New Home Sales Jump 6.4% in August to 684,000 Annualized Units
Key Facts
U.S. new-home sales in August 2026 reached a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 684,000 units, up 6.4% from July, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development. The reading was above July’s revised level of 643,000 units, but remained 2.0% below August 2025 sales of 698,000 units. The month-to-month comparison showed an improvement in the pace of sales, while the annual total remained below its year-earlier level. The Census Bureau scheduled the release of September 2026 data for October 27. This falls in the week of the Federal Open Market Committee meeting on October 27 and 28, with the press conference scheduled for October 28 at 2:30 p.m. local time.
There were 483,000 new homes for sale at the end of August, equivalent to 8.5 months of supply at the current sales pace, according to the Census Bureau and HUD. This inventory puts the size of available supply in the context of the sales pace recorded during the month, with the months-of-supply figure estimating how long inventory would last if sales continued at the current rate. At the same time, the median price of new homes sold fell to $393,700 in August. The median price was 0.4% above July’s $392,200, but 5.8% below $417,900 in August 2025. These figures describe price movements on a monthly and annual basis, alongside the breadth of supply relative to the sales pace.
In a broader measure of home prices, the national S&P Cotality Case-Shiller index rose 1.9% year over year in July 2026, compared with a 1.6% increase in June, according to S&P Dow Jones Indices. This reading covers July and therefore does not represent an update on home prices in September. On the construction side, privately owned housing starts fell in September to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,221,000 units, down 5.2% from the revised August estimate of 1,288,000 units. Starts also fell 7.4% from September 2025, when they totaled 1,319,000 units. These figures provide separate context on construction activity alongside the new-home sales data.
Privately owned housing units authorized by building permits reached a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,400,000 in September, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Permits fell 0.2% from the revised August rate of 1,403,000, and were also 3.0% below the September 2025 level of 1,444,000. These data add to the picture of construction activity, while differing from the new-home sales figure, which covers sales transactions rather than permits. On the near-term calendar, the Federal Reserve holds its meeting on October 27 and 28, with its calendar listing the press conference at 2:30 p.m. on the second day. The Mortgage Bankers Association also recorded the release of its weekly mortgage applications survey on October 28.