What does the US Housing Starts and Sales table measure?

It tracks the full lifecycle of residential real estate in the United States, covering building permits, housing starts, construction, completions, and new or existing home sales alongside inventory metrics.

How often is this data published and how far back does it go?

The data is published monthly by the Census Bureau and NAR, with historical series starting from 1959.

What regional and property breakdowns are available?

The table provides breakdowns by the four US Census regions and by property type, including single-family homes, multi-family units, and apartment complexes.

Why should housing starts and existing home sales be read together?

Housing starts and permits measure future new supply, while existing home sales cover the vast majority of current transactions, allowing analysts to compare construction pipelines against actual market demand.

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US Housing Starts and Sales

Name: US Housing Starts and Sales
Creator: Census Bureau via FRED; NAR via HUD PD&R (Existing Homes)
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

US housing starts, building permits and home sales by region, type and lifecycle stage.

Source: Census Bureau via FRED; NAR via HUD PD&R (Existing Homes)Last updated: Sep 25, 2026, 05:32Curated by Bui Thanh PhucAbout this data ↓

Indicator	08-2026	07-2026	06-2026	05-2026	04-2026	03-2026	02-2026	01-2026	12-2025	11-2025	10-2025	09-2025	08-2025	07-2025	06-2025	05-2025	04-2025	03-2025	02-2025	01-2025	12-2024	11-2024	10-2024	09-2024	08-2024	07-2024	06-2024	05-2024	04-2024	03-2024	02-2024	01-2024	12-2023	11-2023	10-2023	09-2023	08-2023
Building Permits7	1,403	1,433	1,374	1,410	1,423	1,363	1,540	1,393	1,482	1,414	1,418	1,444	1,347	1,400	1,399	1,416	1,445	1,492	1,446	1,463	1,467	1,512	1,435	1,421	1,492	1,448	1,459	1,405	1,456	1,477	1,570	1,548	1,501	1,513	1,524	1,530	1,596
Single-family (1 unit)	880	894	872	892	881	895	929	879	892	908	886	888	867	884	873	902	923	964	979	982	985	971	964	963	973	953	955	962	981	980	1,022	1,036	1,008	994	982	985	977
2-4 units	48	57	53	50	51	49	50	51	53	58	55	58	53	55	51	54	61	59	58	56	58	52	50	60	57	53	49	56	56	53	58	50	52	50	53	51	63
5 units or more	475	482	449	468	491	419	561	463	537	448	477	498	427	461	475	460	461	469	409	425	424	489	421	398	462	442	455	387	419	444	490	462	441	469	489	494	556
Northeast Region1	128	152	155	133	130	110	158	153	165	115	145	148	121	130	103	125	130	112	107	126	141	137	135	122	146	145	124	126	145	136	213	145	124	115	148	130	161
Northeast - single-family	52	56	52	53	55	54	50	55	58	55	58	57	55	55	53	55	58	68	59	57	58	57	60	59	64	58	61	58	59	55	59	58	51	58	57	55	56
Midwest Region1	212	225	203	193	238	213	220	228	213	199	197	204	201	222	216	218	203	210	236	215	219	222	202	203	210	192	204	180	179	196	234	217	199	200	174	201	217
Midwest - single-family	130	130	124	127	123	125	130	126	124	123	123	130	125	123	123	126	125	126	125	130	127	127	127	127	122	119	123	116	121	130	141	120	124	120	116	118	122
South Region1	748	748	708	762	748	717	782	703	734	764	736	773	710	762	781	756	772	843	806	807	801	814	767	759	823	790	803	779	833	799	799	833	852	815	865	854	844
South - single-family	528	530	515	536	521	528	553	508	509	539	516	517	515	526	521	532	544	568	588	567	591	576	564	557	578	568	560	580	592	580	605	619	606	597	602	607	592
West Region1	315	308	308	322	307	323	380	309	370	336	340	319	315	286	299	317	340	327	297	315	306	339	331	337	313	321	328	320	299	346	324	353	326	383	337	345	374
West - single-family	170	178	181	176	182	188	196	190	201	191	189	184	172	180	176	189	196	202	207	228	209	211	213	220	209	208	211	208	209	215	217	239	227	219	207	205	207
Housing Starts9	1,275	1,309	1,439	1,182	1,414	1,522	1,346	1,385	1,378	1,319	1,273	1,319	1,291	1,432	1,379	1,289	1,400	1,346	1,491	1,353	1,494	1,300	1,370	1,357	1,394	1,269	1,318	1,329	1,379	1,297	1,555	1,378	1,504	1,522	1,380	1,369	1,321
Single-family (1 unit)	918	853	902	889	914	1,017	923	894	946	929	893	837	873	959	925	945	953	939	1,094	1,002	1,056	1,010	958	1,052	1,016	879	979	995	1,051	1,031	1,140	1,016	1,024	1,124	987	978	959
2-4 units	13	12	18	11	6	24	9	22	22	15	25	11	11	20	24	20	18	14	28	23	30	15	15	14	34	24	17	19	6	7	16	18	19	14	17	15	7
