New home sales rose 6.4% in August to an annual rate of 684,000
Sales of newly built single-family homes reached their highest level since December 2025, when the rate was 723,000, though they stayed below the year-earlier pace of 698,000.
Macro Bullseye · · Updated
New home sales rose to an annual rate of 684,000 in August, the Census Bureau reported. That was up 41,000, or 6.4%, from 643,000 in July.
The numbers
Aug 2026 data · released Thu, Sep 24
- New home sales, annual rate
- 684KJul 2026: 643K
View the data as a table
| Period | Value |
|---|---|
| Aug 2026 | 684K |
| Jul 2026 | 643K |
| Jun 2026 | 672K |
| May 2026 | 636K |
| Apr 2026 | 641K |
| Mar 2026 | 659K |
| Feb 2026 | 630K |
| Jan 2026 | 576K |
| Dec 2025 | 723K |
| Nov 2025 | 757K |
| Oct 2025 | 652K |
| Sep 2025 | 714K |
| Aug 2025 | 698K |
| Jul 2025 | 648K |
| Jun 2025 | 665K |
| May 2025 | 622K |
| Apr 2025 | 701K |
| Mar 2025 | 656K |
| Feb 2025 | 641K |
| Jan 2025 | 665K |
| Dec 2024 | 702K |
| Nov 2024 | 669K |
| Oct 2024 | 632K |
| Sep 2024 | 715K |
Source: Census Bureau, via FRED (Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis). Revised figures replace earlier ones.Full release
The August rate was the highest since December 2025, when it was 723,000. It was still below the 698,000 rate in August 2025.
Sales were weak early in 2026. The rate was 576,000 in January and 630,000 in February, then moved between 636,000 and 672,000 from March through July. The August figure rose above that range.
The report measures sales of newly built single-family homes, along with the median sales price and the supply of homes for sale. Builders change prices and incentives quickly, so the data shows how buyers are reacting to mortgage rates.
The next report, covering September, is due Tuesday, October 27, 2026, at 10:00 AM ET.
What it means for your money
- Builders adjust prices and incentives quickly, so new home sales can show how buyers are responding to mortgage rates. A higher sales rate suggests buyers found conditions workable in August.
- One month of data can be volatile. Sales rose and fell from month to month through 2026, so a single reading says little about the longer direction.
- Mortgage rates affect monthly payments on a new purchase. Lower rates tend to support buyer demand, while higher rates tend to hold it back.
Drafted by AI (Claude) from the official data and published only after an automatic check that every number in the text matches the figures above. Not investment advice. How we write these