New report from Realtor.com® ranks the metros leading the charge on affordability, availability and climate-smart new construction for today's buyers
AUSTIN, Texas, Aug. 20, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- With the U.S. facing a housing shortage of nearly 4 million homes, new residential construction is critical to restoring affordability and expanding access to homeownership. A new report from Realtor.com® identifies the Top Metros for New Construction, the markets stepping up and delivering the best combination of availability, affordability, sustainability and demand for newly built homes.
New construction hotspots
Realtor.com® analyzed the 100 largest U.S. metropolitan areas based on four key factors: new-home share of listings, new home price premiums over existing homes, relative climate risk difference, and buyer demand for new construction based on views per listing and median time on market. The Top 10 metros where builders are rising to meet local buyer needs and where home shoppers are most likely to find affordable, move-in-ready homes for sale are:
- Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, Ark.
- Boise City, Idaho
- Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, Tenn.
- McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, Texas
- Portland-South Portland, Maine
- Madison, Wisc.
- Greenville-Anderson-Greer, S.C.
- Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, Texas
- Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, N.C.-S.C.
- Raleigh-Cary, N.C.
"Our top metros for new construction are places where builders are delivering much-needed inventory at price points that reflect local demand," said Danielle Hale, chief economist at Realtor.com®. "With nearly half of the for-sale homes in some of these metros being new construction, and often being sold at or below the cost of existing homes, buyers in these areas have a real chance to find homeownership with high-quality, newly built homes at prices they can afford."
With mortgage rates still elevated and many existing homeowners staying put, new construction has emerged as a crucial source of inventory for today's buyers. In some markets, such as Fayetteville, Ark., and Raleigh, N.C., newly built homes now make up over 40% of for-sale listings, and are often priced below or on par with older homes; in fact, in 4 of the top 10 metros, new homes are priced at or below the median existing home price. Newly built homes also offer modern design, energy efficiency, and in many top metros, lower relative risk for natural hazards like wildfire, flood or heat compared to existing homes.
Southern and midsize cities lead the way
The top-ranked market, Fayetteville, Ark., stands out for its affordability and volume of new homes for sale, with newly built properties making up more than 40% of listings—and priced below existing homes. The median newly built home in the metro is priced at $399,717, even lower than the already affordable median existing home at $418,375. With a thriving local economy, strong job market and low cost of living, Fayetteville offers buyers a rare combination of quality, value and lifestyle, whether they're first-time buyers, remote workers seeking space, or families putting down roots in a fast-growing community.
Boise, Idaho – ranked second and the only Western metro to make the list – leads the nation in the share of new construction listings, at over 51% of all for-sale listings. These homes are not only more plentiful but also more affordable, with a median listing price of $540,743 compared to $559,517 for existing homes. Boise's new construction also earned high scores for sustainability, with climate-smart designs with lower fire risk than older homes. Rounding out the top five, Nashville; Austin, Texas; and McAllen, Texas are standout Southern markets where strong local job growth and expanding new construction inventories are helping to unlock more affordable paths to homeownership for more buyers in those areas.
"Our data shows that strong local job markets, builder investment and affordability are converging in these metros to create opportunity," said Joel Berner, senior economist at Realtor.com®. "When communities reduce zoning barriers and support sustainable building practices, it's a win for affordability, livability and long-term resilience. These are the places helping to close the gap between supply and demand, and giving families a shot at the American dream."
It's a nationwide trend, and not just a Southern story
While the South dominates the list, each region of the country is represented in the top 10, from Madison, Wisc., in the Midwest to Portland, Maine in the Northeast. Many of these metros are midsize cities or college towns with relatively low costs of living, which is an appealing combination that's drawing new residents and investment from industries like tech and manufacturing. In response, builders are stepping in with well-priced, sustainable homes designed to meet the needs of local buyers and support the growing demand for homes.
"The only way to ease the nation's housing affordability crisis is to increase the housing supply and local, state and federal governments all have an important role to play," said Buddy Hughes, chairman of the National Association of Home Builders and a home builder and developer from Lexington, N.C. "We need to enact policies at all levels of government that will eliminate burdensome regulations, promote careers in the skilled trades and alleviate permitting roadblocks to allow builders to construct more attainable, affordable housing."
