Latest Posts:
Tag

Homes

Browsing
In Research & Trends

Private Water and Sewer Systems in 2025 New Single-Family Homes – Eye On Housing

No Comments


The share of new single-family homes built with individual wells and septic systems increased in 2025 compared to the previous year. According to NAHB’s analysis of the Census Bureau’s Survey of Construction (SOC), approximately 10% of single-family homes started in 2025 were served by individual (private) wells, and 17% relied on individual septic systems.

Nationally, most new homes were connected to public water systems, which include community or shared supplies/wells. The remaining 10% were built with private wells, increasing one percentage point from the previous year.

The share of private wells significantly differed by Census division.  In New England, where median lot size is double the national median, 42% of new single-family homes relied on private wells, making it the division with the highest rate in the nation. The East North Central division followed with 26%, while the Middle Atlantic stood at 15%. The South Atlantic region also exceeded the national average, with 13% of new homes using private wells. In stark contrast, private wells were uncommon in the East South Central, West South Central and Pacific divisions, where they accounted for one to two percent of new homes started.

For sewage disposal, 83% of new single-family homes in 2025 were connected to public sewer systems, which include community or shared sewage/septic systems. The remaining 17% utilized individual septic systems, one percentage point higher than the previous year. As with private wells, the usage of individual septic systems varied significantly by region.

New England led the nation with 52% of new homes using individual septic systems.  The East South Central (33%), East North Central (27%), and South Atlantic (23%) divisions also reported shares above the national average. In contrast, lower usage was recorded in the Mountain (9%) and West North Central (9%) divisions, while the Pacific and West South Central divisions had the smallest shares, at 5%, respectively.

Compared to 2024, five of the nine Census divisions experienced an increase in the use of individual septic systems with four of the divisions falling below the national average of 17%. East South Central in particular saw a large increase of 8-percentage points as it surpassed East North Central as the division with the second largest share of individual septic systems. New England remained the largest shareholder with 52%, a 3-percentage point increase. Only Pacific and East North Central saw declines in shares of 2- and 1-percentage points, respectively.



This article was originally published by a eyeonhousing.org . Read the Original article here. .

Read More
By
In Research & Trends

Market Share of 5,000+ Sq. Ft. Homes Edges Higher in 2025 – Eye On Housing

No Comments


New homes with 5,000 square feet or more of living space posted an increase in market share last year. In 2025, 27,000 homes of this size were started, accounting for 2.9% of all new homes started. Both the number and market share of homes with 5,000 square feet or more increased from 2024, according to annual data from the Census Bureau’s Survey of Construction (SOC).

The number of homes started with more than 5,000 square feet increased from 24,000 in 2024 to 27,000 in 2025. The number peaked at 45,000 in 2006 before declining during the Great Recession to a low of 11,000 in 2009. Since 2013, the number has remained consistently above 20,000, reaching a recent peak of 33,000 in 2021.

Of the total number of new homes started in 2025, 2.9% had 5,000+ square feet or more of finished space, up from 2.3% in 2024. In 2015, the 5,000+ square foot share reached a record high of 3.9%.  Since then, it has fluctuated between 2.3% and 3.1%.

Tabulating the major characteristics among homes of 5,000 square feet or more started in 2025, 86% have a porch, 73% have a finished basement, 73% have four or more bathrooms, 68% have a patio, 66% have a three-or-more-car garage, 57% have five or more bedrooms, and 51% belong to a community association.



This article was originally published by a eyeonhousing.org . Read the Original article here. .

Read More
By
In Research & Trends

Single-Family Detached Homes Still Dominate Among the 55+ Population – Eye On Housing

No Comments


Adults ages 55 and older make up a large and growing share of the U.S. population and play an important role in the U.S. housing market. In 2024, around 103 million Americans were ages 55 or older, ranging from adults still in the labor force to retirees. Using data from the latest American Community Survey, this analysis shows the demographic and housing characteristics of the 55+ population.

