Home Sizes: Demand vs. Supply
The share of new single-family homes built in the 1,600-3,000 square-foot range track closely with the share of buyers who want homes of that size, according to recent surveys from NAHB and the U.S. Census Bureau.
The surveys show that 21% of buyers want homes with 1,600 to 1,999 square feet, and 22% of new single-family homes started in 2023 have that much floor space.
In the next tier up, 38% of buyers want homes with 2,000 to 2,999 square feet, and 40% of new single-family homes fall within that size range.
Results on the square footage buyers want in their next home were published in the 2024 edition of What Home Buyers Really Want, based on a representative sample of 3,008 recent and prospective home buyers in 2023. The size of homes started comes from NAHB tabulation of the recently released 2023 data file from the Census Bureau’s Survey of Construction.
Outside of the 1,600-3,000 square-foot range, the match between what buyers want and what builders provide is not as close. While 26% of buyers want homes under 1,600 square feet, only 16% of single-family homes started in 2023 were that small. And while 22% of new homes have at least 3,000 square feet, only 14% of buyers are looking for homes that large.
NAHB Senior Economist Paul Emrath provides more analysis in this Eye on Housing blog post.
Latest from NAHBNow
Sustainability and Green Building
Oct 06, 2026
How NGBS Green +WELLNESS Can Help You Target Key Home Buyer Preferences
As people spend more time in their homes, more buyers — especially on the high end of the market — are focusing on how the home lives and functions through above-standard certifications such as water efficiency, indoor air quality and energy efficiency.
Workforce Development Advisory Council | Student Chapters
Oct 05, 2026
NAHB HBCU Cohort Learns Residential Construction Career Skills
NAHB’s fourth annual Historically Black College and University (HBCU) Student Leadership program held a three-day meeting for networking, professional development and learning in Washington, D.C. to inspire the next generation of home building professionals.
Latest Economic News
Economics
Oct 05, 2026
Two-Story Foyer Share Edges Up in 2025
In 2025, around a quarter of new homes were built with a two-story foyer, slightly up from 2024, according to data obtained from the Census Bureau’s Survey of Construction (SOC) and tabulated by NAHB.
Economics
Oct 05, 2026
Trade Contractors Account for 42% of Associate Members
Every year since 2008, the NAHB has conducted a member census in order to better understand the composition and characteristics of the people who belong to its organization.
Economics
Oct 02, 2026
U.S. Economy Adds 29,000 Jobs in September as Prior Months Are Revised Down
The U.S. labor market cooled in September, with nonfarm payroll employment increasing by just 29,000 as downward revisions erased most of August’s previously reported strength. The unemployment rate edged up to 4.2%, as both employment and the labor force continued to grow.