US Housing Starts Surge to 15-Month High

2026-04-29 12:39 By Joana Ferreira 1 min. read

US housing starts rose 10.8% month-on-month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.502 million in March 2026, the highest level since December 2024 and well above forecasts of 1.40 million, as builders scaled up construction despite ongoing affordability challenges.

Single-family starts surged 9.7% to a 13-month high of 1.032 million, while multi-family starts jumped 9.6% to 446,000.

Regionally, construction activity climbed sharply in the South (+9.1% to 794,000), the West (+7.2% to 311,000), the Midwest (+12.2% to 221,000), and the Northeast (+24.8% to 176,000).

Meanwhile, building permits, a leading indicator of future construction, fell to an annualized pace of 1.372 million, the lowest level since August.

The data suggests the housing market may be finding its footing, with builders using incentives to draw in buyers.

Yet, the Iran war has introduced fresh economic uncertainty, pushing material costs and mortgage rates higher.



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US Housing Starts Surge to 15-Month High
US housing starts rose 10.8% month-on-month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.502 million in March 2026, the highest level since December 2024 and well above forecasts of 1.40 million, as builders scaled up construction despite ongoing affordability challenges. Single-family starts surged 9.7% to a 13-month high of 1.032 million, while multi-family starts jumped 9.6% to 446,000. Regionally, construction activity climbed sharply in the South (+9.1% to 794,000), the West (+7.2% to 311,000), the Midwest (+12.2% to 221,000), and the Northeast (+24.8% to 176,000). Meanwhile, building permits, a leading indicator of future construction, fell to an annualized pace of 1.372 million, the lowest level since August. The data suggests the housing market may be finding its footing, with builders using incentives to draw in buyers. Yet, the Iran war has introduced fresh economic uncertainty, pushing material costs and mortgage rates higher.
2026-04-29
US Housing Starts Surge to Highest Level Since February
US housing starts rose 7.2% month-on-month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.487 million in January 2026, up from a downwardly revised 1.387 million in December and well above forecasts of 1.35 million. This marked the third consecutive monthly increase, lifting starts to their highest level since February 2025. Multi-family starts jumped 29.1% to a four-month high of 406,000, while single-family starts slipped 2.8% to 935,000. Regionally, construction activity climbed sharply in the South (up 11.4% to 810,000) and the Northeast (47.4% to 196,000), but fell in the West (-7.5% to 307,000) and the Midwest (-10.8% to 174,000).
2026-03-12
US Housing Starts Jump to Five-Month High
US housing starts rose 6.2% month-on-month to a seasonally adjusted annualized rate of 1.404 million in December 2025, up from 1.322 million in November and well above forecasts of 1.33 million. The increase marked the second straight monthly gain, lifting starts to their highest level since July and further rebounding from October’s 15-month low. Single-family housing starts climbed 4.1% to 981,000, the strongest pace since February, while multi-family starts (five units or more) surged 10.1% to a three-month high of 402,000. Regionally, activity rose sharply in the West (up 37.4% to 334,000) and increased in the Northeast (5.6% to 152,000) and Midwest (2.3% to 177,000). In contrast, starts declined 2.8% in the South to 741,000. For the full year, an estimated 1,358,700 housing units were started in 2025, down 0.6% from 2024 and marking a fourth straight annual decline.
2026-02-18