US Housing Starts
An annualized 1,177 thousand US housing units were started in May 2026, down 8.7% from May 2025.
Updated July 12, 2026
US Housing Starts
thousand units, SAARDownload this statistic
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How this statistic is built
DefinitionNew privately-owned housing units started, in thousands of units at a seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR). A start is counted when excavation begins for the footings or foundation.
LimitationsMonthly values are preliminary and revised in later releases; multifamily starts are lumpy, so single months can swing hard. Annual-rate scaling amplifies noise.
Frequently Asked Questions
An annualized 1,177 thousand US housing units were started in May 2026, down 8.7% from May 2025.
US Housing Starts fell 8.7% compared with May 2025, reaching May 2026's reading.
U.S. Census Bureau — New Residential Construction (housing starts, total units, SAAR). License: US public domain. StatsPanda charts the original series directly and cites it on every download.
The underlying series is released on a monthly cadence. This page was last updated July 12, 2026, and refreshes with each source release.