Realtor.com® Ranks the Top Metros for New Construction in 2026
Rhea-AI Summary
News Corp (NWS), via Realtor.com, released its 2026 Top Metros for New Construction ranking, naming Charleston–North Charleston, SC No. 1 among the 100 largest U.S. metros. Charleston’s median new-build listing price of $443,273 is 12.2% below its $504,832 existing-home median, with new construction representing 24.8% of listings.
Greenville–Anderson–Greer, SC and Boise, ID rank second and third. Six of the top 10 metros are in the Carolinas and eight are in the South. The methodology weighs new-construction share and price premium (33% each), climate-risk differences (17%), and market hotness measures (17%) using data from January 1–June 30, 2026.
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Key Figures
Historical Context
| Date | Event | Sentiment | 24h Move | Catalyst |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 26 | Housing demand report | Positive | +0.3% | Cross-market new-home interest increased while inventory and affordability remained central themes. |
| Aug 25 | Housing affordability report | Positive | +0.3% | Consumers increasingly viewed listings outside their local markets as affordability shaped housing demand. |
| Aug 19 | Housing market analysis | Negative | +0.1% | Lower-priced housing engagement weakened as financial conditions divided the market. |
| Aug 18 | Cash-buyer report | Negative | +2.5% | Cash purchases declined faster than overall home sales during the first four months. |
| Aug 17 | Rent affordability report | Negative | -1.5% | Renting remained cheaper than buying across the largest metropolitan housing markets. |
24h Move is the share-price change in the day after each event; other market factors may also have contributed.
Recent NWS news reactions were mostly positive, with four gains and one decline, despite mixed housing-related topics.
Key Terms
AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
"New construction is one of the most important ways to expand the supply of homes available to buyers, but the opportunity is not evenly distributed across the country," said Joel Berner, senior economist at Realtor.com®. "This year's ranking shows that Southern metros are not only building more homes; they are also creating conditions where buyers can find newly built homes at prices that compete with, and in some cases beat, existing homes."
The Top 10 Metros for New Construction in 2026
Metro | New | New | Climate Risk | Page Views | New |
24.8 % | -12.2 % | -0.5 % | -6.9 % | 48 | |
33.4 % | -1.6 % | 3.1 % | 8.3 % | 60 | |
Boise City, ID | 53.4 % | -4.5 % | 6.1 % | -21.6 % | 61 |
29.5 % | 4.7 % | 0.3 % | 1.5 % | 65 | |
30.1 % | 5.1 % | 2.7 % | -19.1 % | 52 | |
26.8 % | 10.1 % | -2.4 % | 20.1 % | 66 | |
33.0 % | 9.7 % | 3.2 % | 15.9 % | 64 | |
30.8 % | 12.5 % | 0.8 % | 108.4 % | 70 | |
33.0 % | 8.7 % | -0.3 % | -18.8 % | 68 | |
25.5 % | -3.0 % | 7.2 % | -0.4 % | 45 |
Carolinas Dominate as Smaller, Growing Metros Lead
Six of the top 10 metros are in North or
The list is also dominated by small-to-midsize metros.
"Markets such as
College towns also remain prominent in the ranking, with nearly every top-10 metro anchored by a major research university or flagship school. These institutions support local employment, talent pipelines and economic growth, helping sustain demand for new homes.
What Sets the Top Markets Apart
The 2026 ranking evaluates the 100 largest
- New-construction share of listings (
33% ) - New-construction premium, or the percentage difference between median new-build and existing-home listing prices (
33% ) - Difference in average flood, fire, air-quality, wind and heat risk between new and existing homes (
17% ) - New-construction market hotness, based on page views per listing and median time on market (
17% )
Honorable Mentions
Metro | New | New | Climate Risk | Page Views | New |
35.7 % | 20.7 % | -1.5 % | 5.4 % | 65 | |
41.9 % | 1.8 % | 5.1 % | -19.1 % | 69 | |
20.1 % | -12.9 % | -0.6 % | -2.4 % | 75 | |
34.0 % | 2.9 % | 8.2 % | -57.2 % | 59 | |
Spokane-Spokane | 18.5 % | 4.3 % | 1.7 % | -4.5 % | 53 |
32.8 % | -8.1 % | 6.7 % | -48.1 % | 71 | |
32.6 % | 3.9 % | 4.5 % | -40.0 % | 82 | |
24.0 % | 3.4 % | 4.9 % | -24.8 % | 67 | |
28.6 % | 19.7 % | 3.9 % | 12.8 % | 70 | |
28.6 % | 9.3 % | 6.6 % | -68.4 % | 59 | |
29.6 % | 8.1 % | 8.5 % | 47.6 % | 89 | |
31.0 % | 9.8 % | 13.6 % | -9.5 % | 68 | |
26.8 % | -1.4 % | 6.7 % | -29.0 % | 77 | |
18.9 % | 16.7 % | 1.5 % | 87.9 % | 69 | |
14.4 % | 15.2 % | -2.1 % | 359.5 % | 64 |
Methodology
Listing data were collected from Realtor.com® listings between January 1 and June 30, 2026. Scores are percentile ranks for each metric among the 100 largest metros by household count. New-construction share measures listings designated as new construction as a share of total metro listings. The new-construction premium compares the average monthly median listing prices of new and existing homes. Climate-risk data from First Street cover flood, fire, air quality, wind and heat risk. Market hotness combines page views per listing on Realtor.com® and time on market for new-construction listings.
Read the full 2026 Top New-Construction Metros report.
About Realtor.com®
For over 30 years, Realtor.com® has connected buyers, sellers, and renters with trusted insights, professional guidance and powerful tools to help them find their perfect home. Recognized as the No. 1 real estate site REALTOR® agents recommend, Realtor.com® delivers 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: Mallory Micetich, press@realtor.com
View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/realtorcom-ranks-the-top-metros-for-new-construction-in-2026-302863005.html
SOURCE Realtor.com