National Association of Home Builders Economic Research Blog

Existing Home Sales Edged Up Slightly in April
Existing Home Sales Edged Up Slightly in April
Posted on
Existing home sales edged up in April after reaching a nine-month low in March, but sales remained at historically low levels. Elevated mortgage rates and reignited inflation driven by the ...
Residential Building Worker Wages Remain Soft in Early 2026 Amid Slower Housing Activity
Residential Building Worker Wages Remain Soft in Early 2026 Amid Slower Housing Activity
Posted on
Wage growth for residential building workers remained subdued during the first quarter of 2026, reflecting continued softness in housing construction activity and easing labor demand. According to the latest data ...
U.S. Economy Adds 115,000 Jobs in April
U.S. Economy Adds 115,000 Jobs in April
Posted on
The U.S. labor market continued to show resilience in April, with job growth persisting despite elevated interest rates and rising geopolitical uncertainty related to the Iran conflict. The unemployment rate ...
Mortgage Applications Retreats Further in April
Mortgage Applications Retreats Further in April
Posted on
Mortgage application activity decreased month-over-month as the 30-year fixed mortgage rate rose. The Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Market Composite Index, a measure of total mortgage application volume, declined 12.4% month-over-month ...
Private Residential Construction Spending Increases in March
Private Residential Construction Spending Increases in March
Posted on
Private residential construction spending was up 1.7% in March 2026, following two straight months of declines. The increase was broad-based, with gains in single-family, multifamily construction, and home improvement spending. ...
Multifamily Developer Confidence Holds Steady in First Quarter
Multifamily Developer Confidence Holds Steady in First Quarter
Posted on
Overall confidence in the market for new multifamily housing held steady year-over-year in the first quarter, according to the Multifamily Market Survey (MMS) by the National Association of Home Builders ...
State-Level Employment Situation: March 2026
State-Level Employment Situation: March 2026
Posted on
State labor market conditions showed modest improvement in March, with job gains concentrated in several large states and the construction sector continuing to expand. However, employment declines across a number ...
Previous
Next

Subscribe

Stay updated on housing trends by subscribing to our blog via email.

Indices

View latest releases of NAHB indices such as the Housing Market Index.

Local Data

View our dashboard and blogs featuring metro-level data and more. 

Filter by Category

Private residential construction spending edged up by 0.1% in November 2024, according to the latest U.S. Census Construction Spending data. Year-over-year, the November report showed a 3.1% increase. The monthly increase in total private construction spending was primarily driven by higher spending on single-family construction...

With the end of 2024 approaching, NAHB’s Eye on Housing is reviewing the posts that attracted the most readers over the last year. In September, Catherine Koh dived into data on the homeownership rate of various household types including married couples with children, married couples...

With the end of 2024 approaching, NAHB’s Eye on Housing is reviewing the posts that attracted the most readers over the last year. In April, Eric Lynch examined various macroeconomic and housing finance components and their responsiveness to changes in the federal funds rate. As...

With the end of 2024 approaching, NAHB’s Eye on Housing is reviewing the posts that attracted the most readers over the last year. In May, Rose Quint shared key takeaways of NAHB’s study of home buyers. High mortgage rates and double-digit growth in home prices...

With the end of 2024 approaching, NAHB’s Eye on Housing is reviewing the posts that attracted the most readers over the last year. In March, Jing Fu compared homeowners and renters’ major assets, debt and net worth, as well as differences between age groups. As...

With the end of 2024 approaching, NAHB’s Eye on Housing is reviewing the posts that attracted the most readers over the last year. In October, Jesse Wade shared the average real estate tax by state and also an effective rate controlling for home value. Nationally,...

With the end of 2024 approaching, NAHB’s Eye on Housing is reviewing the posts that attracted the most readers over the last year. In June, Chief Economist Rob Dietz highlighted the importance of both new and existing home inventory in understanding housing market dynamics, emphasizing...

With the end of 2024 approaching, NAHB’s Eye on Housing is reviewing the posts that attracted the most readers over the last year. In February, Na Zhao shared the latest data on ages of homeowners as well as when their homes were built. The median...

With the end of 2024 approaching, NAHB’s Eye on Housing is reviewing the posts that attracted the most readers over the last year. In April, Natalia Siniavskaia shared wages by occupation in construction including the median salaries and top 25% salaries. Half of payroll workers...

In November 2024, the U.S. housing market experienced a significant boost, with sales of new single-family homes reaching a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 664,000, according to newly released data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Census Bureau. This...

Nonfarm payroll employment increased in 38 states and the District of Columbia in November compared to the previous month, while it decreased in 12 states. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, nationwide total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 227,000 in November, following a meager...

Consumer confidence fell to a three-month low in December amid growing concerns about economic uncertainties, especially potential tariffs. These policy changes could derail inflation progress and lead the Fed to slow its easing pace. The Consumer Confidence Index, reported by the Conference Board, is a...

Real gross domestic product (GDP) increased in 45 states and the District of Columbia in the third quarter of 2024 compared to the second quarter of 2024 according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA). Iowa reported no change during this time. The percent...

Despite higher mortgage rates and elevated home prices, existing home sales jumped to an 8-month high in November, marking the second month of annual increase in more than three years, according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR). While inventory improves and the Fed continues...

In a widely anticipated move, the Federal Reserve’s Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) reduced the short-term federal funds rate by an additional 25 basis points at the conclusion of its December meeting. This policy move reduces the top target rate to 4.5%. However, the Fed’s...

Ongoing lean levels of single-family existing home inventory helped to boost single-family production in November, while overall housing production fell because of a double-digit percentage drop in multifamily construction. Overall housing starts decreased 1.8% in November to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.29 million...

State & local tax revenue from property taxes paid reached $203.9 billion in the third quarter of 2024 (seasonally adjusted), according to the Census Bureau’s quarterly summary of state & local tax revenue. This marks a 2.8% increase from the revised $198.3 billion in the...

Builder sentiment held steady to end the year as high home prices and mortgage rates offset renewed hope about a better regulatory business climate in 2025. Along those lines, builders expressed increased optimism for higher sales expectations in the next months. Builder confidence in the...

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Email Frequency