US New Home Sales December 2026
December 23 @ 10:00 am - 11:00 am
US New Home Sales December 2026
Next US New Home Sales: Wednesday, at 10:00 am ET (3:00 pm London). Covers November 2026 data.
- Consensus
- Not yet published
- Prior
- 607,000 SAAR (July 2026)
- Actual
- Pending
Full schedule and background: US New Home Sales.
Updated
The US New Home Sales report for November 2026 is released on Wednesday, December 23, 2026, at 10:00 am ET (3:00 pm London), by the US Census Bureau in cooperation with the Department of Housing and Urban Development. The release covers new single-family home sales activity during November 2026. Full schedule and background: US New Home Sales dates.
What is New Home Sales?
New Home Sales measures the number of newly built single-family homes sold across the United States in a given month, expressed as a seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR). A sale is counted at the point a deposit is taken or a contract is signed, not when the home is finished or when the buyer moves in. This makes the series one of the earliest signals of housing demand, well ahead of measures based on completed transactions.
The Census Bureau collects the data from a national sample of homebuilders and combines it with building permit records. Alongside the headline sales pace, the report publishes the median and average sales price, the number of homes for sale, and the “months’ supply”, which shows how long the current stock of unsold new homes would last at the present sales rate.
Markets watch the release because new construction feeds directly into gross domestic product and employment in the building trades. It is also highly sensitive to mortgage rates, since most new home buyers borrow to finance the purchase, so the series often reacts quickly to changes in Treasury yields and Federal Reserve policy expectations.
When is the November New Home Sales report released?
The Census Bureau publishes the November 2026 report on Wednesday, December 23, 2026, at 10:00 am ET (3:00 pm in London). The data is released as a joint statistical statement on the Census Bureau’s construction statistics website, alongside detailed tables covering sales, prices, inventory and regional breakdowns.
What is the consensus forecast?
As of publication, a consensus forecast for the November 2026 report has not yet been published. Economist surveys from outlets such as Reuters and Trading Economics are typically released in the days immediately before the report, so a median forecast should appear closer to December 23, 2026.
The most recent verified reading comes from the July 2026 report, which showed new home sales falling to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 607,000, a drop of 10.5% from June’s upwardly revised 678,000 pace, missing economists’ expectations of a softer decline to around 620,000, according to HousingWire and Trading Economics.
| Measure | Prior (July 2026) | Consensus (November 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| New home sales (SAAR) | 607,000 | Not yet published |
| Monthly change | -10.5% | Not yet published |
What the result could mean
| Scenario | Likely market read | What it means in plain English |
|---|---|---|
| Above consensus | Read as a sign builders are managing to move inventory despite high borrowing costs, which could ease pressure on the Federal Reserve to cut rates quickly | More new homes are being bought, suggesting buyers are adjusting to current mortgage rates or builders are offering bigger incentives |
| In line with consensus | Likely to have limited market impact, treated as confirmation of the existing housing trend | The housing market is behaving broadly as expected, with no fresh signal for interest rate policy |
| Below consensus | Could add to concerns about housing affordability and reinforce bets on earlier Federal Reserve rate cuts, weighing on homebuilder shares | Fewer new homes are being sold, often linked to high mortgage rates or elevated prices pricing out buyers |
These are possibilities discussed by analysts, not predictions. Actual market reaction depends on the wider data picture on the day, including bond yields and other releases.
Why does this release matter right now?
New home sales have been on a choppy downward path through 2026, with the July reading of 607,000 marking the slowest pace of the year, according to RISMedia. Builders have responded to soft demand with price cuts, mortgage rate buydowns and other incentives, which the Census Bureau’s data captures through the median sales price series alongside the volume figures.
The Federal Reserve tracks housing indicators closely because the sector is one of the most interest-rate sensitive parts of the economy. A run of weak new home sales prints, combined with elevated months’ supply, tends to reinforce arguments for lower borrowing costs, while a rebound can complicate that case. The November report lands just before the December Federal Open Market Committee decision cycle concludes, so it feeds into the broader read on how the economy is responding to the rate path set earlier in the year.
What It Means for Your Money
- Mortgages and rates: Weak new home sales figures can support expectations of lower Federal Reserve rates, which over time can feed through to mortgage rates in the US, though the connection is not immediate or guaranteed.
- Savings: If the data pushes bond yields lower, savings account and money market fund returns in the US could soften slightly as banks adjust rates in response to the wider rate environment.
- Jobs and wages: Homebuilding supports a large number of construction, manufacturing and retail jobs. A sustained slowdown in new home sales can eventually show up in hiring and overtime in these trades.
- Prices: Builder price cuts and incentives, visible in the median sales price data, can spill over into the resale market, affecting what buyers pay for both new and existing homes.
- Investments, pensions and currencies: Homebuilder and construction materials shares often move on this release. Outside the US, a softer US housing market can weigh on the dollar against the pound and euro if it strengthens the case for rate cuts, which in turn affects returns on US-focused investments and pension holdings for UK and European savers.
Related events
- Previous month’s report: US New Home Sales November 2026 release
- US Existing Home Sales, published separately by the National Association of Realtors, covers the resale market and typically arrives earlier in the month
- US Housing Starts and Building Permits, which give an earlier read on construction activity ahead of eventual sales
Frequently Asked Questions
What time is the November New Home Sales report released?
It is released at 10:00 am ET, which is 3:00 pm in London, on Wednesday, December 23, 2026.
How do I read the New Home Sales figure?
The headline number is a seasonally adjusted annual rate, meaning it estimates how many new homes would sell over a full year if the current monthly pace continued. Compare it with the prior month and with the consensus forecast to judge whether housing demand is strengthening or weakening.
How does this data affect interest rates?
The Federal Reserve considers housing market strength as one input among many when setting interest rates. A weak reading can support the case for rate cuts, while a strong reading can support holding rates steady, though no single data point normally moves policy on its own.
Where can I find the official release?
The US Census Bureau publishes the full report, including data tables, on its construction statistics website, alongside the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
When is the next New Home Sales report?
The December 2026 data is typically published toward the end of January 2027, following the Census Bureau’s usual monthly schedule for this release.