The average price per square foot of floor space in new single-family housing in the United States decreased after the great financial crisis, followed by several years of stagnation. Since 2012, the price has continuously risen, hitting ****** U.S. dollars per square foot in 2024. In 2024, the average sales price of a new home exceeded ******* U.S. dollars. Development of house sales in the U.S. One of the reasons for rising property prices is the gradual growth of house sales between 2011 and 2020. This period was marked by the gradual recovery following the subprime mortgage crisis and a growing housing sentiment. Another significant factor for the housing demand was the growing number of new household formations each year. Despite this trend, housing transactions plummeted in 2021, amid soaring prices and borrowing costs. In 2021, the average construction cost for single-family housing rose by nearly ** percent year-on-year, and in 2022, the increase was even higher, at close to ** percent. Financing a house purchase Mortgage interest rates in the U.S. rose dramatically in 2022 and remained elevated until 2024. In 2020, a homebuyer could lock in a 30-year fixed interest rate of under ***** percent, whereas in 2024, the average rate for the same mortgage type was more than twice higher. That has led to a decline in homebuyer sentiment, and an increasing share of the population pessimistic about buying a home in the current market.

The average sales price of new homes in the United States experienced a slight decrease in 2024, dropping to 512,2000 U.S. dollars from the peak of 521,500 U.S. dollars in 2022. This decline came after years of substantial price increases, with the average price surpassing 400,000 U.S. dollars for the first time in 2021. The recent cooling in the housing market reflects broader economic trends and changing consumer sentiment towards homeownership. Factors influencing home prices and affordability The rapid rise in home prices over the past few years has been driven by several factors, including historically low mortgage rates and increased demand during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the market has since slowed down, with the number of home sales declining by over two million between 2021 and 2023. This decline can be attributed to rising mortgage rates and decreased affordability. The Housing Affordability Index hit a record low of 98.1 in 2023, indicating that the median-income family could no longer afford a median-priced home. Future outlook for the housing market Despite the recent cooling, experts forecast a potential recovery in the coming years. The Freddie Mac House Price Index showed a growth of 6.5 percent in 2023, which is still above the long-term average of 4.4 percent since 1990. However, homebuyer sentiment remains low across all age groups, with people aged 45 to 64 expressing the most pessimistic outlook. The median sales price of existing homes is expected to increase slightly until 2025, suggesting that affordability challenges may persist in the near future.

Graph and download economic data for Average Sales Price of Houses Sold for the United States (ASPUS) from Q1 1963 to Q2 2025 about sales, housing, and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Median Sales Price of Houses Sold for the United States (MSPUS) from Q1 1963 to Q2 2025 about sales, median, housing, and USA.

The U.S. housing market has seen significant price growth since 2011, with the median sales price of existing single-family homes reaching a record high of ******* U.S. dollars in 2024. This represents a substantial increase of ******* over the past five years, highlighting the rapid appreciation of home values across the country. The trend of rising prices can also be observed in the new homes sold. Regional variations and housing shortage While the national median price provides a broad overview, regional differences in home prices are notable. The West remains the most expensive region, with prices twice higher than in the more affordable Midwest. This disparity persists despite efforts to increase housing supply. In 2024, approximately ******* building permits for single-family housing units were granted, showing a slight increase from previous years but still well below the 2005 peak of **** million permits. The ongoing housing shortage continues to drive prices upward across all regions. Market dynamics and future outlook The number of existing home sales has plummeted since 2020, reflecting the growing cost of homeownership. Factors such as high home prices, unfavorable economic conditions, and aggressive increases in mortgage rates have contributed to affordability challenges for many potential homebuyers. Despite these challenges, forecasts suggest a potential recovery in the housing market by 2025, though transaction volumes are expected to remain below long-term averages.

Key information about House Prices Growth

• US house prices grew 3.3% YoY in Sep 2025, following an increase of 4.1% YoY in the previous quarter.
• YoY growth data is updated quarterly, available from Mar 1992 to Sep 2025, with an average growth rate of -12.4%.
• House price data reached an all-time high of 17.7% in Sep 2021 and a record low of -12.4% in Dec 2008.

