Single-Family Housing Starts Top 1 Million in March with +9.7% Monthly Increase
May 6, 2026
2 min read
Housing starts in March were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,502,000, +10.8% above the revised February estimate of 1,356,000 and is +10.8% above the March 2025 rate of 1,355,000. Single-family housing starts in March were at a rate of 1,032,000, +9.7% above the revised February figure of 941,000. Housing starts in February were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,356,000, -3% below the revised January estimate of 1,398,000.
“Single-family starts drove much of the monthly increase, indicating that builders are cautiously ramping up production to meet persistent inventory shortages in the resale market,” said Danushka Nanayakkara-Skillington, NAHB’s assistant VP for forecasting and analysis.“While this is an encouraging sign, the pace of construction is likely to remain measured as builders navigate elevated financing costs and labor availability. “On a regional level, the Midwest continues to outshine the rest of county as the only region to have positive single-family starts growth.”“Housing starts posted a solid rebound in March, suggesting builders are responding to pockets of improving demand despite ongoing affordability challenges, although activity remains sensitive to interest rate movements and construction costs,” added Bill Owens, chairman of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and a home builder ,and remodeler from Worthington, OH. “Overall, the uptick in housing starts is a positive development for residential investment and signals that the sector may be stabilizing.”
