What Are the Most Common Exterior Materials for New Homes?

Trends
Published

Stucco was the most common principal exterior material on new single-family homes started in 2020 (28%), followed by vinyl siding (26%), according to the data from the Census Bureau’s Survey of Construction (SOC).

Fiber cement siding (such as Hardiplank or Hardiboard) and brick or brick veneer were also relatively popular at 21% and 19%, respectively. Less popular as the principal exterior wall material were wood or wood products (4%) and stone, rock or other stone materials (1%).

Such preferences significantly differ between the nine census divisions, however. Stucco remains the most popular in the Pacific (63%), Mountain (50%) and South Atlantic (39%), while vinyl is the top product in the Middle Atlantic (76%), New England (72%), East North Central (68%), West North Central (53%) and East South Central (45%). More than half (64%) of homes in West South Central were made with brick.

NAHB Senior Economist Ashok Chaluvadi provides more analysis in this Eye on Housing post.

Subscribe to NAHBNow

Log in or create account to subscribe to notifications of new posts.

Log in to subscribe

Latest from NAHBNow

Economics

Jul 18, 2025

Single-Family Starts Weaken in June as Affordability Challenges Persist

Due to a solid increase in multifamily production, overall housing starts increased 4.6% in June to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.32 million units, according to a report from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Census Bureau.

Safety

Jul 17, 2025

Stay on Top of Wood Framing Safety Policies

Wood framing is an integral part of the home building process, and one job that many general contractors take on themselves. But even with familiarity of the task, specific safety precautions should be followed during framing.

View all

Latest Economic News

Economics

Jul 18, 2025

Single-Family Starts Weaken in June as Affordability Challenges Persist

Single-family housing starts declined in June to the lowest rate since July 2024 as elevated interest rates, rising inventories and ongoing supply-side issues continue to act as headwinds for the housing sector.

Economics

Jul 17, 2025

Builder Confidence Edges Up in July

Builder confidence for future sales expectations received a slight boost in July with the extension of the 2017 tax cuts, but elevated interest rates and economic and policy uncertainty continue to act as headwinds for the housing sector.

Economics

Jul 16, 2025

Producer Prices for Metals and Equipment Show Large Increases

Residential building material prices rose in June, driven primarily by higher construction machinery and equipment part prices. Metal commodities also experienced significant increases, following recently implemented tariffs on steel and aluminum. Meanwhile, price growth for services used in construction continues to outpace both domestic and imported goods.