Among the 55+ population, adults 55-64 accounted for the largest share, at 40.5%. Another 34.6% were ages 65-74, followed by ages 75-84 at 18.8%. Adults 85 and older stood at about 6.3 million, representing 6.2% of the 55+ population. Overall, 60.9% of adults ages 55 and older were not in the labor force, while 37.9% were employed and 1.2% were unemployed. This reflects the large share of older adults who have transitioned out of employment as they move into retirement.

Single-family detached homes are the most common living arrangements for the 55+ population, but the pattern changes with age. More than 72% of adults ages 55-64 and 65-74 lived in single-family detached homes, compared with about 70% of those ages 75-84, and 58% of adults 85 and older. At the same time, multifamily housing becomes more common at older ages, rising from about 15% among adults ages 55-74, to 22.2% among those 85 and older. The shares living in group quarters also increased sharply with age, from less than 2% among adults ages 55-74 to 9.7% among those 85 and older.

Looking more closely at the housing stock occupied by the 55+ population, the analysis next focuses on households headed by someone 55 or older. In 2024, these households occupied about 61.5 million housing units, accounting for 46.3% of all occupied housing units. Homeownership was widespread among these households, with 78% owner-occupied and 22% renter-occupied. Households headed by someone 55 or older accounted for about 55% of all owner-occupied homes, showing their substantial presence in the nation’s housing stock.

Among homeowners 55 and older, 55% owned their homes free and clear, while 44.8% had a mortgage or other housing loan. Moreover, mortgage-free homeownership also increases with age. About 41% of homeowners ages 55-64 owned their home free and clear, compared with 58% of those ages 65-74, 69% of those ages 75-84, and 82% of homeowners age 85 and older. On the other hand, the share of homeowners with a mortgage or loan fell from nearly 59% among ages 55-64 to about 18% among those age 85 and older.

Around half of homeowners 55 or older lived in homes built before 1980, including 24.5% in homes built between 1960 and 1979 and 25.4% in homes built before 1960. Homes built between 1980 and 1999 accounted for the largest share, at 27.4%, while only 22.6% of older households lived in homes built after 2000. This concentration of older homeowners in relatively aging housing stock signals a growing market for remodeling, maintenance and aging-in-place improvements.

Long residential duration was also common among homeowners 55 or older, showing the substantial share of aging in place among older Americans. Overall, around 29% of homeowners had lived in their current home for 30 years or more, while another 23% had lived in their home for 20 to 29 years. Length of residence increased with the age of the homeowner. Among homeowners ages 55-64, 14% had lived in their current home for at least 30 years. This share rose to 32% among homeowners ages 65-74, 43% among those ages 75-84, and 56% among homeowners ages 85 and older.

Older homeowners typically reported lower values for their homes The share reporting home values below $200,000 increased steadily with age, from 24.0% among homeowners ages 55–64 to 29.9% among those age 85 and older. By contrast, the share reporting values of $500,000 or more generally declined with age. Among homeowners ages 55–64, 33.2% reported home values of at least $500,000, compared with 26.6% of homeowners age 85 and older. Although reported home values tended to be lower at older ages, older homeowners were also much more likely to own their homes free and clear. As a result, many continued to hold substantial housing assets even at advanced ages.

Housing cost burdens[1] were generally manageable for homeowners 55 and over, but severe housing cost burdens increased at advanced ages. Overall, about 75% of the households headed by the 55+ population spent less than 30% of their household income on housing cost, while 12.8% spent between 30% and 49.9% and 12% spent 50% or more. The share of severely cost-burdened households, those spending at least half of their income on housing, increased steadily with age, from 9.6% among householders ages 55–64 to 12.3% among those ages 65–74, 14.3% among those ages 75–84, and 18.0% among householders age 85 and older. This pattern coincided with substantially lower household incomes at older ages, as labor force participation and employment rates tend to decline with age. Median household income for homeowners declined from about $105,700 for homeowners ages 55–64 to $45,800 for those age 85 or older.