5 units or more	344	444	519	282	494	481	414	469	410	375	355	471	407	453	430	324	429	393	369	328	408	275	397	291	344	366	322	315	322	259	399	344	461	384	376	376	355
Northeast Region1	96	173	127	110	149	170	137	177	140	151	145	165	96	101	171	104	186	144	135	95	145	124	111	165	119	175	115	102	104	93	119	137	122	134	80	86	127
Northeast - single-family	46	47	57	61	52	64	61	47	68	66	69	53	63	53	60	66	78	62	88	49	60	56	65	95	84	62	67	71	65	63	82	74	55	75	62	53	55
Midwest Region1	198	225	274	186	194	196	190	162	186	171	204	196	222	237	192	185	228	222	125	181	204	176	251	181	209	180	174	146	178	156	231	138	197	207	211	196	159
Midwest - single-family	143	116	117	129	128	142	144	133	121	130	141	117	132	118	154	138	157	128	96	136	153	139	138	136	139	130	116	104	139	137	143	112	122	171	113	122	106
South Region1	658	667	736	632	750	811	733	751	724	745	666	643	666	850	706	702	747	693	824	698	868	706	674	726	770	643	739	754	811	732	885	763	802	810	733	791	745
South - single-family	531	536	535	529	560	559	512	506	556	563	511	465	494	600	513	530	539	527	648	549	622	600	526	595	568	474	594	587	629	611	689	589	583	616	557	590	598
West Region1	323	244	302	254	321	345	286	295	328	252	258	315	307	244	310	298	239	287	407	379	277	294	334	285	296	271	290	327	286	316	320	340	383	371	356	296	290
West - single-family	198	154	193	170	174	252	206	208	201	170	172	202	184	188	198	211	179	222	262	268	221	215	229	226	225	213	202	233	218	220	226	241	264	262	255	213	200
Housing Under Construction	1,271	1,267	1,256	1,252	1,268	1,262	1,270	1,270	1,281	1,301	1,312	1,323	1,313	1,342	1,348	1,363	1,394	1,400	1,409	1,407	1,430	1,436	1,464	1,489	1,520	1,549	1,571	1,591	1,609	1,639	1,658	1,670	1,681	1,691	1,682	1,681	1,695
Housing Completions	1,128	1,280	1,345	1,328	1,454	1,373	1,324	1,439	1,463	1,443	1,419	1,386	1,548	1,456	1,372	1,530	1,479	1,584	1,565	1,648	1,526	1,602	1,653	1,695	1,733	1,654	1,719	1,548	1,655	1,495	1,692	1,505	1,555	1,453	1,398	1,488	1,360
New Home Sales2	684	643	672	636	641	659	630	576	723	757	652	714	698	648	665	622	701	656	641	665	702	669	632	715	687	732	683	670	706	681	653	683	634	607	689	682	645
Months' Supply of New Homes	8.5	9	8.6	9.2	9	8.7	9.3	9.9	7.9	7.7	9	8.2	8.5	9.2	9	9.7	8.6	9.3	9.4	9	8.4	8.8	9.1	7.9	8.2	7.6	8.2	8.3	7.9	8.2	8.5	8.1	8.6	8.9	7.7	7.7	8
New Homes for Sale3	483	483	480	487	483	479	486	477	477	486	490	487	493	496	501	503	500	506	504	496	491	488	481	472	469	465	469	466	463	466	461	459	455	448	442	437	428
Not Started	114	109	105	104	102	99	107	97	102	104	105	103	96	96	100	102	106	105	100	99	98	97	94	93	93	93	89	91	88	91	91	97	100	97	100	99	96
Under Construction	256	260	261	267	262	260	255	252	248	258	259	262	274	280	283	282	279	286	292	285	282	276	277	272	271	268	280	282	285	286	282	281	274	275	268	264	260
Completed	113	114	114	116	119	120	124	128	127	124	126	122	123	120	118	119	115	115	112	112	111	115	110	107	105	104	100	93	90	89	88	81	81	76	74	74	72
Existing Home Sales4	3,980	4,060	4,130	4,190	4,040	4,010	4,130	4,020	4,270	4,090	4,110	4,080	4,030	4,030	3,980	4,040	4,020	4,020	4,150	4,090	4,290	4,170	4,030	3,900	3,930	3,980	3,930	4,060	4,080	4,120	4,310	4,000	3,880	3,910	3,850	3,980	4,030
Northeast Region	480	500	490	470	450	450	470	500	510	500	490	490	490	500	480	500	490	490	500	510	530	510	470	470	490	490	480	480	480	490	480	480	480	480	470	490	480
Midwest Region	940	970	990	1,010	940	930	960	930	990	970	980	950	960	950	960	980	960	950	980	1,000	1,000	1,000	970	920	930	930	930	980	980	980	990	950	930	950	940	950	970
South Region	1,840	1,870	1,920	1,960	1,900	1,860	1,920	1,860	1,990	1,870	1,880	1,870	1,840	1,860	1,820	1,850	1,820	1,820	1,880	1,830	1,950	1,890	1,810	1,740	1,770	1,810	1,780	1,850	1,870	1,890	1,990	1,830	1,770	1,810	1,730	1,820	1,840
West Region	720	720	730	750	750	770	780	730	780	750	760	770	740	720	720	710	750	760	800	750	810	770	780	770	740	750	740	750	750	760	850	740	700	670	710	720	740
Existing Home Inventory	1,620	1,570	1,570	1,570	1,500	1,390	1,320	1,260	1,230	1,440	1,520	1,530	1,530	1,550	1,540	1,540	1,450	1,330	1,230	1,180	1,140	1,330	1,370	1,360	1,370	1,340	1,320	1,280	1,200	1,110	1,060	1,010	990	1,130	1,150	1,130	1,100
Months' Supply of Existing Homes	4.9	4.6	4.6	4.5	4.5	4.2	3.8	3.8	3.5	4.2	4.4	4.5	4.6	4.6	4.7	4.6	4.4	4	3.5	3.5	3.2	3.8	4.2	4.3	4.2	4.1	4.1	3.7	3.5	3.2	2.9	3	3.1	3.5	3.6	3.4	3.3

