By The Epoch Times | Created at 2026-08-31 22:36:36 | Updated at 2026-09-05 14:34:38
4 days ago
When it comes to offering the best mix of availability, affordability, and desirability, several metros across the South are ranked as the top choices for Americans seeking new-construction homes, according to Realtor.com.
The Aug. 31 report notes that eight of the top 10 best metros for buying a new home are located in the South, where land is available, cheaper, and “builder-friendly,” with more permissive zoning and less restrictive building codes.
Charleston, South Carolina, nabbed the top spot among the 100 largest U.S. metros, with new homes priced at a median of $443,273—12.2 percent below the national median existing home price of $504,832.
“New construction is one of the most important ways to expand the supply of homes available to buyers, but the opportunity is not evenly distributed across the country,” Realtor.com senior economist Joel Berner said in the report.
“This year’s ranking shows that Southern metros are not only building more homes; they are also creating conditions where buyers can find newly built homes at prices that compete with, and in some cases beat, existing homes.”
According to the report, Charleston’s strong middle class supports a consistent demand for affordable homes, while the area attracts those seeking employment in the defense, aerospace, and automotive manufacturing industries.
The metro’s Summerville northwest suburb showed the highest share of new construction.
Data indicate that suburban metro locations tend to offer more new residential construction at competitive prices.
To rank each metro, Realtor.com used criteria including the share of listings that are new construction, the percentage difference between median new-construction and existing-home list prices, the difference in climate risk, and market activity based on page views per listing and the median time on the market for new homes.
South Carolina’s Greenville metro ranked second, followed by Boise City, Idaho; Charlotte, North Carolina; and Nashville. Two additional North Carolina metros, as well as another South Carolina metro and Georgia metro, made the top 10 list. Madison, Wisconsin, was the only Midwestern metro to make Realtor.com’s top 10 ranking. No Northeast metros were on the list.
“Markets such as Charleston, Greenville and Boise are demonstrating what new-home buyers value most: choice and pricing that make a newly built home a realistic option,” Berner said. “The concentration of top performers in smaller, high-growth metros is a reminder that housing supply responds to local conditions.”
In its July 26 report, the Council of State Governments Southern Office, a nonprofit, nonpartisan member organization serving 15 southern states, said state legislators in the region have been taking a direct approach to residential zoning and development permitting to encourage the construction of more affordable housing.
It noted that more than 100 bills related to residential zoning, land use, and permitting reform were introduced over the past two years, and at least 20 measures have been enacted to date. More than half of the bills were targeted to allow increased development of residential and mixed-use housing by updating existing zoning restrictions.
Accessory dwelling units (ADUs) and manufactured homes have also been major topics of discussion in zoning-upgrade bills.
Meanwhile, a July 20 report from Realtor.com noted that the Carolinas, Texas, and Florida alone brought in close to 170,000 more affordably priced homes since 2022. Many of these new homes are considered “starters,” which are typically smaller and less expensive than the average home.
“The dream of buying a first home has always come with compromises like a smaller yard, a longer commute, or perhaps a fixer-upper kitchen,” the report stated.
According to the report, the typical starter home in the South is priced at $311,000—down 3.5 percent from its peak of $322,600 in 2022.
“Sun Belt builders ramped up supply during the boom years, and that inventory has reached the market just as demand has moderated,” the report said. “The result is a region where buyers have more options and more negotiating leverage than anywhere else in the country.”
Realtor.com’s August data on the top 10 metros also noted that college towns performed well in the ranking, with nearly every top-10 metro having a major research university or prominent school. The report noted that colleges typically support local employment as well as economic growth, which helps drive the demand for new homes.
Other metros receiving “honorable mentions” include: Richmond, Virginia; San Antonio, Texas; Spokane, Washington; and Wichita, Kansas.
