Statistics · 2026 · Real Estate
Housing Starts Statistics (2026)
U.S. housing starts ran at a 1,275,000 seasonally adjusted annual rate in August 2026 — −2.6% from July and −1.2% from August 2025, per Census. Single-family starts were 918,000. That pace is about 51% of the January 1972 record high on the FRED HOUST series.
Key takeaways
- August 2026 housing starts: 1,275,000 SAAR, −2.6% month over month and −1.2% year over year (Census CB26-147).
- Single-family starts: 918,000 (72% of the total); five-or-more-unit starts: 344,000.
- Permits were 1,394,000 SAAR in August — starts ran at about 91% of that permit pace.
- Trailing-12-month average starts ~1,346,750, −2.1% versus the prior 12 months.
- FRED HOUST peak 2,494,000 (Jan 1972); trough 478,000 (Apr 2009).
What are the latest U.S. housing starts?
Privately owned housing starts were 1,275,000 SAAR in August 2026, -2.6% from a revised July 1,309,000 and -1.2% from August 2025's 1,291,000, per Census release CB26-147. Figures are seasonally adjusted annual rates See the tables and sources on this page.
1. Housing starts: 1,275,000 SAAR in August 2026
The Census New Residential Construction, August 2026 (CB26-147) put privately owned housing starts at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,275,000 in August 2026. That is −2.6% (±12.0%) from the revised July estimate of 1,309,000 and −1.2% (±10.8%) from August 2025’s 1,291,000.
2. Month-to-month change: −2.6% from July
Census flags wide sampling error on monthly starts. The −2.6% change versus July carries a ±12.0% band in the release, so one month alone is a noisy signal for builders or investors.
3. Year-over-year starts: −1.2%
Versus August 2025’s 1,291,000 SAAR, August 2026 starts were −1.2% (±10.8%). That modest decline sits against a still-elevated mortgage-rate backdrop elsewhere on WealthyBud’s rate pages.
| Measure | August 2026 | vs July 2026 | vs August 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing starts (total) | 1,275,000 | −2.6% | −1.2% |
| Single-family starts | 918,000 | +7.6% | n/a on this page |
| Starts in buildings with 5+ units | 344,000 | n/a on this page | n/a on this page |
| Building permits (total) | 1,394,000 | −2.7% | +3.5% |
| Single-family permits | 878,000 | n/a on this page | n/a on this page |
| Housing completions (total) | 1,128,000 | −11.9% | −27.1% |
| Single-family completions | 816,000 | n/a on this page | n/a on this page |
How are single-family and multifamily starts splitting?
Single-family starts rose to 918,000 in August (+7.6% from July's 853,000), about 72% of all starts. Buildings with five or more units started at 344,000, about 27% of the total See the tables and sources on this page See the tables and sources on this page.
4. Single-family starts: 918,000 (72% of the total)
Single-family starts rose to 918,000 in August, +7.6% (±14.0%) from July’s revised 853,000. That is 72% of all August starts (WealthyBud arithmetic on the Census levels).
5. Five-or-more-unit starts: 344,000 (~27% of starts)
The August rate for units in buildings with five units or more was 344,000, about 27% of the 1,275,000 total. The release does not print a month-over-month percent for that category in the paragraph WealthyBud pinned, so this page leaves that cell blank.
6. Single-family rebound from a weak July
July single-family starts were revised to 853,000. August’s jump to 918,000 recovered some of that soft print even while the headline total slipped −2.6% on sampling noise and mix.
For metro permit volume rather than national starts, see new construction statistics. That companion page ranks CBSAs on Census Building Permits Survey counts; this page stays with the national NRC starts series.
How do housing starts compare with building permits?
Building permits were 1,394,000 SAAR in August (-2.7% month over month, +3.5% year over year). Starts equaled about 91% of that permit rate. Completions were 1,128,000, -27.1% from a year earlier See the tables and sources on this page See the tables and sources on this page.
7. Building permits: 1,394,000 SAAR in August 2026
Privately owned units authorized by building permits ran at 1,394,000 SAAR in August — −2.7% from revised July 1,433,000 and +3.5% from August 2025’s 1,347,000, per the same Census release.
8. Single-family permits: 878,000
Single-family authorizations were 878,000 in August. Permits lead starts in the pipeline: a permit authorizes work, while a start counts when excavation for footings or foundation begins (Census Survey of Construction definitions).
9. Starts were about 91% of the August permit pace
Dividing August starts (1,275,000) by August permits (1,394,000) gives about 0.91, or roughly 91% (WealthyBud arithmetic). That ratio moves month to month as projects clear from authorization into groundbreaking.
