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.

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 All-Transactions House Price Index for California (CASTHPI) from Q1 1975 to Q1 2025 about appraisers, CA, HPI, housing, price index, indexes, price, and USA.

In 2023, the German house price index was almost 149.2 percent, based on preliminary figures. This was an increase of around 49 percent compared to the index year of 2015.

Graph and download economic data for All-Transactions House Price Index for Massachusetts (MASTHPI) from Q1 1975 to Q1 2025 about MA, appraisers, HPI, housing, price index, indexes, price, and USA.

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 168 U.S. dollars per square foot in 2022. In 2024, the average sales price of a new home exceeded 500,000 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 12 percent year-on-year, and in 2022, the increase was even higher, at close to 17 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 three 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.

Housing Index in Germany increased to 217.43 points in April from 217.41 points in March of 2025. This dataset provides the latest reported value for - Germany House Price Index - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news.

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Graph and download economic data for Commercial Real Estate Prices for United States (COMREPUSQ159N) from Q1 2005 to Q3 2024 about real estate, commercial, rate, and USA.

Key information about House Prices Growth

• New Zealand house prices dropped 0.9% YoY in Sep 2024, following an increase of 1.5% YoY in the previous quarter.
• YoY growth data is updated quarterly, available from Dec 1990 to Sep 2024, with an average growth rate of 5.3%.
• House price data reached an all-time high of 30.5% in Sep 2021 and a record low of -12.1% in Mar 2023.

The homeownership rate in the United States declined slightly in 2023 and remained stable in 2024. The U.S. homeownership rate was the highest in 2004 before the 2007-2009 recession hit and decimated the housing market. In 2024, the proportion of households occupied by owners stood at 65.7 percent in 2024, 3.5 percentage points below 2004 levels. Homeownership since the recession The rate of homeownership in the U.S. fell in the lead up to the recession and continued to do so until 2016. Despite this trend, the share of Americans who perceived homeownership as part of their personal American dream remained relatively stable. This suggests that the financial hardship caused by the recession led to the fall in homeownership, rather than a change in opinion about the importance of homeownership itself. What the future holds for homeownership Homeownership trends vary from generation to generation. Homeownership among Americans over 65 years old is declining, whereas most Millennial renters plan to buy a home in the near future. This suggests that homeownership will remain important in the future, as Millennials are forecast to head most households over the next two decades.

The number of home sales in the United States peaked in 2021 at almost seven million after steadily rising since 2018. Nevertheless, the market contracted in the following year, with transaction volumes falling to 4.8 million. Home sales remained muted in 2024, with a mild increase expected in 2025 and 2026. A major factor driving this trend is the unprecedented increase in mortgage interest rates due to high inflation. How have U.S. home prices developed over time? The average sales price of new homes has also been rising since 2011. Buyer confidence seems to have recovered after the property crash, which has increased demand for homes and also the prices sellers are demanding for homes. At the same time, the affordability of U.S. homes has decreased. Both the number of existing and newly built homes sold has declined since the housing market boom during the coronavirus pandemic. Challenges in housing supply The number of housing units in the U.S. rose steadily between 1975 and 2005 but has remained fairly stable since then. Construction increased notably in the 1990s and early 2000s, with the number of construction starts steadily rising, before plummeting amid the infamous housing market crash. Housing starts slowly started to pick up in 2011, mirroring the economic recovery. In 2022, the supply of newly built homes plummeted again, as supply chain challenges following the COVID-19 pandemic and tariffs on essential construction materials such as steel and lumber led to prices soaring.

Hong Kong GDP: PC: 1990p: DM: Rent, Rates, Water & Housing Maintenance data was reported at 67,267.000 HKD mn in 2000. This records an increase from the previous number of 64,965.000 HKD mn for 1999. Hong Kong GDP: PC: 1990p: DM: Rent, Rates, Water & Housing Maintenance data is updated yearly, averaging 51,314.000 HKD mn from Dec 1986 (Median) to 2000, with 15 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 67,267.000 HKD mn in 2000 and a record low of 31,029.000 HKD mn in 1986. Hong Kong GDP: PC: 1990p: DM: Rent, Rates, Water & Housing Maintenance data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Census and Statistics Department. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Hong Kong – Table HK.A139: GDP: Private Consumption Expenditure: 1990 Price (Annual).

