The New Home Story Is About the Number One

The share of new homes with two or more stories declined to 53% of houses built last year compared with 55% in 2017, while one-story home construction increased to 47% from 45%, according to U.S. Census figures tabulated by the National Association of Home Builders.

Looking deeper, four of the nine regional divisions show a greater share of newly-built two or more stories homes. Among these four divisions, New England had a significantly higher proportion (84%) of two or more stories homes. New home started with two or more stories in the Middle Atlantic, South Atlantic and Pacific were 76%, 56% and 64%.

On the other hand, new homes started in the Midwest and South show a stronger preference of single story homes, except for South Atlantic division in the South. In the Midwest (East North Central and West North Central), 57% of new homes started were one story, while the shares in the East South Central and West South Central were 55% and 60%.

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