Taken together, the data show that a large share of the 55+ population stayed in single-family detached homes, while multifamily housing and group quarters became more common among the oldest adults. At the same time, long residential tenure, high rates of mortgage-free home ownership, and the large share of older households in aging housing stock show the importance of remodeling and aging-in-place solutions as the 55+ population continues to grow.

[1] Housing cost burden calculation is for homeowners who report their household income.



This article was originally published by a eyeonhousing.org . Read the Original article here. .

Read More
By
In Research & Trends

Number of Bathrooms in New Single-Family Homes in 2025 – Eye On Housing

No Comments


Single-family homes started construction in 2025 typically had two full bathrooms, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Construction.

A full bathroom, as defined by the Bureau, is one that has a washbasin, a toilet and either a bathtub or shower, or a combination of a bathtub and shower. Homes with two full bathrooms continued to have the largest share of starts followed by homes with three full bathrooms. Homes with four full bathrooms or more and homes with one bathroom or less made up under ten percent of starts each.

In 2025, 63.5% of new single-family homes started had two full bathrooms, down from 65.0% a year earlier. The share of single-family starts with three full bathrooms rose to 23.8%, up from 23.3%. The share of single-family starts with four or more bathrooms increased to 7.8% while the share of homes started with one bathroom or less rose to its highest level since 2012, reaching 4.9%.

Across the U.S., the East South Central division had the highest share at 70.2% of new single-family starts having two full bathrooms, no other division had above a 70% share. The lowest share Census division was the Pacific, with 55.0% of new single-family starts reporting two full bathrooms.

Half-Bathrooms

Most single-family homes started in 2025 had no half-bathrooms at 54.1%. Following closely is the share of new single-family homes with one half-bathroom at 44.4%. New single-family starts with two or more half-bathrooms had a small share of 1.5% in 2025. A half bathroom contains a toilet, bathtub, or shower, but not all facilities to be classified as a full bathroom.

Half-bathrooms are historically more prevalent in the New England Census division as compared to the other eight divisions. In 2025, 66.3% of new single-family homes started in the New England division had at least one half-bathroom. The lowest share occurred in the East South Central division, where only 34.0% of starts had at least one half-bathroom.



This article was originally published by a eyeonhousing.org . Read the Original article here. .

Read More
By
In Research & Trends

Bedrooms in New Single-Family Homes in 2025 – Eye On Housing

No Comments


Three-bedroom single-family homes remained the most common home built with respect to the number of bedrooms. The share of starts for four-bedroom homes declined for the fourth consecutive year but remained well above the shares for two-bedroom or less and five-bedroom or more homes.

Despite three-bedroom homes remaining the most common for new single-family starts, their share edged down to 46.5% from 47.0% in 2024. Four-bedroom homes also declined, falling to 31.7% from 32.4%, the lowest level since 2010. Meanwhile, homes with two bedrooms or less increased to 11.5% from 11.4%, while those with five bedrooms or more rose to 10.3% from 9.2%.

U.S. Divisions

Across U.S. Census Divisions, the share of new single-family homes with four or more bedrooms displays geographic variation. The share ranged from a low of 28.1% in the New England and East North Central division to the highest share of 49.3% in the West South Central division.

Purpose of Construction

The number of bedrooms in new homes also varies depending on the purpose of construction (built-for-sale, contractor-built, owner-built, built-for-rent). Most of this variation comes from the two-bedroom or less homes and four-bedrooms homes. For example, the share of new single-family homes with two bedrooms or less ranges from 6.2% of homes built-for-sale to 32.5% of homes owner-built. Meanwhile, three-bedroom homes and five or more-bedroom homes display relatively little change across purpose of construction. Five or more-bedrooms homes held the smallest share of starts across purpose of construction for all types except for built-for-sale homes.



