Housing Market Dashboard
Housing starts, building permits, Case-Shiller home prices, median sales price, existing home sales, rental vacancy and mortgage rates.
About this data
Housing is the most interest-rate-sensitive part of the U.S. economy. When the Federal Reserve raises rates and the 10-year Treasury yield climbs, 30-year mortgage rates follow, monthly payments rise and both buyers and sellers pull back. Construction, home prices and sales respond at different speeds: permits and starts react within months, existing home sales within a quarter, and prices more slowly because owners can simply decline to sell. The interest rates dashboard tracks the mortgage and Treasury series that drive this chain.
The series on this dashboard come from FRED, which republishes the Census Bureau and HUD new residential construction and Housing Vacancy Survey data, S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller home price indexes, and the National Association of Realtors' existing home sales. Housing also matters for public finance: property and transfer taxes fund state and local governments, and shelter is the largest component of the consumer price index.
Housing market at a glance
Housing Starts and Building Permits
- Housing Starts (K, SAAR)
- Building Permits (K, SAAR)
Thousands of units at a seasonally adjusted annual rate. Permits lead starts, so a falling permit line usually foreshadows weaker construction.
Home Prices: Case-Shiller and Median Sales Price
- Case-Shiller Index
- Median Sales Price
Existing Home Sales vs the 30-Year Mortgage Rate
- Existing Home Sales (SAAR)
- 30Y Mortgage Rate
Rental Vacancy Rate
Share of rental units that are vacant and for rent, from the Census Housing Vacancy Survey. Lower readings mean a tighter rental market.
Housing Series Tracked in This Dashboard
Each series links to its own chart, latest value and data download. For the rate side of the housing story, see the Interest Rates dashboard and its daily mortgage rate indexes.
Construction pipeline
Permits are issued before construction begins, so they usually lead housing starts by a month or two.
Home prices
The Case-Shiller index follows repeat sales of the same homes; the Census median sales price tracks the middle price of homes sold each quarter.
Sales and rental market
Existing home sales count closings of previously owned homes; the rental vacancy rate shows how tight the rental market is.
Mortgage rates
Freddie Mac's weekly averages for 30-year and 15-year fixed loans, covered in more detail on the interest rates dashboard.
Recent Monthly Housing Data
| Month | Starts (K) | Permits (K) | Existing Sales | Case-Shiller | 30Y Mortgage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 2026 | 1,275 | 1,403 | 3,980,000 | 337.3 | 6.66% |
| Jul 2026 | 1,309 | 1,433 | 4,060,000 | 337.3 | 6.49% |
| Jun 2026 | 1,439 | 1,374 | 4,130,000 | 336.9 | 6.53% |
| May 2026 | 1,182 | 1,410 | 4,190,000 | 335.6 | 6.30% |
| Apr 2026 | 1,414 | 1,423 | 4,040,000 | 333.1 | 6.38% |
| Mar 2026 | 1,522 | 1,363 | 4,010,000 | 330.4 | 5.98% |
| Feb 2026 | 1,346 | 1,540 | 4,130,000 | 327.8 | 6.10% |
| Jan 2026 | 1,385 | 1,393 | 4,020,000 | 326.8 | 6.15% |
| Dec 2025 | 1,378 | 1,482 | 4,270,000 | 327.0 | 6.23% |
| Nov 2025 | 1,319 | 1,414 | 4,090,000 | 327.9 | 6.17% |
| Oct 2025 | 1,273 | 1,418 | 4,110,000 | 328.2 | 6.30% |
| Sep 2025 | 1,319 | 1,444 | 4,080,000 | 328.9 | 6.56% |
| Aug 2025 | 1,291 | 1,347 | 4,030,000 | 329.8 | 6.72% |
Key Terms
Frequently asked questions
What are housing starts and why do they matter?
Housing starts count the new residential construction projects that began in a month, reported by the Census Bureau and HUD as a seasonally adjusted annual rate (series HOUST). Starts lead employment and spending in construction and related industries, and they respond quickly to changes in mortgage rates, builder confidence and credit conditions, which makes them a closely watched indicator of the housing cycle.
How are building permits different from housing starts?
A building permit authorizes construction before it begins, so permits (series PERMIT) usually lead housing starts by a month or two. Not every permit becomes a start, but a sustained gap between permits and starts can signal projects stalling or being cancelled. Both series are published monthly by the Census Bureau.
What does the Case-Shiller index measure?
The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price Index tracks changes in the value of single-family homes by comparing repeat sales of the same properties, with January 2000 set to 100. This dashboard charts the not seasonally adjusted version (CSUSHPINSA). It reports a three-month moving average and lags the market by about two months.
Why are median sales price and the Case-Shiller index different?
The Census median sales price of houses sold (MSPUS) is the middle price of homes sold in a quarter, so it moves with the mix of homes that happen to sell, such as more large new homes. Case-Shiller follows repeat sales of the same homes and is designed to strip out that mix effect, so it is the better gauge of pure price change.
How do mortgage rates affect home sales?
Higher mortgage rates raise the monthly payment on a given loan, which reduces what buyers can afford and discourages owners with low-rate loans from selling. Existing home sales (EXHOSLUSM495S) fell sharply as the 30-year rate rose from about 3% in 2021 to above 7% in 2023. The mortgage rate series on this page are published weekly by Freddie Mac.
What is the rental vacancy rate?
The rental vacancy rate (series RRVRUSQ156N) is the share of rental housing units that are vacant and available for rent, measured quarterly by the Census Bureau's Housing Vacancy Survey. A low rate means tight supply and upward pressure on rents; a rising rate signals softening rental demand or new supply coming online.