Let America Build
This new ranking builds on the Realtor.com® Let America Build initiative, which advocates for bold solutions to break down barriers to new home construction, such as cutting red tape, eliminating restrictive zoning, and modernizing outdated regulations. The campaign recently gained national momentum with the U.S. Conference of Mayors passing a bipartisan best practice policy statement supporting it. By identifying and celebrating the places where solutions are taking hold and making an impact, the campaign aims to accelerate efforts that make homeownership more attainable for more Americans.
See the full report for additional commentary and data insights on the top 10 metro markets.
2025 Top 25 Metros for New Construction Ranking Criteria
Top New Construction Metro | New | New | Climate | Page | New | |
1 | Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR | 43.1 % | -4.5 % | -0.7 % | -18.8 % | 72 |
2 | Boise City, ID | 51.0 % | -3.4 % | -3.4 % | -49.8 % | 66 |
3 | Nashville-Davidson- Murfreesboro-Franklin, TN | 37.0 % | 5.8 % | 1.2 % | -38.6 % | 52 |
4 | McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX | 27.8 % | 6.4 % | 0.0 % | -14.0 % | 63 |
5 | Portland-South Portland, ME | 22.1 % | 9.0 % | -3.4 % | 137.8 % | 76 |
6 | Madison, WI | 25.1 % | 11.1 % | -3.0 % | 68.4 % | 80 |
7 | Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC | 30.6 % | 1.0 % | 3.8 % | -39.0 % | 53 |
8 | Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | 24.2 % | -7.2 % | -0.4 % | -58.4 % | 60 |
9 | Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | 28.6 % | 8.8 % | 0.6 % | -22.2 % | 66 |
10 | Raleigh-Cary, NC | 47.3 % | -0.1 % | 3.2 % | -38.1 % | 77 |
11 | Columbia, SC | 27.9 % | 1.6 % | 4.5 % | -38.2 % | 57 |
12 | Knoxville, TN | 23.9 % | 11.6 % | -0.1 % | 13.8 % | 72 |
13 | Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL | 18.3 % | -13.1 % | -0.7 % | -21.3 % | 75 |
14 | Winston-Salem, NC | 32.8 % | 20.1 % | 3.3 % | -13.4 % | 70 |
15 | San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | 36.4 % | 3.5 % | 5.5 % | -58.1 % | 65 |
16 | Chattanooga, TN-GA | 27.0 % | 18.1 % | 3.8 % | 13.8 % | 72 |
17 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 28.0 % | 8.0 % | 6.0 % | -33.4 % | 62 |
18 | Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL | 30.2 % | -4.6 % | 5.2 % | -54.2 % | 78 |
19 | Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL | 18.5 % | 0.9 % | -6.1 % | -33.7 % | 88 |
20 | Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA | 19.4 % | 12.1 % | 2.7 % | -25.3 % | 52 |
21 | Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 31.6 % | 5.5 % | 7.8 % | -72.0 % | 56 |
22 | Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | 35.5 % | 26.2 % | -4.2 % | -19.8 % | 114 |
23 | Oklahoma City, OK | 28.6 % | 24.3 % | 6.8 % | -31.6 % | 48 |
24 | Fresno, CA | 17.7 % | 5.0 % | -3.6 % | -63.6 % | 62 |
25 | Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC | 37.1 % | 12.0 % | 4.2 % | -33.8 % | 82 |
Methodology
Listing data is collected from listings on Realtor.com between January 1st and June 30th, 2025. All scores are based on a percentile rank of each metric calculated for each of the 100 largest metros by household count. New construction share of listings is the number of listings in each metropolitan area designated as new construction divided by the total number of listings in that metro. New construction premium is the percent difference between the average of the monthly median listing price for new construction and existing homes. Climate risk data comes from First Street for flood, fire, air, wind, and heat risks. The percent difference between average new construction and average existing home risk scores are calculated for each risk type, and the average of these differences produces a risk differential that is then scored on a percent rank basis. Market hotness is an average between the percent rank scores of page views per listing on Realtor.com (total page views for new construction listings divided by number of new construction listings) and the percent rank of time on market for new construction listings.
About Realtor.com®
Realtor.com® pioneered online real estate and has been at the forefront for over 25 years, connecting buyers, sellers, and renters with trusted insights, professional guidance and powerful tools to help them find their perfect home. Recognized as the No. 1 site trusted by real estate professionals, Realtor.com® is a valued partner, delivering consumer connections and a robust suite of marketing tools to support business growth. Realtor.com® is operated by News Corp [Nasdaq: NWS, NWSA] [ASX: NWS, NWSLV] subsidiary Move, Inc.
Media Contact: Sara Wiskerchen, [email protected]
SOURCE Realtor.com
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