Sales of newly built single-family homes decreased 0.6% in September to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 676,000, following a downwardly revised August estimate, according to data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Census Bureau, as reported by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). The pace was 5.3% lower than a year earlier. A new home sale is recorded when a contract is signed or a deposit is accepted, at any stage of construction.
- Inventory: 476,000 new single-family homes for sale in September, down 1% from August and down 2.3% from a year ago. That equals an elevated 8.4 months’ supply at the current building pace. Completed, ready-to-occupy inventory was 111,000 homes.
- Median price: $400,400, up 3.9% from August but down 3.9% from a year ago.
- Regions (year to date): Midwest down 0.5%, South down 1.3%, West down 9.2%, Northeast up 2.3%.
NAHB Chairman Bill Owens said affordability remains a significant hurdle and that builders continue to offer incentives and adjust pricing, while elevated mortgage rates and high home prices limit the number of households that can afford to buy. Danushka Nanayakkara-Skillington, NAHB assistant vice president for forecasting and analysis, said the decline is consistent with softer builder sentiment and shows how sensitive housing demand is to financing costs.
Why it matters
The data shows new-home sales, inventory and prices compared with a month and a year earlier. Buyers, builders and agents can use the regional and inventory figures to compare conditions in their markets.
Source: NAHB, October 28, 2026. Read the original release
