Realtor.com® Releases New State-by-State Housing Report Card: South and Midwest Dominate in Homebuilding and Affordability

Rhea-AI Summary

Realtor.com has released its 'Grading the States: Affordability & Homebuilding Report Cards' highlighting the nationwide housing shortage of over 4 million homes. The report evaluates states based on housing affordability and new construction capabilities.

South Carolina leads with an A grade, followed by Iowa and Texas (A-), and Indiana and North Carolina (B+). The South and Midwest dominate the rankings due to ample land availability and lower listing prices. These regions show the strongest mix of affordability and robust homebuilding efforts.

The report reveals that only 18 states have median homes affordable to median earners. Seven states (Texas, Florida, California, North Carolina, Georgia, Arizona, and South Carolina) account for over 50% of construction permits in 2024. The Northeast and West Coast struggle significantly, with Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New York, Hawaii, and California receiving the lowest grades due to high housing costs and construction.

Positive

• Comprehensive state-by-state analysis providing clear insights into housing market conditions
• South and Midwest regions showing strong housing affordability and construction activity
• Seven states account for over 50% of construction permits, indicating concentrated building activity

Negative

• Severe nationwide housing shortage of over 4 million homes
• Only 18 states have median homes affordable to median earners
• Northeast and West Coast states suffering from high housing costs and construction
• Complex zoning requirements hampering housing development in several states

South Carolina (A), Iowa (A-), Texas (A-), Indiana (B+), and North Carolina (B+) earn the highest marks

AUSTIN, Texas, April 24, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- With a nationwide housing shortage of over 4 million homes, affordability is becoming a growing concern for millions of Americans. Today, Realtor.com^® released Grading the States: Affordability & Homebuilding Report Cards, offering a clear snapshot of which states are successfully addressing housing challenges and which are struggling to keep up. See table below for grades for all 50 states.

The rankings for each state are based on two major factors: housing affordability and the ability to meet future supply challenges through new construction. Affordability, one half of the score, includes the REALTORS^® Affordability Score and the share of median income spent on a median-priced home. Homebuilding, the other half of the score, measured the permit-to-population ratio and the new construction premium, which is the cost difference between new and existing homes.

"The only real solution to housing affordability is to build more homes," said Damian Eales, CEO of Realtor.com^®. "Some states are making progress, but too many others are stuck in a cycle of soaring housing costs and limited inventory. With this report and the Let America Build campaign, we're shining a spotlight on these gaps. We need bold solutions, and we urge federal, state, and local leaders to step up and take action now. It's time to break the cycle and start building now to make homeownership a reality for more Americans."

Realtor.com's Let America Build campaign underscores the need for urgent policy changes to increase the housing supply and make homeownership more accessible and affordable. The campaign calls on lawmakers, industry leaders, and local communities to support smarter zoning, streamlined permitting processes, and incentives for home construction.

Top ranking states strike the right mix of affordability and new construction

Only 18 states—primarily in the Midwest and South—can claim that their median home is affordable to their median earner based on the 30% of income rule. Meanwhile, just seven states—Texas, Florida, California, North Carolina, Georgia, Arizona, and South Carolina—accounted for more than half of all construction permits issued in 2024. On the whole, the highest-ranking states are striking a balance between both affordability and robust homebuilding efforts, while those lower on the list struggle with high housing costs and sluggish construction progress.

"Our state report card rankings reveal stark disparities in housing affordability and homebuilding efforts across the U.S.," said Danielle Hale, chief economist, Realtor.com^®. "While some states are leading the way with strong homebuilding activity, others are grappling with high housing prices and sluggish construction. This divide underscores the urgent need for targeted policies and actions to address the nation's 4 million-home supply gap."

South and Midwest lead the way, with South Carolina taking the top spot

The South and Midwest, with ample available land and relatively low listing prices, are home to all of the top grades along our affordability and homebuilding criteria. In fact, the lowest grade earned by a state in the South and Midwest was in the C range. South Carolina earns the highest marks, securing an A grade for its proactive homebuilding efforts that are outpacing demand. Texas and Iowa followed closely behind with A- scores, though for very different reasons—Texas leads with impressive new construction, while Iowa stands out as one of the most affordable states to buy a home. B grades went exclusively to states in the South and Midwest, where construction activity and stronger affordability metrics are concentrated. Other high performers include Indiana, North Carolina, and Georgia, where strong affordability and homebuilding activity are making a notable impact.

