US New Home Sales September 2026
September 24 @ 10:00 am - 11:00 am
US New Home Sales September 2026
Next US New Home Sales: Thursday, at 10:00 am ET (3:00 pm London). Covers August 2026 data.
- Consensus
- A consensus forecast has not yet bee…
- Prior
- July 2026 data
- Actual
- Pending
Full schedule and background: US New Home Sales.
Updated
The US New Home Sales report for August 2026 is released on Thursday, September 24, 2026 at 10:00 am ET (3:00 pm London time) by the US Census Bureau, working jointly with the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The release, formally titled Monthly New Residential Sales, covers sales of newly built single-family homes during August 2026. Full schedule and background: US New Home Sales.
What is New Home Sales?
New Home Sales measures the number of newly constructed single-family houses sold during the month, expressed as a seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR). A sale is counted at the point a deposit is accepted or a contract is signed, not when the house is completed or the buyer moves in, so the figure captures buyer demand earlier than data based on closings.
The Census Bureau collects the underlying survey data from homebuilders and combines it with building permit and completion records. Because the sample of newly built homes is relatively small compared with the resale market, the monthly change carries a wide margin of error, and single-month swings of 10% or more are common even when the underlying trend is stable.
Markets watch the release because new construction feeds directly into GDP through residential investment, and because homebuilder behaviour is highly sensitive to mortgage rates. A pickup in New Home Sales alongside rising builder confidence often signals that lower or stabilising borrowing costs are starting to work through the economy, while a slump can flag stress in housing affordability before it shows up in broader growth figures.
When is the August New Home Sales report released?
The August 2026 report is scheduled for release on Thursday, September 24, 2026 at 10:00 am ET (3:00 pm in London), published by the US Census Bureau and HUD on the Census Bureau’s New Residential Sales page. The Census Bureau typically confirms each release date a month in advance in the prior month’s report, and this date has not been flagged as provisional.
What is the consensus forecast?
As this page is being prepared well ahead of the release, a consensus forecast from a Reuters or Bloomberg economist poll has not yet been published. Consensus estimates for New Home Sales typically appear in the days immediately before the release, once forecasters have seen related indicators such as mortgage applications, builder sentiment surveys and pending home sales for the same month. The most recently confirmed print in the series comes from the report covering July 2026 data, published on August 25, 2026, which is the “prior” reading against which the August figure will be compared.
| Measure | Prior (July 2026 data) | Consensus (August 2026 data) |
|---|---|---|
| New Home Sales (SAAR) | See August 25, 2026 Census Bureau release | Not yet published |
| Median Sales Price | See August 25, 2026 Census Bureau release | Not yet published |
What the result could mean
| Scenario | Likely market read | What it means in plain English |
|---|---|---|
| Above consensus | Read as a sign of resilient housing demand, which could support the view that the labour market and consumer spending remain firm; economists such as those at the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) often link stronger sales to improved builder confidence readings | More people are agreeing deals to buy newly built homes than expected, which can support construction jobs and materials demand |
| In line | Limited market reaction, since traders and the Federal Reserve are more focused on inflation and jobs data for setting interest rate policy | The housing market is behaving roughly as expected, with no fresh signal for mortgage rates or the wider economy |
| Below consensus | Could be read as evidence that high mortgage rates and stretched affordability are still weighing on buyers, a theme regularly highlighted in NAHB and Mortgage Bankers Association commentary | Fewer new homes are being sold than expected, which can eventually feed through to slower construction activity and softer materials and furnishings demand |
These are possible interpretations, not predictions. The actual market reaction depends heavily on what other data is released the same week, particularly on inflation, employment and Federal Reserve commentary.
Why does this release matter right now?
New Home Sales sits alongside Existing Home Sales, Housing Starts and Building Permits as one of the housing indicators the Federal Reserve monitors when assessing how its interest rate stance is affecting the wider economy. Housing is one of the most rate-sensitive parts of the US economy because most new-build purchases depend on a mortgage, so changes in the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate tend to show up in new home sales figures faster than in most other spending categories.
The National Association of Realtors reported that existing-home sales fell in July 2026, with NAR chief economist Lawrence Yun describing home sales as having been “remarkably stable” despite elevated mortgage rates in recent months. Builders have continued authorising new construction, with single-family permits running above year-ago levels according to the Census Bureau’s New Residential Construction release for July 2026, even as housing starts fell back from June. Whether new home buyers are following that permitting activity through to signed contracts is exactly what the August New Home Sales figure will show.
What It Means for Your Money
- Mortgages and rates: a stronger than expected reading can reinforce expectations that the Federal Reserve will hold interest rates for longer, which tends to keep US mortgage rates elevated; a weak reading can support the case for rate cuts, which would eventually flow through to cheaper mortgages in the US and influence rate expectations in the UK and eurozone too.
- Savings: if the data shifts expectations for Fed rate cuts, savings account and money market fund rates in the US can move in tandem, since banks reprice deposit rates in response to changes in the federal funds rate outlook.
- Jobs and wages: homebuilding supports construction jobs, and a sustained slowdown in new home sales can eventually reduce hiring in construction, real estate and related trades such as flooring, appliances and furnishings.
- Prices: the median and average sales price data in the same release gives a read on whether new-build home prices are rising or falling, which feeds into how affordable housing is for first-time buyers in the US.
- Investments, pensions and currencies: homebuilder shares and housing-related exchange traded funds often react directly to this release. A surprise can also move the dollar, since it feeds into the broader picture the Fed uses to set policy, which in turn affects the pound and the euro through relative interest rate expectations.
Related events
- Previous release: US New Home Sales, August 2026 (July 2026 data)
- US Existing Home Sales, released monthly by the National Association of Realtors
- US Housing Starts and Building Permits, released monthly by the Census Bureau
Frequently Asked Questions
What time is the August 2026 New Home Sales report released?
It is released at 10:00 am ET, which is 3:00 pm in London, on Thursday, September 24, 2026.
How should I read the New Home Sales number?
Look at the seasonally adjusted annual rate compared with the prior month and the same month a year earlier, and treat single-month moves cautiously given the wide margin of error the Census Bureau attaches to this survey.
Does New Home Sales affect Federal Reserve interest rate decisions?
It is one of several housing indicators the Fed reviews alongside inflation and employment data, so it can influence rate expectations but rarely moves policy on its own.
Where can I find the official New Home Sales release?
The full release is published on the US Census Bureau’s New Residential Sales page at the time of publication.
When is the next New Home Sales report after this one?
The Census Bureau typically releases New Home Sales roughly one month later, covering September 2026 data, with the exact date confirmed in the August release.