10. Completions: 1,128,000, −27.1% from a year earlier
Privately owned housing completions were 1,128,000 SAAR in August — −11.9% from revised July 1,280,000 and −27.1% (±8.9%) from August 2025’s 1,548,000. Single-family completions were 816,000.
| Landmark | Level | August 2026 vs landmark |
|---|---|---|
| August 2026 starts (Census / FRED) | 1,275,000 | — |
| Record high (Jan 1972) | 2,494,000 | 51% of peak |
| Record low (Apr 2009) | 478,000 | 2.7× trough |
| Trailing 12-month average | 1,346,750 | −2.1% vs prior 12 months |
| Starts ÷ permits (Aug 2026) | 0.91 | Permits 1,394,000 |
Completions still finishing from an earlier, hotter starts period can keep local inventory elevated even when new starts look soft. Investors should read starts, permits and completions together, then check metro inventory pages before underwriting rent growth.
How do today’s starts compare with history?
August 2026 starts are about 51% of the January 1972 FRED HOUST peak (2,494,000) and about 2.7 times the April 2009 trough (478,000). The trailing 12-month average is near 1,346,750 units See the tables and sources on this page See the tables and sources on this page.
11. Record high: 2,494,000 starts in January 1972
On the FRED HOUST (Census housing starts) series WealthyBud stores, the highest monthly SAAR is 2494.0 thousand units (2,494,000) in January 1972. August 2026’s 1,275,000 is about 51% of that peak.
12. Record low: 478,000 starts in April 2009
The series trough is 478.0 thousand (478,000) in April 2009. August 2026 runs about 2.7 times that crisis low on the same FRED file.
13. Trailing 12-month average near 1,346,750
The mean of the latest 12 monthly SAAR values (September 2025 through August 2026) is about 1,346,750 units, −2.1% versus the prior 12 months (~1,375,167).
14. 1970s decade average near 1.76 million
Grouping FRED HOUST by decade, the 1970s average monthly SAAR is about 1,758,000 units across 120 months. The 2010s averaged near 994,000; the 2020s (80 months through August 2026) average about 1,440,000.
| Decade | Average monthly SAAR | Highest month | Lowest month | Months in sample |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1,406,575 | 1,820,000 | 843,000 | 120 |
| 1970s | 1,758,142 | 2,494,000 | 904,000 | 120 |
| 1980s | 1,497,933 | 2,260,000 | 837,000 | 120 |
| 1990s | 1,372,358 | 1,792,000 | 798,000 | 120 |
| 2000s | 1,536,867 | 2,273,000 | 478,000 | 120 |
| 2010s | 993,642 | 1,548,000 | 517,000 | 120 |
| 2020s | 1,440,100 | 1,807,000 | 936,000 | 80 |
FRED’s HOUST series is the Census SAAR expressed in thousands of units, monthly back to 1959. WealthyBud’s on-disk copy in history.json runs through August 2026 and matches the Census August print (1,275). Decade averages in the table convert those thousands back to unit counts.
Recent months on that file show the noise around the August print: March 2026 at 1,522,000, May at 1,182,000, June at 1,439,000, July at 1,309,000, then August at 1,275,000. Use trailing averages when a single month whipsaws.
What this means for investors
A starts rate near 1,275,000 with single-family at 918,000 points to modest new supply versus mid-2000s peaks. Completions still lag prior-year levels, so pipeline timing matters as much as the headline starts print for local markets See the tables and sources on this page.
15. National starts near 1,275,000 are well below mid-2000s peaks
August 2026’s 1,275,000 SAAR is far under the mid-2000s peaks near 2.2 million on FRED HOUST and about 51% of the 1972 record. That is a national backdrop, not a metro oversupply verdict.
16. Single-family is 72% of current starts
With single-family at 918,000 of 1,275,000, most new groundbreaking is still houses, not large multifamily buildings. Local competition still depends on what is finishing and listing in each CBSA.
17. Completions remain −27.1% year over year
Completions at 1,128,000 are −27.1% from August 2025, so homes delivering now still reflect an earlier starts wave. Inventory and absorption at the metro level matter more than the national starts headline alone.
National starts set the backdrop; local inventory and permits decide competition for a rental or flip. Pair this page with housing inventory statistics, new construction statistics, and metro lists such as inventory above 2019, cheapest places to buy a house, and where people are moving. None of these national prints alone says whether a specific CBSA is oversupplied.
Builders, lenders and investors should treat the ±12% monthly band on starts as a reminder that one release is not a trend. The trailing-12-month average near 1,346,750 and the −2.1% change versus the prior year give a smoother read than August alone. When underwriting, pull the metro’s permit count, active listings and days on market from WealthyBud market pages instead of scaling the national SAAR by population.
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