortages. Overall housing starts decreased 5.2% in September to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.22 million units, according to a report from the U.S. Department of Housing...
Rising mortgage rates, energy and material costs, and worsening labor and lot conditions have pushed builder sentiment to a 14-year low. Builder confidence in the market for newly built single-family homes fell three points to 29 in October, according to the National Association of Home...
Single-family permitting activity continued to soften through the first eight months of 2026, while multifamily permitting remained stronger compared with the same period last year. Regional and state-level trends show continued variation in permitting activity, reflecting differences in housing demand, affordability conditions, and local market...
A rich, peer-reviewed academic literature finds that homeownership produces benefits that extend well beyond house-price appreciation. As detailed in a 2003 Journal of Urban Economics literature review, research across economics, political science, sociology, medical research, and related fields identifies homeownership as both a wealth-building mechanism...
The Producer Price Index for final demand was up 1.3% in September, after rising 0.5% in August. Compared to a year ago, final demand prices were up 6.3%. The price of goods used in new residential construction (including energy) was up 1.8% over the month...
A previous post examined the median age of the overall construction workforce and how it compares with workers in all industries. This analysis takes a closer look at workers in construction trades, where the median ages differ considerably across occupations. According to NAHB analysis of...
Labor shortages in the home building industry are becoming more widespread, according to recent results from the NAHB/Well Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI) survey. The September 2026 HMI survey asked builders about shortages in 16 specific trades. The percentage of builders reporting a shortage (either...
Higher energy prices pushed inflation to a four-month high in September, keeping pressure on the Fed as inflation has remained above its 2% target for more than five years. Gasoline prices remained the largest driver of headline inflation, accounting for over half of the monthly...
Existing home sales rose after three months of declines as improved inventory gave buyers more negotiating power. As buyers wait for rate relief, homes are sitting on the market longer and for-sale inventory reached the highest level in over a decade. Despite the increase, August...
The median age of construction workers is 42, one year older than a typical worker in the national labor force, according to NAHB analysis of the latest 2024 American Community Survey (ACS) data. At the same time, younger workers are becoming a growing part of...
Only 16% of NAHB builder members reported building age-restricted housing for people age 55 or older, according to 2025 Member Census. Even though it is down one percentage point from the previous year, this share has remained within a narrow band (15%-17%) since this question...
The share of new single-family homes built with individual wells and septic systems increased in 2025 compared to the previous year. According to NAHB’s analysis of the Census Bureau’s Survey of Construction (SOC), approximately 10% of single-family homes started in 2025 were served by individual...
In the third quarter of 2026, the NAHB Remodeling Market Index (RMI) posted a reading of 62, up one point compared to the previous quarter. The RMI has remained within a narrow band between 59 and 70 for the past four years. Remodeler sentiment remains...
Mortgage application activity declined as the 30-year fixed mortgage rate rose sharply. The Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Market Composite Index, a measure of total mortgage application volume, decreased 7.7% month-over-month in September on a seasonally adjusted basis. Compared to a year ago, total mortgage applications...
