National Association of Home Builders Economic Research Blog

Single-Family Permitting Declines Through July as Multifamily Activity Remains Stronger
Single-Family Permitting Declines Through July as Multifamily Activity Remains Stronger
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Single-family permitting activity continued to weaken through the first seven months of 2026, while multifamily permitting remained stronger compared with the same period last year. Although single-family permits declined in ...
Women’s Share of Construction Workforce Reaches 20-Year High in 2025
Women’s Share of Construction Workforce Reaches 20-Year High in 2025
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In 2025, the number of women employed in the construction industry rose to around 1.37 million, an increase of about 31,000 from 2024. Women accounted for 11.3% of total construction ...
Value of Household Real Estate Assets Approaches $50 Trillion
Value of Household Real Estate Assets Approaches $50 Trillion
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The market value of households’ real estate assets rose in the second quarter, reaching $49.8 trillion, according to the most recent release of U.S. Federal Reserve Z.1 Financial Accounts. This ...
Custom Home Premium Highest Since 2011
Custom Home Premium Highest Since 2011
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The custom home premium, the difference between what typical buyers pay per square foot for a contractor-built home and a spec home, reached 12.6%, its highest level since 2011, according ...
Inflation Persisted in August
Inflation Persisted in August
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Inflation in August remained sticky as renewed tensions with Iran continued pushing up oil prices, keeping pressure on the Fed to consider a rate hike at its upcoming meeting. Gasoline ...
Existing Home Sales Fall despite Improved Inventory
Existing Home Sales Fall despite Improved Inventory
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Existing home sales fell for the third consecutive month as record-high home prices and elevated mortgage rates weighed on buyers. Mortgage rates resumed an upward trend after the July ceasefire ...
Energy Prices Rise Again in August
Energy Prices Rise Again in August
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Residential building material prices, excluding energy, rose 0.2% in August and were up 5.1% from a year ago. Energy prices rose sharply in August, as prices for energy inputs to ...
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The total market share of non-site built single-family homes (modular and panelized) was at 2% of single-family completions in 2021, according to Census Bureau Survey of Construction data and NAHB analysis. This share has been steadily declining since early-2000s despite the high-level of interest for...

Despite the pandemic-triggered suburban flight and presumed shifts in preferences towards more spacious living, a rising share of new for-sale homes were built on smaller lots. According to the latest Survey of Construction (SOC), more than two thirds of new single-family detached homes sold in...

The most recent Home Building Geography Index (HBGI) shows that home building activities have shifted to low-density and low-cost markets since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. The market share for single-family constructions in large metro core and inner suburbs has declined from 44.5% to...

Job growth remained solid in August, with 315,000 net job growth. However, the unemployment rate rose 0.2 percentage points to 3.7% in August, as the labor market participation rate expanded. “Softer labor market conditions” are expected in the near future as the Fed raises interest...

Private residential construction spending declined further in July, as rising mortgage rates and elevated construction costs put a damper on the market. It fell 1.5% in July, down for the second straight month, according to NAHB’s analysis of the Census Construction Spending data. Private residential...

Non-real estate consumer credit grew at a seasonal adjusted annual rate (SAAR) of 8.7% in the second quarter of 2022 according to the Federal Reserve’s latest G.19 Consumer Credit report. Revolving debt climbed 14.6% (SAAR), double the increase in nonrevolving debt (+6.9%). Total consumer credit...

Home price growth decelerated in June and home prices grew at a single-digit annual rate for the first time in the past 23 months. As housing demand is softening, with declines for existing home sales and new home sales and weakened single-family starts, home price...

The construction labor market is cooling off as economic activity slows in response to tighter monetary policy. However, the July data shows stability concerning the number of open, unfilled jobs in the construction industry. This trend will likely weaken during the second half of 2022...

According to the annual data from the Census Bureau’s Survey of Construction (SOC), stucco was the most common principal siding material on new single-family homes started in 2021 (28 percent), followed by vinyl siding (24 percent), fiber cement siding (such as Hardiplank or Hardiboard (23...

Private fixed investment in student dormitories declined 4.4% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) of $3.2 billion in the second quarter of 2021, according to the data released by Bureau of Economic Analysis. Private fixed investment in dorms was 12.7% higher than a year...

NAHB analysis of the 2021 Census Bureau Survey of Construction (SOC) data shows that, nationwide, the share of non-conventional financing for new home sales accounted for 28.8% of the market, while conventional financing dominated the market at 71.2%. In 2020, share of non-conventional financing was...

Data from the Survey of Market Absorption of Apartments (SOMA), produced by the Census Bureau, suggest continued improvement for the multifamily sector in the first quarter of 2022 due to strong demand and low vacancy rates. However, the decline in the number of apartment and...

The missing middle construction sector includes development of medium-density housing, including townhouses, duplexes and other small multifamily properties. While townhouse construction has trended higher in recent quarters, the multifamily segment of the missing middle (apartments in 2 to 4 unit properties) has disappointed. For 2021,...

New home sales in July fell to their lowest level since January 2016 as the industry grapples with supply chain disruptions that are delaying new home building projects and raising housing costs as mortgage interest rates increased. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development...

Nonfarm payroll employment increased in 46 states and the District of Columbia in July compared to the previous month while four states lost jobs. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, nationwide total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 528,000 in July, following a gain of...

According to NAHB analysis of quarterly Census data, the count of multifamily, for-rent housing starts surged during the second quarter of 2022. At 142,000 units started, this was the largest quarter for rental multifamily construction since the second quarter of 1986. The market share of...

An expected impact of the virus crisis is a need for more residential space, as people use homes for more purposes including work. During the housing boom of recent quarters, this led to a rise for new single-family home size. However, as the housing market...

As elevated mortgage rates and higher home prices weighed on housing affordability, existing home sales declined for six consecutive months, according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR). All four regions saw double-digit decline in sales from a year ago. But home price appreciation has...

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