National Association of Home Builders Economic Research Blog

Private Residential Construction Spending Increases in April
Private Residential Construction Spending Increases in April
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Private residential construction spending was up 0.8% in April 2026, following the monthly gain of 0.6% in March. This increase was largely driven by gains in single-family, and home improvement spending. Moreover, total private residential construction spending was 1.7% higher than a year ago.  According to the latest construction spending data from the U.S. Census, single-family construction spending increased 1.4% in April, consistent with the steady builder confidence ...
Single-Family AD&C Lending Edges Higher in Q1
Single-Family AD&C Lending Edges Higher in Q1
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Single-family construction lending rose marginally in the first quarter, according to data released by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. The volume of loans outstanding was up 0.8% from the fourth ...
Rent Prices Continue to Rise, While Absorption Remains Low
Rent Prices Continue to Rise, While Absorption Remains Low
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The percentage of new apartment units that were absorbed within three months after completion was up one percentage point in the fourth quarter, according to the Census Bureau’s latest release ...
New Home vs. Existing Home Prices in Q1 2026
New Home vs. Existing Home Prices in Q1 2026
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In the first quarter of 2026, the median price for a new single-family home was $403,200, which was $1,400 lower than the median price of an existing home, which stood ...
Lowest Saving Rate Since June 2022
Lowest Saving Rate Since June 2022
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Personal income was essentially unchanged in April 2026, following a 0.5% gain in March, according to the latest data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis. On a year-over-year basis, personal ...
New Home Sales Down in April on Affordability Concerns
New Home Sales Down in April on Affordability Concerns
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Elevated mortgage rates, higher inflation and economic uncertainty kept more buyers on the sidelines in April as ongoing affordability challenges continue. Sales of newly built single-family homes fell 6.2% in ...
Multifamily Missing Middle Construction: First Quarter 2026
Multifamily Missing Middle Construction: First Quarter 2026
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Multifamily missing middle construction declined at the start of 2026. The missing middle construction sector includes development of medium-density housing, such as townhouses, duplexes and other small multifamily properties. The multifamily segment ...
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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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