The Northeast, West Coast lag behind

On the coasts – and in states like Montana where there's an influx of people migrating from higher-cost regions – high home prices, low affordability and limited new construction continues to be a significant challenge. Grades below D were only given to states in the West and Northeast, where high housing costs and sluggish construction remain persistent challenges. Rhode Island ranks at the bottom of the list, followed by Massachusetts, New York, Hawaii and California, where high prices and sparse construction are making it increasingly difficult for residents to find affordable homes.

States on the Western and Northeastern coasts are generally more regulated and subject to stricter, more complex zoning requirements. Massachusetts, which received low scores in both affordability and homebuilding, serves as an example of how zoning can get in the way of delivering affordable housing. Of Massachusetts' roughly 7 million acres, 76% of them are subject to zoning, according to the National Zoning Atlas, a project dedicated to digitizing, demystifying, and democratizing U.S. zoning codes.

State-by-State Housing Affordability & Homebuilding Report Card

Rank	State	Total Score	Grade	REALTORS® Affordability Score	Median Listing Price	Median Household Income	Share of 2024 Permits	Share of Population	New Construction Premium
1	South Carolina	75.2	A	0.65	$354,429	$64,898	3.2 %	1.6 %	-8.2 %
2	Iowa	71.6	A-	0.92	$294,600	$73,122	0.8 %	0.9 %	58.4 %
3	Texas	71.5	A-	0.61	$370,663	$73,203	15.3 %	9.2 %	7.5 %
4	Indiana	69.9	B+	0.87	$293,021	$69,674	1.8 %	2.0 %	49.1 %
5	North Carolina	68.8	B+	0.59	$408,663	$68,774	6.4 %	3.3 %	2.6 %
6	South Dakota	67	B	0.59	$380,391	$73,956	0.4 %	0.3 %	11.4 %
7	Nebraska	66.7	B	0.72	$350,229	$74,027	0.7 %	0.6 %	49.4 %
8	Arkansas	65.2	B	0.74	$296,829	$59,274	0.9 %	0.9 %	41.5 %
9	Georgia	64.7	B	0.64	$392,678	$72,877	4.6 %	3.3 %	15.2 %
10	Minnesota	62	B-	0.77	$394,042	$86,272	1.5 %	1.7 %	47.1 %
11	Virginia	61.5	B-	0.73	$434,711	$89,172	2.3 %	2.6 %	39.0 %
12	Louisiana	61.3	B-	0.77	$278,215	$58,060	1.0 %	1.4 %	11.4 %
13	Alabama	60.2	B-	0.71	$328,950	$60,578	1.4 %	1.5 %	16.7 %
14	Florida	59.4	C+	0.52	$445,826	$69,226	11.8 %	6.8 %	-4.0 %
15	Oklahoma	58.4	C+	0.77	$297,540	$63,261	0.9 %	1.2 %	33.4 %
16	Ohio	58.2	C+	0.89	$269,130	$68,488	2.1 %	3.5 %	91.1 %
16	Wisconsin	58.2	C+	0.67	$381,282	$74,195	1.6 %	1.8 %	39.9 %
18	Kentucky	58	C+	0.75	$304,296	$62,837	1.1 %	1.3 %	32.2 %
19	Delaware	57.5	C+	0.58	$491,463	$76,379	0.5 %	0.3 %	29.6 %
20	Kansas	57.1	C	0.82	$303,891	$71,300	0.6 %	0.9 %	105.9 %
21	Arizona	56.5	C	0.50	$499,982	$74,483	4.0 %	2.3 %	-2.7 %
22	Missouri	56.2	C	0.82	$298,696	$68,010	1.2 %	1.8 %	50.9 %
23	Maryland	55.1	C	0.81	$416,558	$97,364	1.2 %	1.8 %	50.9 %
24	West Virginia	54.7	C	0.91	$240,954	$58,432	0.3 %	0.5 %	62.8 %
25	Tennessee	53.1	C	0.55	$433,987	$66,631	3.1 %	2.1 %	15.3 %
26	Idaho	52.2	C	0.42	$571,023	$72,949	1.2 %	0.6 %	-2.0 %
27	Maine	51.1	C	0.59	$440,523	$71,476	0.4 %	0.4 %	40.6 %
27	Colorado	51.1	C	0.55	$599,104	$90,555	2.2 %	1.8 %	5.3 %
29	Utah	51	C	0.49	$602,230	$88,438	1.6 %	1.0 %	9.3 %
30	Illinois	50.1	C	0.86	$316,613	$79,180	1.3 %	3.7 %	75.0 %
31	Michigan	50	C	0.86	$284,762	$69,042	1.5 %	3.0 %	96.4 %
32	North Dakota	49	C	0.73	$359,034	$73,489	0.2 %	0.2 %	45.4 %
33	Pennsylvania	48.3	C	0.82	$306,740	$74,466	1.6 %	3.8 %	89.9 %
34	Nevada	45.7	C-	0.49	$492,789	$71,942	1.4 %	1.0 %	19.2 %
35	New Jersey	45.4	C-	0.58	$563,048	$96,278	2.5 %	2.8 %	74.1 %
36	Washington	44.7	C-	0.51	$636,445	$93,297	2.6 %	2.3 %	18.3 %
37	Mississippi	44.2	C-	0.72	$291,262	$55,030	0.5 %	0.9 %	41.9 %
38	New Mexico	43.2	C-	0.57	$392,571	$61,656	0.5 %	0.6 %	2.4 %
39	Vermont	43	C-	0.56	$493,716	$79,794	0.2 %	0.2 %	51.5 %
40	District of Columbia	42.6	C-	0.67	$610,723	$98,916	0.1 %	0.2 %	0.2 %
41	New Hampshire	42.2	C-	0.57	$572,784	$94,929	0.3 %	0.4 %	38.7 %
42	Wyoming	41.2	C-	0.56	$465,295	$73,733	0.1 %	0.2 %	19.6 %
43	Alaska	40.4	C-	0.73	$417,738	$86,275	0.1 %	0.2 %	30.3 %
44	Montana	35.2	D	0.40	$634,523	$69,683	0.4 %	0.3 %	14.7 %
45	Oregon	29.8	F	0.46	$563,896	$78,022	1.0 %	1.3 %	2.0 %
46	Connecticut	28.3	F	0.64	$517,849	$89,717	0.4 %	1.1 %	68.2 %
47	California	19.5	F	0.43	$756,185	$92,605	6.8 %	11.7 %	-7.1 %
48	Hawaii	15.8	F	0.45	$822,065	$91,385	0.2 %	0.4 %	26.2 %
49	New York	13.2	F	0.50	$664,622	$81,057	3.1 %	5.8 %	76.2 %
50	Massachusetts	12.6	F	0.48	$781,758	$96,584	1.0 %	2.1 %	42.8 %
51	Rhode Island	12.2	F	0.47	$537,521	$80,791	0.1 %	0.3 %	43.8 %

