Reference page
U.S. Home Furnishings & Housing Statistics
Current figures on new homes, housing activity, and online retail, gathered in one place for the people writing about how homes are made and lived in.
Last updated September 2, 2026
At a glance
Useful context for the home-goods market.
Home furnishing decisions tend to follow life changes: moving, buying a home, finishing a new build, or finally making a hard-working room feel settled. The figures below track those larger U.S. signals using the latest available releases from the Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
They are a practical reference for journalists, researchers, designers, retailers, and anyone looking for current context around housing and home-goods demand. Each statistic links directly to its original source.
Current statistics
Eight figures worth keeping close.
1.443M
housing units authorized by building permits
July 2026, seasonally adjusted annual rate. That was 5.0% above June and 3.1% above July 2025.
U.S. Census Bureau, Monthly New Residential Construction, July 2026, released August 18, 2026
1.239M
privately owned housing starts
July 2026, seasonally adjusted annual rate. Single-family starts accounted for 808,000 of that total.
U.S. Census Bureau, Monthly New Residential Construction, July 2026, released August 18, 2026
1.212M
privately owned housing completions
July 2026, seasonally adjusted annual rate. Single-family completions were 878,000.
U.S. Census Bureau, Monthly New Residential Construction, July 2026, released August 18, 2026
607K
new single-family homes sold
July 2026, seasonally adjusted annual rate, down 10.5% from the revised June rate.
488K
new houses for sale
At the end of July 2026, equal to a 9.6-month supply at the current sales rate.
$393,800
median price of a new home sold
July 2026. The average sales price for the same month was $508,800.
$340.2B
U.S. retail e-commerce sales
Second quarter of 2026, seasonally adjusted. E-commerce sales rose 12.2% from the second quarter of 2025.
U.S. Census Bureau, Quarterly Retail E-Commerce Sales, second quarter 2026, released August 18, 2026
How to read these numbers
Housing activity and retail do not move in lockstep.
Construction permits, starts, and completions measure different points in the path to a new home. They are useful together because they show both what is beginning and what is becoming ready to live in. New-home sales and inventory add a view of buyer activity and available supply.
Online retail figures are broader than furniture or handmade goods alone. They show the role online purchasing plays across retail, not a forecast for any one category, maker, or business.
Methodology and sources
Where these statistics come from.
This page uses the latest published U.S. government releases available as of September 2, 2026. Seasonally adjusted annual rates are reported exactly as published. Dollar amounts and sales shares are not adjusted for price changes unless the source says otherwise.
- U.S. Census Bureau, Monthly New Residential Construction, July 2026, released August 18, 2026
- U.S. Census Bureau and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Monthly New Residential Sales, July 2026, released August 25, 2026
- U.S. Census Bureau, Quarterly Retail E-Commerce Sales, second quarter 2026, released August 18, 2026
Citing this page
Wallace Wood by Harry. “U.S. Home Furnishings & Housing Statistics.” Updated September 2, 2026. https://landing.wallacewoodworkingllc.com/home-furnishings-statistics.
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