Written by: Salima Jenkins
Every year, we collect data on the characteristics of new residential construction, such as square footage and the number of bedrooms, as well as average and median sales prices (for single-family houses only). These statistics are from the Survey of Construction, which is partially funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Here are a few interesting facts from the 2011 Characteristics of New Housing tables:
- There were 306,000 new single-family homes sold in 2011. Of these, 19 percent had a garage that could hold 3 or more cars.
- The size of the average single‑family house completed in 2011 was 2,480 square feet.
- 39 percent of single‑family homes completed in 2011 had four or more bedrooms. 48 percent of them had three bedrooms.
The average sales price of new single‑family homes sold in the United States was $267,900. Average prices by region of the country were: Northeast $389,900; Midwest $241,700; South $248,900; and West $301,800.
- 54 percent of single-family homes completed in 2011 had 2 or more stories.
- 62 percent of multifamily units completed in 2011 used electricity for heating fuel, while 37 percent used gas.
- The average square footage of multifamily units completed in 2011 and built for sale was 1,408, compared with 1,131 for those built for rent.
For more annual new housing characteristics data, for 2011 and prior years, please visit the Characteristics of New Housing website, where you can see a complete list of characteristics highlights and view the entire set of over 200 tables.
Additional information on housing characteristics is available from the American Community Survey and American Housing Survey.