Methodology

Grades are based on the following score ranges: A+ (77.5+), A (72.5-77.5), A- (70-72.5), B+ (67.5-70), B (62.5-67.5), B- (60-62.5), C+ (57.5-60), C (47.5-57.5), C- (40-47.5), D+ (37.5-40), D (32.5-37.5), D- (30-32.5), and F (0-30).

View the full report, interactive map and methodology at https://www.realtor.com/research/state-report-cards-2025/.

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, press@realtor.com

 

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/realtorcom-releases-new-state-by-state-housing-report-card-south-and-midwest-dominate-in-homebuilding-and-affordability-302437025.html

SOURCE Realtor.com

FAQ

Which states received the highest grades in Realtor.com's 2025 housing report?

South Carolina (A), Iowa (A-), Texas (A-), Indiana (B+), and North Carolina (B+) received the highest grades due to their strong combination of housing affordability and homebuilding activity.

How many states have affordable housing according to the 2025 Realtor.com report?

Only 18 states, primarily in the Midwest and South, have median homes that are affordable to their median earners based on the 30% of income rule.

Which states issued the most construction permits in 2024?

Seven states (Texas, Florida, California, North Carolina, Georgia, Arizona, and South Carolina) accounted for more than half of all construction permits issued in 2024.

Why are Northeast and West Coast states struggling with housing according to the report?

These regions face challenges due to high home prices, stricter zoning requirements, complex regulations, and sluggish construction progress, resulting in the lowest grades in the report.