House Prices Continue to Appreciate in Second Quarter
Limited resale inventory and strong growth in demand continued to put upward pressure on house prices through the first half of 2024.
According to the quarterly all-transactions House Price Index (HPI) released by the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), between the second quarter of 2023 and the second quarter of 2024, all 50 states and the District of Columbia had positive house price appreciation, ranging from 1.5% to 10.4%. West Virginia led the way with the highest price appreciation (+10.4%). It was followed by New Jersey (+10.1%) and New Hampshire (+9.1%). Meanwhile, Louisiana had the lowest price growth (+1.5%).
Nationally, house prices grew at a relatively slower pace, compared to double-digit annual growth during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the FHFA HPI, U.S. house prices rose 5.9% in the second quarter of 2024, compared to the second quarter of 2023. This rate of price growth decreased from 6.4% in the first quarter of 2024.
Among all 50 states and the District of Columbia, 28 states exceeded the national growth rate of 5.9%. Compared to the first quarter of 2024, 35 out of the 50 states had a deceleration in house price appreciation in the second quarter.
House prices have changed unevenly across U.S. metro areas from the second quarter of 2023 to the second quarter of 2024. NAHB Director of Forecasting and Analysis Jing Fu provides more details, including interactive maps, in this Eye on Housing post.
Latest from NAHBNow
On the latest episode of NAHB podcast Housing Developments, NAHB Chief Economist Dr. Robert Dietz joins CEO Jim Tobin and COO Paul Lopez to discuss the latest economic forecasts and how they have changed this year due to geopolitical turmoil.
The New American Remodel 2027 will be much more than a beautiful show home. It will highlight just how far building products and techniques have advanced in a relatively short period of time.
Latest Economic News
The share of new single-family homes built with individual wells and septic systems increased in 2025 compared to the previous year. According to NAHB’s analysis of the Census Bureau’s Survey of Construction (SOC), approximately 10% of single-family homes started in 2025 were served by individual (private) wells, and 17% relied on individual septic systems.
In the third quarter of 2026, the NAHB Remodeling Market Index (RMI) posted a reading of 62, up one point compared to the previous quarter. The RMI has remained within a narrow band between 59 and 70 for the past four years.
Mortgage application activity declined as the 30-year fixed mortgage rate rose sharply. The Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Market Composite Index, a measure of total mortgage application volume, decreased 7.7% month-over-month in September on a seasonally adjusted basis. Compared to a year ago, total mortgage applications were lower by 35.4%.