Single-Family Starts Finish Strong in 2024

High mortgage rates and growing construction costs may have been a hindrance to builders in 2024, but single-family construction managed to pick up regardless. According to U.S. Census data analyzed by the National Association of Home Builders, single-family housing starts grew by 7% in 2024, following two years of decline. By the end of 2024, there were more than 1 million new single-family homes started across the U.S.

Of the nine Census divisions, the South Atlantic led with 344,313 housing starts, making up 34% of the national total. The West South Central division followed with 187,690 starts, with the Mountain division reporting 125,911 starts. Together, these three regions—which span 20 states plus Washington, D.C., and cover about 41% of the U.S.—were responsible for nearly two-thirds of all new single-family home construction in 2024.

In 2024, seven out of nine divisions experienced year-over-year growth in single-family starts. The Middle Atlantic division had the strongest performance among all regions, posting a 22% annual increase. In addition, five out of nine divisions surpassed the U.S. growth rate of 7%. Conversely, both the East South Central and West South Central divisions recorded declines in single-family housing starts.