The U.S. housing market continues to evolve, with the median home price forecast to reach 426,000 U.S. dollars by the second quarter of 2026. This projection comes after a period of significant growth and recent fluctuations, reflecting the complex interplay of economic factors affecting the real estate sector. The rising costs have not only impacted home prices, but also down payments, with the median down payment more than doubling since 2012. Regional variations in housing costs Home prices and down payments vary dramatically across the United States. While the national median down payment stood at approximately 26,700 U.S. dollars in early 2024, homebuyers in states like California, Massachusetts, and Hawaii faced down payments exceeding 74,000 U.S. dollars. This disparity highlights the challenges of homeownership in high-cost markets and underscores the importance of location in determining housing affordability. Market dynamics and future outlook The housing market has shown signs of cooling after years of rapid growth, with more modest price increases of 4.8 percent in 2022 and 6.5 percent in 2023. This slowdown can be attributed in part to rising mortgage rates, which have tempered demand. Despite these challenges, most states continued to see year-over-year price growth in the fourth quarter of 2023, with Rhode Island and Vermont leading the pack at over 13 percent appreciation. As the market adjusts to new economic realities, potential homebuyers and investors alike will be watching closely for signs of stabilization or renewed growth in the coming years.

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.

The median sales price of new homes sold in the United States increased steadily from 1965 to 2023. In 2023, a newly built home cost approximately 427,400 U.S. dollars. That was a decline of nearly 30,000 U.S. dollars and the first decrease since 2018. Prices varied greatly across different regions in the country, with the most expensive housing found in the Northeast region.

Key information about House Prices Growth

• US house prices grew 5.2% YoY in Sep 2024, following an increase of 6.2% YoY in the previous quarter.
• YoY growth data is updated quarterly, available from Mar 1992 to Sep 2024, with an average growth rate of 5.5%.
• House price data reached an all-time high of 17.7% in Sep 2021 and a record low of -12.4% in Dec 2008.

Median Home Sale Price: All Residential: Bangor, ME data was reported at 164.000 USD th in Jul 2020. This records a decrease from the previous number of 181.000 USD th for Jun 2020. Median Home Sale Price: All Residential: Bangor, ME data is updated monthly, averaging 140.000 USD th from May 2015 (Median) to Jul 2020, with 63 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 181.000 USD th in Jun 2020 and a record low of 106.000 USD th in Feb 2017. Median Home Sale Price: All Residential: Bangor, ME data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Redfin. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United States – Table US.EB056: Median Home Sale Price: by Metropolitan Areas.

The number of U.S. home sales in the United States declined in 2023, after soaring in 2021. A total of four million transactions of existing homes, including single-family, condo, and co-ops, were completed in 2023, down from 6.12 million in 2021. According to the forecast, the housing market is forecast to head for recovery in 2025, despite transaction volumes are expected to remain below the long-term average. Why have home sales declined? The housing boom during the coronavirus pandemic has demonstrated that being a homeowner is still an integral part of the American dream. Nevertheless, sentiment declined in the second half of 2022 and Americans across all generations agreed that the time was not right to buy a home. A combination of factors has led to house prices rocketing and making homeownership unaffordable for the average buyer. A survey among owners and renters found that the high home prices and unfavorable economic conditions were the two main barriers to making a home purchase. People who would like to purchase their own home need to save up a deposit, have a good credit score, and a steady and sufficient income to be approved for a mortgage. In 2022, mortgage rates experienced the most aggressive increase in history, making the total cost of homeownership substantially higher. Only 15 percent of U.S. renters could afford to become homeowners and in metros with highly competitive housing markets such as Los Angeles, CA, and Urban Honolulu, HI, this share was below five percent. Are U.S. home prices expected to fall? The median sales price of existing homes stood at 387,000 U.S. dollars in 2023 and was forecast to increase slightly until 2025. The development of the S&P/Case Shiller U.S. National Home Price Index shows that home prices experienced seven consecutive months of decline between June 2022 and January 2023, but this trend reversed in the following months. Despite mild fluctuations throughout the year, home prices in many metros are forecast to continue to grow, albeit at a much slower rate.

Graph and download economic data for Housing Inventory: Median Days on Market in the United States (MEDDAYONMARUS) from Jul 2016 to Feb 2025 about median and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Housing Inventory: Median Listing Price in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA (CBSA) (MEDLISPRI31080) from Jul 2016 to Feb 2025 about Los Angeles, CA, listing, median, price, and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Housing Inventory: Median Listing Price in Houston-the Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX (CBSA) (MEDLISPRI26420) from Jul 2016 to Feb 2025 about Houston, listing, TX, median, price, and USA.

The median house price in 94027, Atherton, California, was about 8.3 million U.S. dollars. This made it the most expensive zip code in the United States in 2023. 11962 Sagaponack, N.Y., was the runner-up with a median house price of about 8.1 million U.S. dollars. Of the 10 most expensive zip codes in the United States in 2026, six were in California.

Graph and download economic data for All-Transactions House Price Index for Colorado Springs, CO (MSA) (ATNHPIUS17820Q) from Q2 1979 to Q4 2024 about Colorado Springs, CO, appraisers, HPI, housing, price index, indexes, price, and USA.

Graph and download economic data for All-Transactions House Price Index for Nassau County-Suffolk County, NY (MSAD) (ATNHPIUS35004Q) from Q3 1975 to Q4 2024 about Nassau, appraisers, NY, HPI, housing, price index, indexes, price, and USA.

Graph and download economic data for All-Transactions House Price Index for Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA (MSA) (ATNHPIUS40900Q) from Q2 1976 to Q4 2024 about Sacramento, appraisers, CA, HPI, housing, price index, indexes, price, and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Housing Inventory: Median Listing Price in Austin-Round Rock, TX (CBSA) (MEDLISPRI12420) from Jul 2016 to Feb 2025 about Austin, listing, TX, median, price, and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Market Hotness: Median Listing Price in Harris County, TX (MELIPRCOUNTY48201) from Aug 2017 to Feb 2025 about Harris County, TX; Houston; listing; TX; median; price; and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Housing Inventory: Median Listing Price in Montgomery County, MD (MEDLISPRI24031) from Jul 2016 to Feb 2025 about Montgomery County, MD; Washington; MD; listing; median; price; and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Housing Inventory: Median Listing Price in Tulare County, CA (MEDLISPRI6107) from Jul 2016 to Dec 2024 about Tulare County, CA; Visalia; CA; listing; median; price; and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Housing Inventory: Median Listing Price in Salem, OR (CBSA) (MEDLISPRI41420) from Jul 2016 to Feb 2025 about Salem, OR, listing, median, price, and USA.

This statistic shows the average property price in the United States in 2011, by property type. Damaged REOs cost an average of 102,149 U.S. dollars in the U.S. that year. The abbreviation REO stands for real estate owned properties.

House prices in the second most populous state in the United States, Texas, have increased more than two-fold since 2011. In 2023, the median house price reached 335,100 U.S. dollars, a decrease of 1.4 percent from the previous year. Texas is one of the more affordable states for buying a home with house prices below the national average.