U.S. New Home Sales at 676,000 Annual Pace in September: Down 0.6% but Above Expectations, Median Price $400,400
Washington, D.C. — The U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) reported on October 27 that new single-family home sales in September 2026 ran at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 676,000, down 0.6% from August's revised pace of 680,000 (initially reported as 684,000) but above market expectations. Sales were 5.3% below the year-earlier level.
The median sales price was $400,400, up 3.9% from August but still below the year-earlier level, as was the average price. Monthly median prices are sensitive to the mix of homes sold, so the rebound does not by itself signal broad price strength.
At the end of September, 476,000 new homes were available for sale, equal to 8.4 months of supply at the current sales pace, slightly lower than before but above the 8.2 months recorded a year earlier. Regionally, the South posted the largest monthly decline, down about 29,000 units, partly offset by a gain of about 25,000 in the West; year over year, the West accounted for the largest share of the national decline.
Major builders reporting last week described margin pressure, greater selectivity on markets, and heavier use of incentives such as mortgage-rate buydowns. PulteGroup CEO Ryan Marshall said the rapid increase in interest rates had stretched affordability further, made selling an existing home harder, and pushed more consumers to the sidelines. The National Association of Realtors previously reported existing-home sales rising 1.5% in September to an annual rate of 3.99 million.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：在建新屋木构架施工资料图，摄于Michigan州Pittsfield Township（Dwight Burdette，CC BY 3.0，Wikimedia Commons） / A new house under construction in Pittsfield Township, Michigan. Photo: Dwight Burdette, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