Latest reading

The latest reading is 1,275 Thousand units, for Aug 2026. That is −2.6% from Jul 2026 and −1.2% from a year earlier. The series on this page is monthly and runs from Jan 1959 to Aug 2026. Source: Census Bureau via FRED; NAR via HUD PD&R (Existing Homes).

Latest: 1,275 Thousand units; Aug 2026
vs previous period: −2.6%; Jul 2026
vs a year earlier: −1.2%

About this data

US housing starts, building permits and home sales by region, type and lifecycle stage. Monthly data tracks residential activity, inventory and months' supply from the Census Bureau and NAR since 1959. Observe the time lag between building decisions, construction and completions.

Frequently asked questions

What does the US Housing Starts and Sales table measure?: It tracks the full lifecycle of residential real estate in the United States, covering building permits, housing starts, construction, completions, and new or existing home sales alongside inventory metrics.
How often is this data published and how far back does it go?: The data is published monthly by the Census Bureau and NAR, with historical series starting from 1959.
What regional and property breakdowns are available?: The table provides breakdowns by the four US Census regions and by property type, including single-family homes, multi-family units, and apartment complexes.
Why should housing starts and existing home sales be read together?: Housing starts and permits measure future new supply, while existing home sales cover the vast majority of current transactions, allowing analysts to compare construction pipelines against actual market demand.