The number of housing units in the United States has grown year-on-year and in 2024, there were approximately 147 million homes. That was an increase of about one percent from the previous year. Homeownership in the U.S. Most of the housing stock in the U.S. is owner-occupied, meaning that the person who owns the home uses it as a primary residence. Homeownership is an integral part of the American Dream, with about two in three Americans living in an owner-occupied home. For older generations, the homeownership rate is even higher, showing that buying a home is an important milestone in life. Housing transactions slowing down During the coronavirus pandemic, the U.S. experienced a housing market boom and witnessed an increase in the number of homes sold. Since 2020, when the market peaked, new homes transactions have slowed down and so have the sales of existing homes. That has affected the development of home prices, with several states across the country experiencing a decline in house prices.

House prices in the Netherlands had been on an upward trend for nearly nine years, before starting to decline for most of 2023. In December 2023, the average house price rose by 1.6 percent from the same period the year before. In comparison, in December 2022, house prices soared by 2.7 percent because of the low mortgage rates, a recovering economy and a high level of consumer confidence at the time. According to a forecast released in October 2023, real estate prices were expected to decline in 2024.

In 2022, the rent for a house in the Netherlands increased by three percent compared to the year before. This is a higher increase than in 2021 when rents increased by less than one percent. Similarly, the seasonally adjusted price index of Dutch residential rental property has also been rising in recent years.

In 2023, the average price of real estate in China was approximately 10,438 yuan per square meter, representing a decrease from the previous year. Rising prices in the real estate market Since the 1998 housing reform, property prices in China have been rising continuously. Housing in the country is now often unaffordable, especially considering the modest per capita income of Chinese households. Shanghai and Beijing even have some of the most competitive real estate markets in the world. The rapid growth in housing prices has increased wealth among homeowners, while it also led to a culture of speculation among buyers and real estate developers. Housing was treated as investments, with owners expecting the prices to grow further every year. Risk factors The expectation of a steadily growing real estate market has created a property bubble and a potential debt crisis. As Chinese real estate giants, such as China Evergrande and Country Garden, operate by continuously acquiring land plots and initiating new projects, which often require substantial loans and investments, a slowdown in property demands or a decline in home prices can significantly affect the financial situation of these companies, putting China’s banks in a vulnerable position. In addition, due to a lack of regulations and monetary constraints, the long-term maintenance issues of high-rise apartments are also a concern to the sustainable development of China’s cities.

The real estate prices in Sweden increased significantly between 2008 and 2023. In 2023, the price index reached 455, with 1990 as base year. This was the first decrease in house prices since 2012. Despite the decline, prices in 2023 were still notably higher than before the COVID-19 pandemic. One of the reasons was the slowdown in construction, which hampered the supply of new homes. Rented dwellings are popular among Swedes Sweden is one of the countries in Europe with the most renters among the population. Only about 64 percent of people lived in an owner-occupied home in 2022. Only a few countries, such as France, Denmark, Germany, and Austria, had lower homeownership rates. How many rooms do Europeans have at home? As of 2021, the European countries which had been reported to have the highest number of rooms per person were Ireland and Malta, with 2.3 rooms per person on average. Sweden ranked fifteenth on the list, where the average number of rooms per person was 1.9.

Following the drastic increase directly after the COVID-19 pandemic, the delinquency rate started to gradually decline, falling below *** percent in the second quarter of 2023. In the second half of 2023, the delinquency rate picked up, but remained stable throughout 2024. In the first quarter of 2025, **** percent of mortgage loans were delinquent. That was significantly lower than the **** percent during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 or the peak of *** percent during the subprime mortgage crisis of 2007-2010. What does the mortgage delinquency rate tell us? The mortgage delinquency rate is the share of the total number of mortgaged home loans in the U.S. where payment is overdue by 30 days or more. Many borrowers eventually manage to service their loan, though, as indicated by the markedly lower foreclosure rates. Total home mortgage debt in the U.S. stood at almost ** trillion U.S. dollars in 2024. Not all mortgage loans are made equal ‘Subprime’ loans, being targeted at high-risk borrowers and generally coupled with higher interest rates to compensate for the risk. These loans have far higher delinquency rates than conventional loans. Defaulting on such loans was one of the triggers for the 2007-2010 financial crisis, with subprime delinquency rates reaching almost ** percent around this time. These higher delinquency rates translate into higher foreclosure rates, which peaked at just under ** percent of all subprime mortgages in 2011.

The average price paid when a Dutch private individual bought existing residential property in 2023 was about 416,000 euros. In recent years, the housing market has continued to grow in the Netherlands due to low mortgage rates, a recovering economy and a high level of consumer confidence. For example, the number of registered transactions nearly doubled between 2011 and 2021, before declining in 2022.