National Association of Home Builders Economic Research Blog

Nearly One in Three Construction Workers are Hispanic
Nearly One in Three Construction Workers are Hispanic
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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 ...
Market Share for Modular and Other Non-Site Built Housing in 2025
Market Share for Modular and Other Non-Site Built Housing in 2025
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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 ...
Single-Family Starts Down as Affordability Challenges Persist
Single-Family Starts Down as Affordability Challenges Persist
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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 ...
Builder Sentiment Falls on Rising Rates
Builder Sentiment Falls on Rising Rates
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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 ...
Single-Family Permitting Declines Through August
Single-Family Permitting Declines Through August
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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 ...
Research Highlights the Broad Benefits of Homeownership
Research Highlights the Broad Benefits of Homeownership
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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, ...
Building Material Price Inflation Nears Four Year High
Building Material Price Inflation Nears Four Year High
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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 ...
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Home price growth continued to slow in August, growing at a rate just above 4% year-over-year. The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller Home Price Index (seasonally adjusted – SA) posted a 4.24% annual gain, down from a 4.82% increase in July. Similarly, the Federal Housing Finance Agency...

Personal income increased by 0.3% in September, following a 0.2% up in August and a 0.3% increase in July, according to the most recent data release from the Bureau of Economic Analysis. The gains in personal income were largely driven by increases in wages, salaries,...

Approximately 27% of the national housing stock consists of multifamily homes—defined as residential buildings with multiple separate housing units within one structure. According to the 2023 American Community Survey 1-year estimates, these units range from small duplexes, triplexes, and quadplexes (2 to 4 units) to...

Housing’s share of the economy fell 0.1 percentage points to 16.2% in the third quarter of 2024 according to the advance estimate of GDP produced by the Bureau of Economic Analysis. The share was revised upwards for both the first and second quarter of 2024...

The U.S. economy grew at a solid pace in the third quarter of 2023, boosted by strong consumer spending and government spending. According to the “advance” estimate released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), real gross domestic product (GDP) expanded at an annual rate...

The homeownership rate for those under the age of 35 dropped to 37% in the third quarter of 2024, reaching the lowest level since the third quarter of 2019, according to the Census’s Housing Vacancy Survey (HVS). Amidst elevated mortgage interest rates and tight housing...

After a period of slowing associated with declines for some elements of residential construction, the count of open construction sector jobs trended lower in the September data, per the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS). The data indicates the demand...

With elevated interest rates and rising home prices, 103.5 million households in the United States cannot afford a $495,750 median-priced new home. The growing affordability crisis makes housing a top issue for voters in the 2024 presidential election. Both presidential candidates have offered housing policy...

As of 2023, nearly 40% of homeowners in the United States are mortgage-free, the highest level seen in the past 13 years. With elections approaching, it is valuable to analyze the share of mortgage-free homeowners across congressional districts, as these patterns often provide insights into...

All-cash purchases accounted for 7.9% of new home sales in the third quarter of 2024, marking the highest level this year but lowest level for the third quarter since 2022, according to NAHB analysis of the latest Census Quarterly Sales by Price and Financing...

With housing affordability at a multidecade low, housing costs have become a major issue in the 2024 presidential election. While NAHB reports the national homeownership rate from the Census Bureau’s Housing Vacancy Survey on a quarterly basis, examining characteristics across congressional districts provides valuable insights....

Home buyers moved off the sidelines in September following the Federal Reserve’s recent move to cut interest rates for the first time in four years.  Sales of newly built, single-family homes in September increased 4.1% to a 738,000 seasonally adjusted annual rate from a downwardly...

In 2023, the total number of second homes was 5.7 million, accounting for 4% of the total housing stock, according to NAHB estimates of the 2023 American Community Survey. Second homes have been in a steady decline over the past few years, from 7.15 million...

Despite recent easing mortgage rates and improved inventory, existing home sales fell to a 14-year low in September as elevated home prices are causing potential buyers to hold out for lower rates, according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR). Sales remained sluggish as the...

While the lack of affordable housing dominates the headlines across the nation, congressional districts with higher shares of renter households are disproportionately affected by the current affordability crisis. Geographically, the districts with the largest housing cost burdens are heavily concentrated in California, Florida, and the...

Nonfarm payroll employment increased in 41 states and the District of Columbia in September compared to the previous month, while eight states saw a decrease. Nevada reported no change. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, nationwide total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 254,000 in...

Nationally, nearly 140 million people in the United States routinely commuted to work, according to NAHB analysis of the 2023 American Community Survey data. Among these people, approximately 23.8 million people spent more than 90 minutes each day going to and from their place of...

Homeownership is an important voter issue for the upcoming election with both presidential candidates putting forth housing policies to tackle the housing affordability crisis. In a recent NAHB post, the national homeownership rate sat at 65%, but there are large disparities in homeownership when broken...

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