Housing starts in the US soared 19.4 percent month-over-month to an annualized rate of 1.739 million in March of 2021. It is the highest reading since June of 2006, easily beating market expectations of 1.613 million, after harsh winter weather dented activity in February. Single-family housing starts jumped 15.3 percent to 1.238 million and the rate for units in buildings with five units or more increased 30 percent to 477,000. Strong gains were reported in the Northeast (64 percent), Midwest (122.8 percent) and the South (13.5 percent) but starts in the West were down 13.6 percent. The housing market has been supported by low interest rates and increasing demand from people moving away from big cities due to the coronavirus crisis, but the momentum could slow as rising lumber prices amid supply constraints could limit production and ease a shortage of homes. source: U.S. Census Bureau

Housing Starts in the United States averaged 1429.58 Thousand units from 1959 until 2021, reaching an all time high of 2494 Thousand units in January of 1972 and a record low of 478 Thousand units in April of 2009. This page provides the latest reported value for - United States Housing Starts - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news. United States Housing Starts - data, historical chart, forecasts and calendar of releases - was last updated on May of 2021.

Housing Starts in the United States is expected to be 1410.00 Thousand units by the end of this quarter, according to Trading Economics global macro models and analysts expectations. Looking forward, we estimate Housing Starts in the United States to stand at 1300.00 in 12 months time. In the long-term, the United States Housing Starts is projected to trend around 1270.00 Thousand units in 2022, according to our econometric models.

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United States Housing Starts

Actual Previous Highest Lowest Dates Unit Frequency
1739.00 1457.00 2494.00 478.00 1959 - 2021 Thousand units Monthly
Volume, SA


Calendar GMT Actual Previous Consensus TEForecast
2021-03-17 12:30 PM Housing Starts MoM Feb -10.3% -5.1% 2.3%
2021-03-17 12:30 PM Housing Starts Feb 1.421M 1.584M 1.56M 1.62M
2021-04-16 12:30 PM Housing Starts Mar 1.739M 1.457M 1.613M 1.58M
2021-04-16 12:30 PM Housing Starts MoM Mar 19.4% -11.3% 11.2%
2021-05-18 12:30 PM Housing Starts Apr 1.739M 1.71M 1.69M
2021-05-18 12:30 PM Housing Starts MoM Apr 19.4% -2.8%
2021-06-16 12:30 PM Housing Starts MoM May
2021-06-16 12:30 PM Housing Starts May
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News Stream
US Housing Starts Highest since 2006
Housing starts in the US soared 19.4 percent month-over-month to an annualized rate of 1.739 million in March of 2021. It is the highest reading since June of 2006, easily beating market expectations of 1.613 million, after harsh winter weather dented activity in February. Single-family housing starts jumped 15.3 percent to 1.238 million and the rate for units in buildings with five units or more increased 30 percent to 477,000. Strong gains were reported in the Northeast (64 percent), Midwest (122.8 percent) and the South (13.5 percent) but starts in the West were down 13.6 percent. The housing market has been supported by low interest rates and increasing demand from people moving away from big cities due to the coronavirus crisis, while rising lumber prices amid supply constraints could limit production and ease a shortage of homes that is threatening the momentum.
2021-04-16
US Housing Starts at 6-Month Low
Housing starts in the US sank 10.3 percent month-over-month to an annualized rate of 1.421 million in February of 2021, the lowest reading in six months and well below forecasts of 1.56 million. Housing starts reached the highest rate in 14 years in December as people moved away from the big cities due to the coronavirus pandemic. In February, single-family housing starts were at a rate of 1.040 million, 8.5 percent below January and the rate for units in buildings with five units or more dropped 14.5 percent to 372,000. Starts fell in the Northeast (-39.5 percent to 118 thousand), the Midwest (-34.9 percent to 138 thousand) and the South (-9.7 percent to 725 thousand) but rose in the West (17.6 percent to 440 thousand).
2021-03-17
US Housing Starts Fall from 2006-Highs
Housing starts in the US sank 6 percent month-over-month to an annualized rate of 1580 thousand in January of 2021, from an almost 14-year high of 1680 thousand reached in December and compared with market forecasts of 1658 thousand. Single-family housing starts were at a rate of 1162 thousand, 12.2 percent below the revised December figure of 1323 thousand. The rate for units in buildings with five units or more was 402 thousand, 16.2 percent above the December reading of 346 thousand. Sales plunged in the Midwest (-12.3 percent to 221 thousand), the West (-11.4 percent to 396 thousand) and the South (-2.5 percent to 829 thousand). In contrast, sales in the Northeast increased 2.3 percent to 134 thousand.
2021-02-18
US Housing Starts Highest in 14 Years
Housing starts in the US surged 5.8 percent month-over-month to an annualized rate of 1669 thousand in December of 2020, beating market forecasts of 1560 thousand. It is the highest reading since September of 2006, amid a surge in single family starts in the Midwest as people move away from the big cities due to the pandemic. Single-family housing starts jumped 12 percent to 1338 thousand while units in buildings with five units or more sank 15.2 percent to 312,000. Housing starts surged 32.1 percent to 251,000 in the Midwest, 10.2 percent to 453 thousand in the West and 5.5 percent to 858 thousand in the South. In contrast, starts fell 34.8 percent to 107 thousand in the Northeast.
2021-01-21

United States Housing Starts
Housing Starts refer to the number of new residential construction projects that have begun during any particular month. Estimates of housing starts include units in structures being totally rebuilt on an existing foundation.