Top 25 states with the newest homes
Justin_Krug // Shutterstock
Top 25 states with the newest homes
A beautiful, new construction luxury home exterior at sunset, featuring a large covered patio with outdoor furniture, a barbecue, and a table with chairs.
Prospective homeowners have a lot to consider when looking to buy a home. Even after you’ve narrowed down their preferred neighborhood, you must carefully consider what type of home you prefer. Apartment, townhouse, or single-family? Ranch-style, two-story, or split-level? Garage or carport? There are dozens of factors to consider—including whether you’re looking for new construction or an existing home.
While some buyers prefer the character and charm of older homes, new construction has plenty of advantages. Older homes typically come with higher up-front maintenance costs, while new construction should have brand-new systems and features that won’t need to be replaced for years. New homes also tend to be more energy-efficient, which can help you save on utility costs in the long run.
According to a 2021 survey conducted by the National Association of Home Builders, 60% of prospective buyers prefer newly built homes over existing homes—the highest share since 2007.
The increased demand for new construction can make securing a newly built home a challenge. Although the production of new homes ramped up after the COVID-19 pandemic, housing starts fell in December 2022 compared to the year before, as homes have grown more expensive and higher interest rates have priced buyers out.
Of course, every state’s housing market is different. Portland Real Estate collected Census Bureau data to see which states have the highest share of newly built homes. The data is sourced from the 2020 five-year American Community Survey. States are ranked based on the percentage of the total housing units in the state that were built after 2014. The percentages displayed are rounded to the nearest 10th of a percent. According to the 2020 ACS five-year estimates, 4.8 million houses have been built since 2014, representing about 3.5% of total housing units.
Most of the states with the highest share of new homes are located in the Southern and Western regions of the United States. Keep reading to discover which states have the highest percentages of new homes built since 2014—and maybe get some inspiration for your next move.
Natalia Bratslavsky // Shutterstock
#25. Alabama
New construction oceanfront multicolored vacation homes on the white sandy beach of Gulf of Mexico in Alabama.
– Share of homes built in 2014 or later: 3.5%
– Total number of homes built in 2014 or later: 78,866
Kosoff // Shutterstock
#24. Virginia
New construction homes being built in Leesburg.
– Share of homes built in 2014 or later: 3.6%
– Total number of homes built in 2014 or later: 126,263
Felix Mizioznikov // Shutterstock
#23. Iowa
Aerial view of waterfront single-family homes in Bettendorf.
– Share of homes built in 2014 or later: 3.6%
– Total number of homes built in 2014 or later: 50,845
Aspects and Angles // Shutterstock
#22. Nebraska
A new construction luxury home in Omaha.
– Share of homes built in 2014 or later: 3.6%
– Total number of homes built in 2014 or later: 30,647
Reinhardt and Co // Shutterstock
#21. Oregon
A modern home with its porch lit at sunset in Oregon.
– Share of homes built in 2014 or later: 3.8%
– Total number of homes built in 2014 or later: 67,600
Trong Nguyen // Shutterstock
#20. Oklahoma
A row of new construction homes in Oklahoma City.
– Share of homes built in 2014 or later: 3.9%
– Total number of homes built in 2014 or later: 68,547
Allison J. Hahn // Shutterstock
#19. Louisiana
A modern, new construction home in Louisiana.
– Share of homes built in 2014 or later: 4.0%
– Total number of homes built in 2014 or later: 82,137
shuttersv // Shutterstock
#18. Arkansas
New residential housing construction in suburban neighborhood in Bentonville.
– Share of homes built in 2014 or later: 4.1%
– Total number of homes built in 2014 or later: 56,324
Jim Parkin // Shutterstock
#17. Montana
A new log home being constructed in Montana.
– Share of homes built in 2014 or later: 4.1%
– Total number of homes built in 2014 or later: 21,178
Allison J. Hahn // Shutterstock
#16. Arizona
A new construction luxury home with a pool in Scottsdale.
– Share of homes built in 2014 or later: 4.2%
– Total number of homes built in 2014 or later: 127,945
Trong Nguyen // Shutterstock
#15. Georgia
A new residential neighborhood development outside of Atlanta.
– Share of homes built in 2014 or later: 4.3%
– Total number of homes built in 2014 or later: 184,993
Blue Rhino Media // Shutterstock
#14. Florida
A modern new construction home in Florida.
– Share of homes built in 2014 or later: 4.4%
– Total number of homes built in 2014 or later: 422,291
Joseph Sohm // Shutterstock
#13. Nevada
A row of residential homes being constructed in Clark County.
– Share of homes built in 2014 or later: 4.7%
– Total number of homes built in 2014 or later: 59,001
James R. Martin // Shutterstock
#12. Tennessee
Town homes in an upscale development in Franklin.
– Share of homes built in 2014 or later: 4.7%
– Total number of homes built in 2014 or later: 141,500
RyanWilson10 // Shutterstock
#11. South Dakota
A modern residential home in Sioux Falls.
– Share of homes built in 2014 or later: 4.7%
– Total number of homes built in 2014 or later: 18,750
Kirk Fisher // Shutterstock
#10. Washington
A new construction home being framed on a hillside with a view overlooking Spokane Valley.
– Share of homes built in 2014 or later: 4.8%
– Total number of homes built in 2014 or later: 152,051
Gus Valente // Shutterstock
#9. North Carolina
An aerial shot of a development of single homes in the Charlotte suburbs.
– Share of homes built in 2014 or later: 4.8%
– Total number of homes built in 2014 or later: 226,750
Arina P Habich // Shutterstock
#8. Colorado
A home being constructed in the suburbs of Denver.
– Share of homes built in 2014 or later: 5.1%
– Total number of homes built in 2014 or later: 121,565
TJ Brown // Shutterstock
#7. District of Columbia
New apartments being constructed in a manner that blocks the view of the Capitol Building.
– Share of homes built in 2014 or later: 5.4%
– Total number of homes built in 2014 or later: 17,239
Khairil Azhar Junos // Shutterstock
#6. Delaware
Luxury, new construction waterfront homes with a boat docked by the bay in Rehoboth Beach.
– Share of homes built in 2014 or later: 5.4%
– Total number of homes built in 2014 or later: 23,761
Bilanol // Shutterstock
#5. South Carolina
An aerial view of a real estate development’s construction site of new, tightly packed homes in South Carolina.
– Share of homes built in 2014 or later: 5.9%
– Total number of homes built in 2014 or later: 136,437
Kirk Fisher // Shutterstock
#4. Idaho
A new development waterfront community of luxury homes and condos under construction along the banks of the Spokane River in Coeur d’Alene.
– Share of homes built in 2014 or later: 6.3%
– Total number of homes built in 2014 or later: 46,673
Jason Finn // Shutterstock
#3. Utah
A new home being constructed with views of Mount Timpanogos in Daybreak.
– Share of homes built in 2014 or later: 6.8%
– Total number of homes built in 2014 or later: 75,954
Trong Nguyen // Shutterstock
#2. Texas
A development of three-story, single-family homes in Richardson, North Dallas.
– Share of homes built in 2014 or later: 7.1%
– Total number of homes built in 2014 or later: 785,159
Real Window Creative // Shutterstock
#1. North Dakota
A home being constructed in rural North Dakota.
– Share of homes built in 2014 or later: 8.0%
– Total number of homes built in 2014 or later: 30,241
This story originally appeared on Portland Real Estate and was produced and
distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio.
