Cost to Build a House by State
Building a house costs from $146/sq ft in Mississippi to $328/sq ft in Hawaii in 2026, against a national mid-range rate of $188. For a 2,000 sq ft home that is $292,000 to $656,000, before land. Tap a state for its full breakdown.
Mid-range cost per square foot
Each square is a state. Brighter costs more.
Every state, cheapest first
| State | $/sq ft | 2,000 sq ft |
|---|---|---|
| Mississippi | $146 | $292,000 |
| Arkansas | $150 | $300,000 |
| West Virginia | $154 | $308,000 |
| Alabama | $155 | $310,000 |
| Kentucky | $156 | $312,000 |
| Oklahoma | $158 | $316,000 |
| Kansas | $160 | $320,000 |
| Nebraska | $161 | $322,000 |
| Iowa | $163 | $326,000 |
| South Carolina | $163 | $326,000 |
| Georgia | $165 | $330,000 |
| Missouri | $165 | $330,000 |
| New Mexico | $165 | $330,000 |
| South Dakota | $165 | $330,000 |
| Tennessee | $165 | $330,000 |
| Indiana | $169 | $338,000 |
| Louisiana | $169 | $338,000 |
| North Carolina | $169 | $338,000 |
| Idaho | $173 | $346,000 |
| North Dakota | $173 | $346,000 |
| Ohio | $173 | $346,000 |
| Texas | $173 | $346,000 |
| Wyoming | $173 | $346,000 |
| Arizona | $178 | $356,000 |
| Michigan | $178 | $356,000 |
| Wisconsin | $182 | $364,000 |
| Montana | $184 | $368,000 |
| Utah | $184 | $368,000 |
| Nevada | $187 | $374,000 |
| Minnesota | $191 | $382,000 |
| Delaware | $197 | $394,000 |
| Florida | $197 | $394,000 |
| Maine | $197 | $394,000 |
| Virginia | $197 | $394,000 |
| Pennsylvania | $202 | $404,000 |
| Vermont | $206 | $412,000 |
| Colorado | $207 | $414,000 |
| Illinois | $210 | $420,000 |
| New Hampshire | $210 | $420,000 |
| Oregon | $210 | $420,000 |
| Maryland | $221 | $442,000 |
| Washington | $221 | $442,000 |
| Rhode Island | $229 | $458,000 |
| Connecticut | $240 | $480,000 |
| New Jersey | $247 | $494,000 |
| Massachusetts | $253 | $506,000 |
| California | $272 | $544,000 |
| New York | $277 | $554,000 |
| District of Columbia | $290 | $580,000 |
| Alaska | $310 | $620,000 |
| Hawaii | $328 | $656,000 |
Mid-range construction, land excluded. Homes permitted: single-family units, Census Building Permits Survey, 2025. Build vs. buy: what a median-size new build with land costs against the typical existing home (Zillow).
Go deeper by state
State cost questions
What is the cheapest state to build a house in?
Mississippi, at about $146 per square foot for mid-range construction in 2026 — roughly $292,000 for a 2,000 sq ft home, excluding land. The next cheapest are Arkansas ($150) and West Virginia ($154).
What is the most expensive state to build a house in?
Hawaii, at about $328 per square foot — $656,000 for 2,000 sq ft before land. That is 125% more than Mississippi for the same house.
How much does it cost to build a house on average in the US?
About $188 per square foot nationally for mid-range construction in 2026, or $376,000 for a 2,000 sq ft home, excluding land. The typical state sits close to that: the median state, Wisconsin, runs $182.
Data last refreshed 2026-08-24. Costs: HouseBuildCalc per-state model, calibrated against U.S. Census Bureau Survey of Construction contract prices and BLS wage data. See methodology.