New home sales held near 676,000 in September as builders trimmed inventory
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Sales of new single-family homes ran at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 676,000 in September, 0.6 percent below August's revised 680,000, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development reported October 27. Sales were 5.3 percent below September 2025. Neither change is statistically significant, because the monthly sales estimate carries a wide margin of error.
August was revised down slightly, from the 684,000 first reported in last month's release.
Prices told a split story. The median sales price was $400,400, up 3.9 percent from August's $385,400 and down 3.9 percent from $416,800 a year earlier, but both changes fall within the margin of error. The average price, which large sales at the top pull higher, was $472,800. That is 6.7 percent below September 2025's $506,800, a drop the bureau counts as statistically significant.
Most new homes sold for less than $500,000. In September, 31 percent sold for $300,000 to $399,999, the most common range, and 20 percent sold for less than $300,000. Another 19 percent went for $400,000 to $499,999. About 4 percent sold for $1 million or more.
Builders had 476,000 new homes for sale at the end of September, down 1.0 percent from August, a decline the bureau counts as statistically significant. At the current sales pace, that is 8.4 months of supply. Of those homes, 111,000 were already finished, down from 122,000 a year earlier. Another 250,000 were under construction and 115,000 had not been started.
By region, the South sold homes at an estimated annual rate of 413,000, down from 442,000 in August, and still accounts for about 61 percent of new home sales. The West rose to 142,000 from 117,000, the Midwest dipped to 89,000 from 96,000, and the Northeast rose to 32,000 from 25,000. Regional estimates have even wider margins of error than the national total.
The bureau notes it takes about four months of data to establish a trend in new home sales. Construction is pointing lower: single-family permits fell in September to their lowest rate since March 2023, as our report on September's housing starts and permits showed. For what existing homes are worth, see median home value by state.
The October new home sales report is scheduled for November 25.
Sources
U.S. Census Bureau and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Monthly New Residential Sales, September 2026, release CB26-174, October 27, 2026, including Table 1a (sales by region), Table 2 (sales by price range, not seasonally adjusted), and Table 3a (homes for sale by stage of construction). Statements about statistical significance follow the bureau's 90 percent confidence intervals.
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How many new homes sold in September 2026?
New single-family home sales ran at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 676,000 in September 2026, 0.6 percent below August's revised 680,000 and 5.3 percent below September 2025. Neither change was statistically significant.
What was the median price of a new home in September 2026?
The median sales price of new homes sold in September 2026 was $400,400, up 3.9 percent from August and down 3.9 percent from a year earlier. The average price was $472,800, a significant 6.7 percent drop from a year earlier.
When is the next new home sales report?
The Census Bureau and HUD are scheduled to release October 2026 new home sales on November 25, 2026. That report will also revise the September estimate, which the bureau labels preliminary.
