Key Takeaways
- New single-family home sales fell 0.6% in September to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 676,000.
- The median price declined 3.9% year over year to $400,400, according to official federal data.
- Homes available for sale totaled 476,000, equivalent to 8.4 months of supply at the September sales pace.
US New-Home Sales Lose Momentum
The American housing market recorded a modest slowdown in September as sales of newly built single-family homes slipped and the median selling price remained below its level a year earlier.
The U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development reported that new-home sales fell 0.6% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 676,000 units.
September sales were also 5.3% lower than the annualized rate of 714,000 recorded in September 2025, according to the official release published on October 27, 2026.
Median Home Price Falls Year Over Year
The median sales price of a new house reached $400,400 in September. That represented a 3.9% decline from $416,800 a year earlier, although the figure increased 3.9% from August's $385,400.
The average sales price stood at $472,800, up 0.4% from August but down 6.7% compared with September 2025. Median and average prices measure different points in the market, so the figures should not be treated as interchangeable.
The annual price declines provide a snapshot of changing selling prices for newly built homes. However, these national figures alone do not establish whether housing has become affordable for a typical household or explain the reasons behind the price movement.
Inventory and Housing Supply
Builders had an estimated 476,000 new houses available for sale at the end of September. That was 1.0% below August's estimate of 481,000 and 2.3% below the September 2025 level of 487,000.
At September's sales pace, the available inventory represented 8.4 months of supply, compared with 8.5 months in August and 8.2 months a year earlier.
TwikUp's Perspective
The September figures show why home sales, prices and inventory need to be considered together. Sales weakened compared with both the previous month and the previous year, while the median price rose month over month but remained lower annually.
For prospective buyers, lower year-over-year prices may warrant closer attention, but mortgage costs, local market conditions, household income and property availability remain important. The national report offers a useful indicator, not a complete picture of affordability in every American city.