The year-end value of the S&P Case Shiller National Home Price Index amounted to 321.45 in 2024. The index value was equal to 100 as of January 2000, so if the index value is equal to 130 in a given year, for example, it means that the house prices increased by 30 percent since 2000. S&P/Case Shiller U.S. home indices – additional informationThe S&P Case Shiller National Home Price Index is calculated on a monthly basis and is based on the prices of single-family homes in nine U.S. Census divisions: New England, Middle Atlantic, East North Central, West North Central, South Atlantic, East South Central, West South Central, Mountain and Pacific. The index is the leading indicator of the American housing market and one of the indicators of the state of the broader economy. The index illustrates the trend of home prices and can be helpful during house purchase decisions. When house prices are rising, a house buyer might want to speed up the house purchase decision as the transaction costs can be much higher in the future. The S&P Case Shiller National Home Price Index has been on the rise since 2011.The S&P Case Shiller National Home Price Index is one of the indices included in the S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Index Series. Other indices are the S&P/Case Shiller 20-City Composite Home Price Index, the S&P/Case Shiller 10-City Composite Home Price Index and twenty city composite indices.

Graph and download economic data for Real Residential Property Prices for United States (QUSR628BIS) from Q1 1970 to Q2 2025 about residential, HPI, housing, real, price index, indexes, price, and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Housing Inventory: Median Listing Price per Square Feet in the United States (MEDLISPRIPERSQUFEEUS) from Jul 2016 to Oct 2025 about square feet, listing, median, price, and USA.

The U.S. housing market has slowed, after ** consecutive years of rising home prices. In 2021, house prices surged by an unprecedented ** percent, marking the highest increase on record. However, the market has since cooled, with the Freddie Mac House Price Index showing more modest growth between 2022 and 2024. In 2024, home prices increased by *** percent. That was lower than the long-term average of *** percent since 1990. Impact of mortgage rates on homebuying The recent cooling in the housing market can be partly attributed to rising mortgage rates. After reaching a record low of **** percent in 2021, the average annual rate on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage more than doubled in 2023. This significant increase has made homeownership less affordable for many potential buyers, contributing to a substantial decline in home sales. Despite these challenges, forecasts suggest a potential recovery in the coming years. How much does it cost to buy a house in the U.S.? In 2023, the median sales price of an existing single-family home reached a record high of over ******* U.S. dollars. Newly built homes were even pricier, despite a slight decline in the median sales price in 2023. Naturally, home prices continue to vary significantly across the country, with West Virginia being the most affordable state for homebuyers.

Graph and download economic data for All-Transactions House Price Index for the United States (USSTHPI) from Q1 1975 to Q3 2025 about appraisers, HPI, housing, price index, indexes, price, and USA.

These dataset contains supply-demand factors that influence US home prices from past 20 years. This data are categorized into two datasets: Supply and Demand. 

Supply File

Demand File

United States Freddie Mac House Price Index: Pennsylvania data was reported at 173.504 Dec2000=100 in Sep 2018. This records a decrease from the previous number of 174.576 Dec2000=100 for Aug 2018. United States Freddie Mac House Price Index: Pennsylvania data is updated monthly, averaging 87.872 Dec2000=100 from Jan 1975 (Median) to Sep 2018, with 525 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 175.581 Dec2000=100 in Jul 2018 and a record low of 28.981 Dec2000=100 in Jan 1975. United States Freddie Mac House Price Index: Pennsylvania data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, Freddie Mac. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United States – Table US.EB016: Freddie Mac House Price Index: Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp.

VITAL SIGNS INDICATOR
Home Prices (EC7)

FULL MEASURE NAME
Home Prices

LAST UPDATED
December 2022

DESCRIPTION
Home prices refer to the cost of purchasing one’s own house or condominium. While a significant share of residents may choose to rent, home prices represent a primary driver of housing affordability in a given region, county or city.

