National Association of Home Builders Economic Research Blog

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 ...
PCE Inflation Remains Elevated
PCE Inflation Remains Elevated
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The Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation gauge remained elevated in August, complicating the Fed’s path to its 2% target. Core PCE held at 3.0% year-over-year for the third consecutive month. Though ...
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Data from the Census Bureau’s latest Survey of Market Absorptions of New Multifamily Units (SOMA) indicates that demand for newly completed multifamily units remains solid as mortgage rates continue to climb. Only an estimated 39% of the 82,310 unfurnished apartment units completed in the first...

Low existing inventory and solid demand more than offset rising mortgage rates and elevated construction costs to boost new home sales last month. Sales of newly built, single-family homes in July increased 4.4% to a 714,000 seasonally adjusted annual rate from a downwardly revised reading...

The missing middle construction sector includes development of medium-density housing, such as townhouses, duplexes and other small multifamily properties. The multifamily segment of the missing middle (apartments in 2- to 4-unit properties) has disappointed since the Great Recession. For the second quarter of 2023, there...

Existing home sales in July fell to the lowest level since January as limited inventory and higher mortgage rates continued to weight on homebuyers, according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR). Low resale inventory and strong demand continued to drive up existing home prices,...

According to NAHB analysis of quarterly Census data, the count of multifamily, for-rent housing starts remained elevated during the second quarter of 2023. For the second quarter, 138,000 multifamily residences started construction. Of this total, 135,000 were built-for-rent. The market share of rental units of...

Between 2021 and 2022, the state of Georgia gained 124,827 residents. This was the fourth largest population gain in the U.S. and one of only four states to have a nominal population increase above 100,000. In percentage terms, Georgia’s population grew at 1.2% between this...

An expected impact of the virus crisis is a need for more residential space, as people use homes for more purposes including work. Home size correspondingly increased in 2021 as interest rates reached historic lows. However, as interest rates increased in 2022, and housing affordability...

Nonfarm payroll employment increased in 36 states in July compared to the previous month, while 14 states and the District of Columbia lost jobs. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, nationwide total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 187,000 in July, following a gain of...

NAHB’s analysis of Census Data from the Quarterly Starts and Completions by Purpose and Design survey indicates custom home building gained market share during recent quarters but experienced a drop for construction starts. There were 49,000 total custom building starts during the second quarter of...

Confidence in the market for new multifamily housing was in positive territory for the second quarter, according to results from the Multifamily Market Survey (MMS) released today by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). The MMS produces two separate indices. The Multifamily Production Index...

According to NAHB analysis of the most recent Census data of Starts and Completions by Purpose and Design, during the second quarter of 2023, single-family attached starts totaled 38,000, which is flat relative to the second quarter of 2022. Nonetheless, over the last four quarters,...

Single-family built-for-rent construction has cooled as investor interest has pulled back on tighter financial conditions. According to NAHB’s analysis of data from the Census Bureau’s Quarterly Starts and Completions by Purpose and Design, there were approximately 20,000 single-family built-for-rent (SFBFR) starts during the second quarter...

Every year, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) conducts a member census to better understand the composition and characteristics of the people who belong to its organization. In 2022, 35% of NAHB’s members were builders—those whose primary business is single-family home building, multifamily building,...

A lack of existing inventory and solid demand for housing helped offset rising mortgage rates and push single-family production higher in July, even as builders continue to grapple with elevated construction and financing costs as well as a lack of skilled labor. Overall housing starts...

After steadily rising for seven consecutive months, builder confidence retreated in August as rising mortgage rates nearing 7% (per Freddie Mac) and stubbornly high shelter inflation have further eroded housing affordability and put a damper on consumer demand. Builder confidence in the market for newly...

Over the first six months of 2023, the total number of single-family permits issued year-to-date (YTD) nationwide reached 449,226. On a year-over-year (YoY) basis, this is 20.9% below the June 2022 level of 567,798. Year-to-date ending in June, single-family permits declined in all four regions....

According to the latest Producer Price Index report, the price level of inputs to residential construction less energy (i.e., building materials) edged up 0.2% in July (not seasonally adjusted). Building materials price growth has slowed considerably in 2023 with an average monthly increase of 0.2%–down...

Rising home prices and interest rates coupled with elevated construction costs, low existing inventory and solid demand resulted in a significant decline in housing affordability during the second quarter of 2023. According to the NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Opportunity Index (HOI), 40.5% of new and existing...

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