U.S. single-family homes - statistics & facts

Everyone wants to feel like the king or queen of their own castle, and there is no other type of home that makes one feel this way more than a single-family house. In the United States, the majority of housing units are single-family houses – about 82 million out of the total 129 million occupied units in 2021. These homes are mostly owner-occupied, but a small share is rented. Most of the sales are of existing homes and just a small share is of newly built homes. In 2023, 4.76 million existing home sales took place, versus 668,000 newly built home sales.

Fewer single-family homes in the future?

House prices have increased year-on-year since 2011. That is widely attributed to construction struggling to meet the demand coming from the formation of new households and leading to a chronic shortage of newly built housing. Despite having grown steadily in recent years, the number of permits for the construction of new single-family homes has not recovered since plummeting in 2005. Like many other industries, the challenges facing the construction industry are many: inflation, surging construction costs, and mortgage rates. Another major limitation is that single-family homes require space, and this space is often not available where it is needed. Lately, zoning reform has been the talk of the town. Zoning is criticized for inhibiting construction by limiting housing density through minimum lot sizes, height limits, and the restriction on different building types. Oregon, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Maine are some of the states that have already taken action, by eliminating single-family zoning, changing parking requirements, or updating the state’s land use law. On a local level, Minneapolis, Raleigh, and Spokane have also made progress with the reform. How far these efforts go and what it means for single-family homes and housing affordability, only time will tell.

The typical American single-family home

American homes have gotten larger over the years. In 1975, a new home had an average floor area of about 1,660 square feet. By 2022, this figure had increased by about 862 square feet. Owning a house that is big enough is especially important for families with children, but the price tag coming with a large property can be a discouraging factor. That is possibly the reason why the age group most likely to buy a home bigger than the average was 42 to 56-year-olds. Outdoor features such as porches, patios, and decks are a popular addition to newly built homes. In 2022, about 370,000 new houses came with a patio and porch, making it the leading outdoor feature in the United States. Only about 75,000 new homes were built with no outdoor features.

This text provides general information. Statista assumes no liability for the information given being complete or correct. Due to varying update cycles, statistics can display more up-to-date data than referenced in the text.

Total home sales in the U.S.: 4.8m

Median price of existing homes in the U.S.: 391.5k USD

Number of households renting single-family homes in the U.S.: 14.1m

Editor’s Picks Current statistics on this topic

Number of home sales in the United States from 2014 to 2023 with a forecast until 2025 (in millions)

Residential Real Estate

Number of home sales in the U.S. 2014-2023 with forecast until 2025

Median size of single-family housing unit in the United States from 2000 to 2022 (in square feet)

Houses

Median size of single-family house in the U.S. 2000-2022

Average price per square foot of floor space in new single-family homes in the United States from 2000 to 2022 (in U.S. dollars)

Residential Real Estate

Average price per square foot in new single-family homes U.S. 2000-2022

Recommended statistics

Overview

Premium Statistic Number of home sales in the U.S. 2014-2023 with forecast until 2025
Number of home sales in the U.S. 2014-2023 with forecast until 2025
Number of home sales in the United States from 2014 to 2023 with a forecast until 2025 (in millions)
Premium Statistic Types of homes purchased in the U.S. 2022, by age group
Types of homes purchased in the U.S. 2022, by age group
Types of homes purchased in the United States in 2022, by age group
Premium Statistic Metros with the highest housing shortage in the U.S. 2023
Metros with the highest housing shortage in the U.S. 2023
Housing shortage in the largest metros in the United States in 2023, based on new job openings per one building permit
Premium Statistic Number of homes in the U.S. 2021, by type
Number of homes in the U.S. 2021, by type
Number of homes in the United States in 2021, by type (in 1,000s)
Premium Statistic Size of purchased homes in the U.S. 2022, by age group
Size of purchased homes in the U.S. 2022, by age group
Size of purchased houses in the United States in 2022, by age group
Premium Statistic Property types of residential real estate bought by foreign buyers in the U.S. 2023
Property types of residential real estate bought by foreign buyers in the U.S. 2023
Distribution of residential property sales to foreign buyers in the United States in 2023, by property type

Construction

Premium Statistic Single-family housing starts in the U.S. 1980-2022, with forecasts until 2024
Single-family housing starts in the U.S. 1980-2022, with forecasts until 2024
Volume of new single family home construction starts in the United States from 1980 to 2022, with forecasts until 2024 (in 1,000s)
Premium Statistic Value single family construction put in place U.S. 2005-2022 with forecasts to 2027
Value single family construction put in place U.S. 2005-2022 with forecasts to 2027
New single family construction spending in the United States from 2005 to 2022, with forecasts until 2027 (in billion current U.S. dollars)
Premium Statistic Number of single family building permits in the U.S. 2000-2022
Number of single family building permits in the U.S. 2000-2022
Number of single family building permits in the United States from 2000 to 2022 (in thousands)
Premium Statistic Lot inventory for new home construction in 30 cities in the U.S. 2023
Lot inventory for new home construction in 30 cities in the U.S. 2023
Lot supply index for new single-family housing across 30 different cities in the United States as of 4th quarter 2023
Premium Statistic Residential construction costs in the U.S. Q2 2023, by city
Residential construction costs in the U.S. Q2 2023, by city
Average construction costs of single-family and multifamily residential buildings in the United States in the 2nd quarter 2023, by city (in U.S. dollars per square foot)
Premium Statistic Share of home builders seeking new loans in the U.S. 2019-2023, by type
Share of home builders seeking new loans in the U.S. 2019-2023, by type
Share of home builders who sought new acquisition, development, and construction (AD&C) loans in the United States from 2019 to 2023, by type
Premium Statistic Commercial development prospects in the U.S. 2017-2024
Commercial development prospects in the U.S. 2017-2024
Leading commercial development prospects in the United States from 2017 to 2024, by property type
Premium Statistic Size of floor area in new single-family homes in the U.S. 1975-2022
Size of floor area in new single-family homes in the U.S. 1975-2022
Average size of floor area in new single-family houses built for sale in the United States from 1975 to 2022 (in square feet)