This article was originally published by a eyeonhousing.org . Read the Original article here. .

Read More
By
In Research & Trends

Share of New Homes with Patios Dips to a Six-Year Low – Eye On Housing

No Comments


The share of new homes with patios dipped below 61% for the first time since 2019, according to NAHB tabulation of data from the Survey of Construction (conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau with partial funding from the Department of Housing and Urban Development). Of the roughly 940,00 single-family homes started during 2025, 60.5% came with patios. This is down from 61.8% in 2024 and marks the lowest percentage since the 59.6% recorded in 2019.

Historically, the share of homes with patios was increasing every year from the end of the Great Recession through 2023 (except in 2015, when it was unchanged). Over the past two years, however, the trend reversed itself, and the share of new homes with patios has started to decline.

Historically, the share of homes with patios was increasing every year from the end of the Great Recession through 2023 (except in 2015, when it was unchanged). Over the past two years, however, the trend reversed itself, and the share of new homes with patios has started to decline. During that time, the geographic pattern of patios on new homes has remained stable for the most part, but in 2025 the share of new homes with patios increased substantially—from 14% in 2024 to 26%—in New England. New England has traditionally been the Census division where patios on new homes are least common, but in 2025 New England edged ahead of the Middle Atlantic, where the percentage held steady at 23%.  At the high end, the top three divisions for new-home patios remained the same in 2025 as they had been the previous year: the West South Central (77%), Mountain Division (74%), and South Atlantic (66%).

Additional detail on the characteristics of new-home patios is available from the Annual Builder Practices Survey (BPS) conducted by Home Innovation Research Labs.

For the U.S. as a whole, the 2026 BPS report (based on homes built in 2025 like the SOC-based statistics cited above) shows that the average size of a new-home patio is about 320 square feet, but with considerable geographic variation. The average is well over 400 square feet in the adjacent East North Central and East South Central divisions. New home patios are considerably smaller on the other side of the Mississippi River, with an average of under 200 square feet in the West South Central, and only a little over 200 square feet in the West North Central division.

In most parts of the country, builders use more poured concrete than any other material in new home patios. Across all nine Census divisions, poured concrete accounts for over 60% of new home patios on a square-foot basis. The only real counterexample continues to be the New England division, where concrete pavers and natural stone each account for more patio square footage than poured concrete, and brick pavers account for almost as much.



This article was originally published by a eyeonhousing.org . Read the Original article here. .

Read More
By
In Research & Trends

Cash Purchases of New Homes Fall to Lowest Share Since 2007 – Eye On Housing

No Comments


New home sales rose in the second quarter but were lower than a year ago, according to the U.S. Census Bureau New Residential Sales release. The share of homes purchased with conventional financing remains high, while the share purchased with Federal Housing Administration (FHA) financing rose to its highest level since early 2021. The share of new homes purchased with cash fell to its lowest share since 2007.

An estimated 170,000 new homes were sold in the second quarter, up from 165,000 in the first but down from 178,000 a year ago. By financing, 123,000 were conventionally financed. Conventional mortgage loans are loans not classified as a VA loan or FHA loan. FHA financed sales were estimated at 33,000. FHA mortgage loans are insured by the Federal Housing Administration. VA financed sales were estimated at 9,000. VA mortgage loans are guaranteed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Cash sales were estimated at 6,000 houses in the second quarter.

As a share of homes sold, 71.9% were conventionally financed, 19.3% of FHA financed, 5.3% were VA financed, and 3.5% were cash purchased. The cash purchase share was the lowest since the fourth quarter of 2007, when 3.4% of homes sold were cash purchases.

Sales Price by Financing

The median sales price of a new home in the second quarter was $410,700, higher than the first quarter ($408,500) but down from a year ago ($416,100). The highest median sales price by financing type was for cash purchases at $467,100, which was closely followed by VA financing at $457,500. Conventional financing has a median sales price of $430,700, while the median sales price for FHA financing was $366,700.



