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Housing · September 24, 2026 · 1 min read

New home sales jump 6.4% to 684,000 in August

By Econ Data Tools Editorial Team

Published September 24, 2026 • Updated September 24, 2026

Reviewed by Econ Data Tools editorial QC

Sales beat forecasts of 615,000 but were still 2.0% below a year earlier.

Sales of new single-family homes rose 6.4% in August to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 684,000, according to Census Bureau data released Thursday. That beat market forecasts of 615,000, the ABA Banking Journal reported. Sales were still 2.0% lower than in August 2025. Most of the monthly gain came from the Midwest and South, while sales fell in the Northeast and West. The seasonally adjusted estimate of new homes for sale was 483,000, unchanged from July and down 2.0% from a year earlier. That equals 8.5 months of supply at the current sales pace. The median sales price rose 0.4% from July to $393,700 but was down 5.8% from a year ago. The ABA's Office of the Chief Economist said the report suggests resilient demand despite affordability pressure from high mortgage rates and new home prices. Mortgage rates ended August at 6.66%, according to Freddie Mac. The ABA said some of the gain may reflect buyers expecting higher rates later in the year, and that construction and mortgage demand could ease as the market moves into fall.

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