National Association of Home Builders Economic Research Blog

Mortgage Rates Rise as Treasury Yields Top 5%
Mortgage Rates Rise as Treasury Yields Top 5%
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Mortgage rates rose sharply in September as multiple factors applied significant upward pressure on the U.S. treasury yields. According to Freddie Mac, the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.86% in September, ...
Two-Story Foyer Share Edges Up in 2025
Two-Story Foyer Share Edges Up in 2025
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In 2025, around a quarter of new homes were built with a two-story foyer, slightly up from 2024, according to data obtained from the Census Bureau’s Survey of Construction (SOC) ...
Trade Contractors Account for 42% of Associate Members
Trade Contractors Account for 42% of Associate Members
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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 ...
U.S. Economy Adds 29,000 Jobs in September as Prior Months Are Revised Down
U.S. Economy Adds 29,000 Jobs in September as Prior Months Are Revised Down
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The U.S. labor market cooled in September, with nonfarm payroll employment increasing by just 29,000 as downward revisions erased most of August’s previously reported strength. The unemployment rate edged up ...
Private Residential Construction Spending Posts Broad-Based Gains in August
Private Residential Construction Spending Posts Broad-Based Gains in August
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Private residential construction spending rose in August 2026 following a series of declines during the second quarter of the year. According to the latest construction spending data from the U.S. ...
AI Exposure Remains Relatively Low Across Most Construction Occupations
AI Exposure Remains Relatively Low Across Most Construction Occupations
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Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly changing how work gets done, but its impact varies considerably across occupations. For most construction occupations, near-term exposure to AI remains relatively low. An NAHB ...
Economic Growth Continued Across Most States in the Second Quarter
Economic Growth Continued Across Most States in the Second Quarter
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Real gross domestic product (GDP) increased in 44 states and the District of Columbia in the second quarter of 2026, according to the latest estimates from the U.S. Bureau of ...
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In 2023, the most common number of bedrooms in newly-built single-family homes continued to be three at a 45.7% share. This share is up almost three percentage points from 42.8% in 2022. The second highest share was single-family homes with four bedrooms at 33.1%, followed...

Housing affordability continues to worsen due to a persistent supply shortage and higher interest rates. While the rising building material costs and higher rates on construction loans are often blamed for the lack of housing supply, government regulations also play a significant role in increasing...

In 2023, 18.8 percent of all new single-family homes started were custom homes. This share decreased from the 20.4 percent recorded in 2022, according to data tabulated from the Census Bureau’s Survey of Construction (SOC). The custom home market consists of contractor-built and owner-built homes—homes...

Owners’ equity share of household real estate assets remained above 70% for the tenth straight quarter, continuing to mark the highest levels of this share since the late 1950s. The share in the second quarter of 2024 was 72.7%, up from a year ago when...

Existing home sales fell to a 10-month low in August despite easing mortgage rates and improved inventory, according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR). Home sales remained sluggish as the lock-in effect kept home prices elevated. Meanwhile, the share of first-time buyer in August...

Prices for inputs to new residential construction, excluding capital investment, labor and imports decreased 0.1% in August according to the most recent Producer Price Index (PPI) report published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Compared to a year ago, this index was up 0.8%...

After its first post-COVID rate hike enacted more than two years ago, the Fed’s Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) announced at the conclusion of its September meeting a significant reduction for the short-term federal funds rate. Tight monetary policy was undertaken to fight the worst...

Single-family starts posted a solid gain in August on robust demand and moderating mortgage rates even as builders continue to grapple with challenges related to lot and labor shortages and elevated prices for many building materials. Overall housing starts increased 9.6% in August to a...

With mortgage rates declining by more than one-half of a percentage point from early August through mid-September, per Freddie Mac, builder sentiment edged higher this month even as builders continue to grapple with rising costs. Builder confidence in the market for newly built single-family homes...

Over the first seven months of 2024, the total number of single-family permits issued year-to-date (YTD) nationwide reached 599,308. On a year-over-year (YoY) basis, this is an increase of 13.7% over the July 2023 level of 527,158. Year-to-date ending in July, single-family permits were up...

The average length of time to complete construction of a multifamily building after obtaining authorization was 19.9 months in 2023, according to the 2023 Survey of Construction (SOC) from the Census Bureau. The permit-to-completion time inched up 0.1 months in 2023, after an increase of...

Shares of new single-family homes built with private wells and individual septic systems decreased in 2023, compared with the previous year. NAHB tabulation of data from the Survey of Construction (SOC) indicates approximately 9% of new single-family homes started in 2023 were served by individual...

The total market share of non-site built single-family homes (modular and panelized) was just 3% of single-family homes in 2023, according to completion data from the Census Bureau Survey of Construction data and NAHB analysis. This is a slight increase from the 2% share in...

Inflation eased further in August, reaching a new 3-year low despite persistent elevated housing costs. This inflation report is seen as the final key piece of data before the Fed’s meeting next week. The headline reading provides another dovish signal for future monetary policy, after...

In 2023, the majority of homes started featured laundry connections on the first floor (72%), according to the Census’s Survey of Construction. Laundry located on the second floor or higher was the second most prevalent at 26%. The basement, garage, and other locations all had...

The homeownership rate for multigenerational households surpassed that of all other family household types in 2022 and now stands at 74.2%, exceeding the homeownership rate of other family households of 73.9%. Just a decade ago, the homeownership rate for multigenerational stood at 69.3%, second to...

In the most recent NAHB research on home buyer preferences, What Home Buyers Really Want Study, consumers were asked to rate how 28 kitchen and 18 bathroom features would influence their home purchase decision, if at all, using the following four-point scale: Kitchen Eighty percent...

NAHB’s featured topic for the second quarter HBGI reveals that 17.5% of single-family and 8.6% of multifamily construction takes place in second home areas. Recent NAHB analysis found that the total count of second homes across the US was 6.5 million, which accounts for 4.6%...

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