Home prices

Premium Statistic Sales price of existing single-family houses in the U.S. 2000-2023
Sales price of existing single-family houses in the U.S. 2000-2023
Median sales price of existing single-family homes in the United States from 2000 to 2023 (in 1,000 U.S. dollars)
Premium Statistic Median sales price of new homes sold in the U.S. 1965-2023
Median sales price of new homes sold in the U.S. 1965-2023
Median sales price of new homes sold in the United States from 1965 to 2023 (in 1,000 U.S. dollars)
Premium Statistic Typical price of single-family homes in the U.S. 2021-2024, by state
Typical price of single-family homes in the U.S. 2021-2024, by state
Typical price of single-family homes in the United States from 2021 to 2024, by state (in 1,000 U.S. dollars)
Premium Statistic Median sales price of existing single-family homes in the U.S. 2021-2023, by metro
Median sales price of existing single-family homes in the U.S. 2021-2023, by metro
Median sales price of existing single-family homes in the United States from 2021 to 2023, by metropolitan area (in 1,000 U.S. dollars)
Premium Statistic Average price per square foot in new single-family homes U.S. 2000-2022
Average price per square foot in new single-family homes U.S. 2000-2022
Average price per square foot of floor space in new single-family homes in the United States from 2000 to 2022 (in U.S. dollars)
Premium Statistic Annual home price appreciation in the U.S. 2023, by state
Annual home price appreciation in the U.S. 2023, by state
Percentage change from previous year of single-family housing prices in the different states of the United States as of 4th quarter 2023
Premium Statistic Median sales price of luxury single family homes in selected markets in the U.S. 2024
Median sales price of luxury single family homes in selected markets in the U.S. 2024
Median sales price of luxury single family homes in the United States as of February 2024, by selected market (in million U.S. dollars)
Premium Statistic Cost breakdown of the sales price of single-family homes in the U.S. 2017-2022
Cost breakdown of the sales price of single-family homes in the U.S. 2017-2022
Cost breakdown of the sales price of single-family homes in the United States from 2017 to 2022

House features

Premium Statistic Median size of single-family house in the U.S. 2000-2022
Median size of single-family house in the U.S. 2000-2022
Median size of single-family housing unit in the United States from 2000 to 2022 (in square feet)
Premium Statistic Number of single-family homes built with outdoor features U.S. 2010-2022
Number of single-family homes built with outdoor features U.S. 2010-2022
Number of single-family houses built with outdoor features in the United States from 2010 to 2022 (in 1,000s)
Premium Statistic Number of single-family homes built with outdoor features U.S. 2022, by feature
Number of single-family homes built with outdoor features U.S. 2022, by feature
Number of single-family houses built with outdoor features in the United States in 2022, by feature (in thousands)
Premium Statistic Number of single-family homes built without outdoor features U.S. 2010-2022
Number of single-family homes built without outdoor features U.S. 2010-2022
Number of single-family houses built with no outdoor features in the United States from 2010 to 2022 (in 1,000s)
Premium Statistic Number of single-family homes built with decks U.S. 2010-2022
Number of single-family homes built with decks U.S. 2010-2022
Number of single-family houses built with a deck only in the United States from 2010 to 2022 (in 1,000s)
Premium Statistic Number of single-family homes built with decks and porches U.S. 2010-2022
Number of single-family homes built with decks and porches U.S. 2010-2022
Number of single-family houses built with a deck and a porch in the United States from 2010 to 2022 (in 1,000s)
Premium Statistic Number of single-family homes built with decks, porches and patios U.S. 2010-2022
Number of single-family homes built with decks, porches and patios U.S. 2010-2022
Number of single-family houses built with a deck, a porch and a patio in the United States from 2010 to 2022 (in 1,000s)

Report on the topic

Go to report

Top Seller

Key figures

The most important key figures provide you with a compact summary of the topic of "Single-family homes in the U.S." and take you straight to the corresponding statistics.

Number of single family housing starts in the U.S.
1.01m
Detailed statistics
Single-family housing starts in the U.S. 1980-2022, with forecasts until 2024
Multifamily housing starts in the U.S.
545,000
Detailed statistics
Multifamily house starts in the U.S. 1980-2022, with 2022 and 2024 forecasts
U.S. metro with highest home construction value
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
Detailed statistics
Metropolitan areas with highest value of new home construction in the U.S. 2022