U.S. Housing Market
Latest data: September 17, 2026 · Updated automatically from official sources
Housing sits at the intersection of interest rates, construction and household wealth. A swing in the 30-year mortgage rate reshapes affordability faster than almost any other price in the economy, while building permits and housing starts are among the most-watched leading indicators of broader economic activity.
Latest readings
- 30-Yr Mortgage Rate was 6.95% as of Sep 17, 2026, up 0.19 percentage points from the prior reading, versus 6.35% a year earlier — the highest since January 2025.
- Home Prices was up 1.5% year over year in June 2026, compared with 1.2% in the prior period and 1.9% a year earlier.
- Housing Starts was 1.28M as of August 2026, down 2.6% from the prior reading and down 1.2% from a year earlier.
- Building Permits was 1.39M as of August 2026, down 2.7% from the prior reading and up 3.5% from a year earlier.
- Existing Home Sales was 3,980.00M as of August 2026, down 2.0% from the prior reading and down 1.2% from a year earlier — the lowest reading since records in this series began in 2025.
30-year fixed mortgage rate
Housing starts & permits
Home price growth
Recent readings
| Period | 30-yr mortgage rate (month-end) | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 2026 | 6.95% | +0.29 pp |
| Aug 2026 | 6.66% | 0.00 pp |
| Jul 2026 | 6.66% | +0.17 pp |
| Jun 2026 | 6.49% | -0.04 pp |
| May 2026 | 6.53% | +0.23 pp |
| Apr 2026 | 6.30% | -0.08 pp |
| Mar 2026 | 6.38% | +0.40 pp |
| Feb 2026 | 5.98% | -0.12 pp |
| Jan 2026 | 6.10% | -0.05 pp |
| Dec 2025 | 6.15% | -0.08 pp |
| Nov 2025 | 6.23% | +0.06 pp |
| Oct 2025 | 6.17% | -0.13 pp |
| Sep 2025 | 6.30% | — |
Key statistics
| Indicator | Latest | Year ago | 5-yr avg | Long-run avg | Record high | Record low | Data since |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30-Yr Mortgage Rate | 6.95% | 6.35% | 6.18% | 7.68% | 18.63% (Oct 1981) | 2.65% (Jan 2021) | 1971 |
| Home Prices (YoY) | 1.5% | 1.9% | 7.2% | 4.4% | 20.8% (Mar 2022) | -12.8% (Feb 2009) | 1988 |
| Housing Starts (ann.) | 1.28M | 1.29M | 1.43M | 1.43M | 2.49M (Jan 1972) | 478K (Apr 2009) | 1959 |
| Building Permits (ann.) | 1.39M | 1.35M | 1.53M | 1.37M | 2.42M (Dec 1972) | 513K (Mar 2009) | 1960 |
| Existing Home Sales (ann.) | 3,980.00M | 4,030.00M | 4,087.69M | 4,087.69M | 4,270.00M (Dec 2025) | 3,980.00M (Aug 2026) | 2025 |
How the housing indicators fit together
The housing data on econHQ follow a home from approval to sale. Building permits are issued before construction can start, so they lead housing starts by weeks to months. New homes then compete with the much larger pool of existing homes listed for resale. Prices, measured by the Case-Shiller index, reflect the balance between that supply and buyer demand — and demand is shaped above all by mortgage rates.
Why mortgage rates dominate affordability
Most U.S. buyers finance their homes with a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage, so the rate determines the monthly payment for decades. Because the rate applies to the entire loan balance, a one-percentage-point move in rates changes the monthly principal-and-interest payment on a typical loan by roughly 10% to 12%. Rates track the 10-year Treasury yield plus a spread that widens when lenders and investors see more risk. See the mortgage rates page for a payment comparison at today’s rate.
Housing as a leading indicator
Residential investment is a relatively small share of GDP, but it is one of the most interest-rate-sensitive parts of the economy and tends to turn down before broader activity does. Falling permits and starts have preceded most U.S. recessions, which is why building permits are a component of the leading indicators tracked on our leading economic indicators page.
Frequently asked questions
Are home prices still rising?
The Case-Shiller national index’s year-over-year change, shown in the summary above, tells you whether prices are higher than a year ago nationally. Local markets can differ sharply from the national trend.
What is a seasonally adjusted annual rate?
Housing starts and home sales are reported as the number of units that would be built or sold over a full year if the current month’s pace continued, after removing normal seasonal patterns such as the spring selling season.
Related data
Data are retrieved automatically from the original statistical agencies (via the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis FRED database) and may be revised by the source. Year-over-year changes are calculated by econHQ. See About & methodology for details.