National Association of Home Builders Economic Research Blog

Remodeling Market Sentiment Edges Down but Remains Positive in First Quarter
Remodeling Market Sentiment Edges Down but Remains Positive in First Quarter
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In the first quarter of 2026, the NAHB/Westlake Royal Remodeling Market Index (RMI) posted a reading of 62, down two points compared to the previous quarter. Despite this decline, the overall reading ...
Remodelers Saw Profit Margin Gains in 2024
Remodelers Saw Profit Margin Gains in 2024
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Profitability for residential remodelers reached its highest level in more than two decades in 2024. Industry-wide profit benchmarks are important because they allow companies to evaluate their financial performance in ...
Rising Rates Weigh on Mortgage Activity
Rising Rates Weigh on Mortgage Activity
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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 4.3% from ...
Which States and Construction Trades Depend the Most on Immigrant Workers?
Which States and Construction Trades Depend the Most on Immigrant Workers?
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Immigrants’ share of the construction workforce reached a record high in 2024, with foreign-born workers accounting for more than a quarter of the industry’s labor force (26.3%). The share is ...
Job Growth Rebounds in March
Job Growth Rebounds in March
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The U.S. labor market showed signs of a modest rebound in March following a weak February, as payroll employment increased and the unemployment rate edged down to 4.3%. Job growth ...
Iran Conflict Reverses Decline in Mortgage Rates
Iran Conflict Reverses Decline in Mortgage Rates
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Mortgage rates, which dipped below 6% in February, climbed back up to end the month just under 6.4%. According to Freddie Mac, the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.18% in March, ...
Consumer Confidence Climbs Despite Oil Price Surge
Consumer Confidence Climbs Despite Oil Price Surge
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Consumer confidence in March rose to a three-month high as consumers’ improved view of current business and labor market conditions outweighed weaker future expectations. Despite the increase, consumers remained concerned ...
Private Residential Construction Spending Slips in January
Private Residential Construction Spending Slips in January
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Private residential construction spending declined 0.8% in January 2026, following two months of gains. This decline was driven by lower spending across single-family, multifamily construction, and home improvement. Despite the ...
Soft Construction Labor Market Shows Decline for Open Positions
Soft Construction Labor Market Shows Decline for Open Positions
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The number of open positions in construction in February was down year-over-year, per the Bureau of Labor Statistics Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS). The current level of open jobs ...
NAHB HBGI: Micro Markets Lone Bright Spot for Single-Family Building in Fourth Quarter
NAHB HBGI: Micro Markets Lone Bright Spot for Single-Family Building in Fourth Quarter
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Single-family construction declined further in the fourth quarter in all but sparsely populated micro counties, according to the NAHB Home Building Geography Index (HBGI). Meanwhile, multifamily construction showed growth in ...
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The population of North Carolina rebounded strongly from a brief period of negative growth the state experienced in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. North Carolina’s population grew at a rate of 1.3% between 2021 and 2022, the ninth fastest of any state. By count,...

NAHB analysis of the Census Bureau’s quarterly state and local tax data shows that $174 billion in taxes were paid by property owners in the first quarter of 2023 (not seasonally adjusted).[1] In the four quarters ending Q1 2023, state and local governments collected $714...

The 2022 Survey of Construction (SOC) from the Census Bureau shows that the average completion time of a single-family house is around 9.6 months, including a little over a month from authorization to start and another 8.3 months to finish the construction. This is almost...

NAHB analysis of county level permit data and demographic data indicates that single-family home building in the first quarter of 2023 is occurring mostly in counties where baby boomers make up a majority of the population. The Census Bureau provides county level population age estimates...

A lack of existing inventory coupled with solid consumer demand helped to boost new home sales in May to their highest level since February 2022. Sales of newly built, single-family homes in May increased 12.2% to a 763,000 seasonally adjusted annual rate, according to newly...

The failure of several banks in 2023 and the ensuing stress in U.S. financial markets have had an effect that some builders and developers are beginning to notice, according to two recent NAHB surveys. In one of the surveys, roughly three-in-five builders and developers reported...

In a previous blog post, NAHB analyzed the national data released by BUILDER Magazine. Earlier this month, BUILDER Magazine also released Local Leaders data on the top 10 builders in the top 50 largest new-home markets in the U.S. (ranking determined by the number of...

Nonfarm payroll employment increased in 39 states and the District of Columbia in May compared to the previous month, while 11 states lost jobs. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, nationwide total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 339,000 in May, following a gain of...

The Top 10 builders captured 43.2% of new single-family home closings (i.e., sales) in 2022, the highest percentage on record based on data released by BUILDER Magazine; this is a 9 percentage point increase from 2021, the largest year-over-year increase since NAHB’s tracking began in...

Limited existing inventory combined with solid demand and improving supply chains helped push single-family starts to an 11-month high in May. This occurred despite elevated interest rates and ongoing challenges for housing affordability. Overall housing starts in May increased 21.7% to a seasonally adjusted annual...

Solid demand, a lack of existing inventory and improving supply chain efficiency helped shift builder confidence into positive territory for the first time in 11 months. Builder confidence in the market for newly built single-family homes in June rose five points to 55, according to...

Over the first four months of 2023, the total number of single-family permits issued year-to-date (YTD) nationwide reached 268,205. On a year-over-year (YoY) basis, this is 29.0% below the April 2022 level of 377,713. Year-to-date ending in April, single-family permits declined in all four regions....

According to the latest Producer Price Index report, the prices of inputs to residential construction less energy (i.e., building materials) decreased 0.1% in May 2023 (not seasonally adjusted), following a 0.2% drop in April. The index has gained 0.3%, year-to-date, a stark contrast from the...

The Federal Reserve’s monetary policy committee maintained the federal funds rate at a top target rate of 5.25% at the conclusion of its June meeting. The Fed will also continue to reduce its balance sheet holdings of Treasuries and mortgage-backed securities. Despite the June pause,...

Per the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) survey through the week ending June 9th, total mortgage activity increased 7.2% from the previous week and the average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) rate fell five basis points to 6.77%. The FRM rate has risen 20 basis points over...

Consumer prices in May saw the smallest year-over-year gain since March 2021, mainly driven by lower energy prices. This marked the eleventh consecutive month of deceleration. While this measure aligned with expectations, core inflation remained persistent due to the increase in rent prices. The shelter...

The first quarter of 2023 release of the Z.1 Financial Accounts of the United States shows for a third consecutive quarter the value of households’ real estate assets contracted. The combination of economic uncertainty and declining home prices has played a role over the past...

Consumer credit outstanding grew at a seasonal adjusted annual rate of 5.7% in April 2023 per the Federal Reserve’s latest G.19 Consumer Credit report, as revolving and nonrevolving debt grew at 13.1% and 3.2%, respectively (SAAR). Total consumer credit outstanding stands at $4.8 trillion (not...

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