Data
What New American Homes Look Like: 2025 Census Data
New single-family houses completed in the U.S. in 2025 had a median size of 2,142 sq ft (2,378 sq ft average), and were most commonly built on a slab or other types (75% of homes). The Census Bureau puts the median contract price to build at $171.57/sq ft (average $198.33/sq ft) for contractor-built homes, excluding land — and the median total sale price of a new house (including land) was $417,400. Nearly all new homes (98%) now include central air-conditioning, and heat pumps (48%) have caught up to forced-air furnaces (49%) as a national heating source — according to the U.S. Census Bureau's Survey of Construction.
What New Homes Actually Cost, Per the Census Bureau
Two different federal price measures, covering two different universes of new homes. Neither one is "the" national construction cost — read the caveats below each table before comparing.
Contract Price per Square Foot (excludes land)
Median and average contract price per square foot of new contractor-built single-family houses started, national and by region, 2025| Measure | National | Northeast | Midwest | South | West |
|---|
| Median | $171.57/sq ft | $179.3/sq ft | $194.09/sq ft | $157.3/sq ft | $176.87/sq ft |
| Average | $198.33/sq ft | $246.26/sq ft | $202.13/sq ft | $179.96/sq ft | $213.85/sq ft |
Universe: new contractor-built single-family houses started in 2025 — homes built for an owner under contract on the owner's own lot. Excludes spec/built-for-sale homes. Per the Census Bureau's own table note, "contract price excludes value of improved lot" — i.e. this is a construction-cost figure, not a total price.
Total Sale Price (includes land)
Median and average sales price of new single-family houses sold, national and by region, 2025| Measure | National | Northeast | Midwest | South | West |
|---|
| Median | $417,400 | $750,800 | $387,400 | $372,800 | $541,900 |
| Average | $523,800 | $1,061,300 | $449,700 | $458,800 | $649,300 |
Universe: new single-family houses sold (spec/built-for-sale homes) in 2025 — a different universe from the contract-price table above. Per the Census Bureau's own table note, "sales price includes value of improved lot," so this total mixes land cost, builder profit, and finishes with construction cost — it is not comparable to a $/sq ft build-cost estimate without knowing the lot value. The Northeast average ($1,061,300) has a wide margin of error in the Census data due to a small sample of very high-value sales in that region.
How this compares to HouseBuildCalc's own estimates
This calculator models national base rates of $139/sq ft (basic), $188/sq ft (mid-range), and $256/sq ft (premium). The Census Bureau's median contract price of $171.57/sq ft falls between our basic and mid-range tiers, and its average of $198.33/sq ft sits just above our mid-range tier — both are well below our premium tier. In plain terms: the federal government's own price data for contractor-built homes lines up closest to a basic-to-mid-range build, not a premium one, and neither Census figure approaches our top tier. We are not changing our modeled rates based on this single comparison — regional cost variation, lot conditions, and finish level all move the number — but we think you should see the government's own figure next to ours rather than take our estimate on faith.
Curious what a home with these specs costs to build in your area? Use the cost calculator → or see how material and labor costs have moved on our construction cost trends page.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Survey of Construction — Characteristics of New Housing, 2025 data, published July 1, 2026. Physical characteristics (size, foundation, bedrooms, bathrooms, HVAC, exterior, stories) cover new single-family houses completed (built for sale, contractor-built, and owner-built combined). The contract-price-per-square-foot figure covers a narrower universe — contractor-built houses started, excluding land — and the sale-price figure covers a different universe still — built-for-sale houses sold, including land. Percentages are computed from unrounded figures and may not sum to exactly 100 due to rounding; some near-zero regional cells are withheld by the Census Bureau and shown as —.
Retrieved 2026-08-23 · Raw data: /data/new-home-characteristics.json · Methodology