This article was originally published by a eyeonhousing.org . Read the Original article here. .

Read More
By
In Research & Trends

Exterior Material Trends in Single-Family Homes – Eye On Housing

No Comments


Vinyl siding was the most used principle exterior wall material for homes started construction in 2025. This material held just over a quarter share of homes, surpassing stucco for the second time since 2018. The declining share for stucco reflected the slowdown for home building in parts of the Sun Belt.

For homes started in 2025, 27.7% had vinyl siding as the principal exterior wall material. Vinyl siding was followed closely by stucco at 24.1%, and by fiber cement siding (such as Hardiplank or Hardiboard) at 22.6%. Each of these materials held about a quarter share of the market, with another sliver held by brick or brick veneer at 16.8%. Far smaller shares of single-family homes started last year had wood or wood products (5.9%) as the principal exterior wall material, while all other materials had a less than 2% share.

As shown in the graph above, while vinyl has historically held a much larger share, at a high of almost 40% in 2001, the share fell rapidly between 2010 to 2015 by over 10 percentage points. However, this share has remained fairly steady since, at around 25%. Meanwhile, stucco rose rapidly from 17% in 2010 until recently peaking at 28% in 2021.  

However, the strongest trend has been the growing popularity in fiber cement siding, growing in share by almost 20 percentage points in the past 25 years. Also notable is the decline of brick siding, from almost a quarter of homes in 2012, to just under 17% in 2025.

As shown in the dashboard above, exterior material preferences varied by both home size and price. Vinyl siding had the largest market share among smaller homes (under 2,000 square feet), while fiber cement was most common in larger homes (3,000 square feet or more). Stucco was widely used across all home sizes but was most prevalent in midsized homes (2,000–2,999 square feet).

A majority of homes started in 2025 were priced between $250,000-$499,000, where vinyl was most prevalent. Meanwhile, stucco was the most common material in home priced above $500,000.  Interestingly, although brick siding was most common in lower-priced homes, it also had a relatively high market share among larger homes. This apparent contradiction highlights the most important factor influencing exterior material choices: geography.

Climate, regional building practices, material availability, and architectural styles create substantial differences in siding preferences across the country. In 2025, brick or brick veneer was the most common exterior siding material in the West South Central division at 54%. As the South tends to build larger and more affordable homes, this helps explain why brick siding is associated with both larger and lower-priced homes. 

In 2025, vinyl siding was the most widely used primary exterior material in five out of nine census divisions. Vinylsidingwas used on 73% of the new homes started in the Middle Atlantic, 72% in New England, 71% in the East North Central, 47% in the West North Central and the East South Central at 39%. Notably, this was the first time since 2020 that vinyl siding surpassed brick siding in the East South Central division.

Stucco was the most used primary exterior wall material in the Pacific and South Atlantic divisions in 2025, at 65% and 33% of the new single-family homes started in those areas. Fiber Cement siding slightly surpassed stucco this year in the Mountain division with a 42% market share for the first time based on data available back to 2000.

The highest market share for wood exterior siding was in the West North Central division at 23% of homes started in 2025. Meanwhile, stone, concrete block, and other siding materials held similary small shares across all divisions.



This article was originally published by a eyeonhousing.org . Read the Original article here. .

Read More
By
In Research & Trends

Characteristics of Homes in Age-Restricted Communities  – Eye On Housing

No Comments


In 2025, approximately 47,000 homes were built in age-restricted communities, representing 3.45% of all housing starts. According to the Census Bureau’s Survey of Construction, roughly two-thirds of these homes (30,000) were single-family units, while the remaining 17,000 were multifamily units. 