DATA SOURCE
Zillow: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI) - http://www.zillow.com/research/data/
2000-2021

California Department of Finance: E-4 Historical Population Estimates for Cities, Counties, and the State - https://dof.ca.gov/forecasting/demographics/estimates/
2000-2021

US Census Population and Housing Unit Estimates - https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest.html
2000-2021

Bureau of Labor Statistics: Consumer Price Index - http://data.bls.gov
2000-2021

US Census ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) - https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/geography/guidance/geo-areas/zctas.html
2020 Census Blocks

CONTACT INFORMATION
vitalsigns.info@bayareametro.gov

METHODOLOGY NOTES (across all datasets for this indicator)
Housing price estimates at the regional-, county-, city- and zip code-level come from analysis of individual home sales by Zillow based upon transaction records. Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI) is a smoothed, seasonally adjusted measure of the typical home value and market changes across a given region and housing type. It reflects the typical value for homes in the 35th to 65th percentile range. ZHVI is computed from public record transaction data as reported by counties. All standard real estate transactions are included in this metric, including REO sales and auctions. Zillow makes a substantial effort to remove transactions not typically considered a standard sale. Examples of these include bank takeovers of foreclosed properties, title transfers after a death or divorce and non arms-length transactions. Zillow defines all homes as single-family residential, condominium and co-operative homes with a county record. Single-family residences are detached, which means the home is an individual structure with its own lot. Condominiums are units that can be owned in a multi-unit complex, such as an apartment building. Co-operative homes are slightly different from condominiums in that the homeowners own shares in the corporation that owns the building, not the actual units themselves.

For metropolitan area comparison values, the Bay Area metro area’s median home sale price is the population-weighted average of the nine counties’ median home prices. Data is adjusted for inflation using Bureau of Labor Statistics metropolitan statistical area (MSA)-specific series. Inflation-adjusted data are presented to illustrate how home prices have grown relative to overall price increases; that said, the use of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) does create some challenges given the fact that housing represents a major chunk of consumer goods bundle used to calculate CPI. This reflects a methodological tradeoff between precision and accuracy and is a common concern when working with any commodity that is a major component of the CPI itself.

Case Shiller Home Price Index in the United States decreased to 338.25 points in September from 339.99 points in August of 2025. This dataset provides the latest reported value for - United States S&P Case-Shiller Home Price Index - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news.

United States Freddie Mac House Price Index: North Carolina data was reported at 158.962 Dec2000=100 in Sep 2018. This records an increase from the previous number of 158.570 Dec2000=100 for Aug 2018. United States Freddie Mac House Price Index: North Carolina data is updated monthly, averaging 84.574 Dec2000=100 from Jan 1975 (Median) to Sep 2018, with 525 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 158.962 Dec2000=100 in Sep 2018 and a record low of 28.370 Dec2000=100 in Jan 1975. United States Freddie Mac House Price Index: North Carolina data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, Freddie Mac. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United States – Table US.EB016: Freddie Mac House Price Index: Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp.

The average price per square foot of floor space in new single-family houses in North-east, United States increased from 2000 to 2021. In 2021, the average price for a new single-family house in that region was approximately *** U.S. dollars per square foot of floor space.

The S&P Case Shiller Minneapolis Home Price Index has increased steadily in recent years. The index measures changes in the prices of existing single-family homes. The index value was equal to 100 as of January 2000, so if the index value is equal to *** in a given month, for example, it means that the house prices have increased by ** percent since 2000. The value of the S&P Case Shiller Minneapolis Home Price Index amounted to ****** in August 2024. That was below the national average.

Graph and download economic data for All-Transactions House Price Index for Los Angeles County, CA (ATNHPIUS06037A) from 1975 to 2024 about Los Angeles County, CA; Los Angeles; CA; HPI; housing; price index; indexes; price; and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI) for All Homes Including Single-Family Residences, Condos, and CO-OPs in the United States of America (USAUCSFRCONDOSMSAMID) from Jan 2000 to Sep 2025 about 1-unit structures, family, residential, housing, indexes, and USA.