In 2009, during the depths of the housing downturn, builders started only 17,000 homes in age-restricted communities. The volume of construction increased steadily until reaching 60,000 age-restricted starts (roughly evenly split between single-family and multifamily) in 2018. Starts declined during the pandemic but rebounded in 2021 and 2022. Since then, age-restricted construction has fallen along with the broader decline in overall housing starts. 

Age-restricted single-family homes accounted for 3.16% of all single-family housing starts in 2025, unchanged from the previous two years. This share has remained relatively stable since 2009. In contrast, the share of age-restricted multifamily units increased from 3.11% in 2024 to 4.09% in 2025. Even with this increase, the current multifamily share remains well below its peak of roughly 14% in 2010. 

Age-restricted single-family homes carried a noticeable price premium in 2025. The median sales price reached $523,000, about 27% higher than the $412,000 median for non-age-restricted homes. Age-restricted homes tend to be larger, averaging 2,500 square feet versus 2,100 square feet. However, the price per square foot remained elevated at $166.20, compared to $153.30 for non-age-restricted homes. 

Lot values may help explain part of the price difference. Age-restricted homes were typically built on more expensive lots, with a median value of $64,000 compared to $60,000 for non-age-restricted homes. Despite the higher price, these lots were slightly smaller, averaging 0.19 acres versus 0.20 acres. 



This article was originally published by a eyeonhousing.org . Read the Original article here. .

Read More
By
In Research & Trends

Count of Second Homes Declines in 2024 – Eye On Housing

No Comments


In 2024, the number of second homes in the U.S. was 6.2 million, accounting for 4.3% of the nation’s housing stock, according to NAHB estimates. This reflects a modest decline from 2022, when the number reached 6.5 million. This decline suggests some cooling following the pandemic-era surge in second home demand.

Despite the recent decline, second homes remain highly concentrated in a few states. Florida had the largest stock of second homes, with 943,881 units accounting for 15.2% of the national total. Overall, half of the nation’s second homes are located in just eight states: Florida, California, New York, Texas, Michigan, North Carolina, Arizona, and Pennsylvania.

A closer look at county-level data shows that the concentration of second homes is not simply restricted to conventional locations like beachfront areas. In total, 738 counties across all 50 states had second homes making up at least 10% of the local housing stock. Only Washington D.C. was the exception, reporting a second home share of 1.7%. Moreover, 272 counties—around 8% of all counties nationwide—had second homes accounting for at least 20% of housing units.

In some areas, second homes dominate the local housing market. Counties where at least half of their housing stock is second homes were widely spread over in fourteen states. Of these counties, there were three counties in Colorado, two counties in Utah, California, Massachusetts, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania, and one county each in Alaska, Idaho, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, and New York. These national patterns are shown in the interactive map below.

Counties with more than 25,000 second homes are mostly located in or near metropolitan areas.  The top ten counties with the most second homes account for around 11% of second home stocks, most of which are in Arizona, Florida, California, Massachusetts, and New York. Of the top 10 counties regarding absolute numbers of second homes, only two counties (Barnstable County, Massachusetts, and Collier County, Florida) had more than 20% of their housing stock in second homes.

In terms of methodology, this analysis focuses on the number and location of second homes that would qualify for the home mortgage interest deduction by individuals and uses the Census Bureau’s 2024 American Community Survey (ACS). It does not account for homes held primarily for investment or business purposes.

NAHB estimates are based on the definition used for home mortgage interest deduction: a second home is a non-rental property that is not classified as taxpayer’s principal residence. Examples could be: (1) a home that used to be a primary residence due to a move or a period of simultaneous ownership of two homes due to a move; (2) a home under construction for which the eventual homeowner acts as the builder and obtains a construction loan (Treasury regulations permit up to 24 months of interest deductibility for such construction loans); or (3) a non-rental seasonal or vacation residence. However, homes under construction are not included in this analysis because the ACS does not collect data on units under construction.



This article was originally published by a eyeonhousing.org . Read the Original article here. .

Read More
By
Load More
Pin It