During the early days of the pandemic, many people realized they could do their jobs from just about anywhere and moved their families across the state—or in some cases across the country. How long did that trend continue?
Pew suggests moves out of the densest parts of big cities, those with more than 10,000 people per square mile, jumped 17% to about 2.9 million during the first year of the pandemic, from March 2020 to February 2021. The number of moves out of those dense areas returned to pre-pandemic levels in the following year, March 2021 to February 2022.
Where did they move? What states currently have the most new construction homes being developed? New data gives us insight into what is being built across the country.
The data by portlandrealestate.com analyzed U.S. Census data and Statista to determine which states had the most new construction homes being developed per 1,000 residents, and it uncovered the areas that are seeing the most newly built homes.
In fact, the study suggests in 2021, there were 6.9 million houses sold across the country—and this number is projected to rise to more than 7 million in 2023. The data presented in this research gives a good glimpse into where the supply of new housing is increasing the fastest.
According to the research, the top state with the most new construction homes being developed is Utah, with 11.7 new builds per 1,000 residents. This is more than double the U.S. average of 5.23 new builds per 1,000 residents. Here the average value of a house is $554,955.
Idaho and Florida rank second and third, respectively, where 11.43 new homes and 9.80 new homes are being built per 1,000 residents. South Carolina and Colorado rank fourth and fifth, respectively. Here in South Carolina, we have 9.76 new builds being built per 1,000 residents, coming in just below Florida’s rate of new homes.
Does this list surprise you in any way? There are many warmer climates and tourist and vacation destinations in these top five states. Where else do you see new homes arising? Are there many in your area? Or does it seem like new construction is stagnating?
Now, let’s look at the other side of this coin for a minute. Rhode Island has the fewest new builds being built per 1,000 residents. Here we see only 1.27 new builds. The top 10 states with the least new builds being developed are Rhode Island, Connecticut, Illinois, New York, West Virginia, Alaska, Michigan, Hawaii, Ohio, and Mississippi. Interestingly, many of these states are in the Midwest or East Coast, with the exception of Hawaii and Alaska.
Now that the early days of the pandemic are behind us, will we continue to see people move and build new homes? Is the Great Migration behind us at this point, as families mostly settle in one location for the foreseeable future? Time will tell. Although as someone who has built a home in South Carolina, I must confess the experience has not been an easy process. Let’s be clear, I have built several homes in the past, and my experience in South Carolina working with trades and GCs has revealed a less than positive experience. The system needs to change. There needs to be a greater watchful eye on protecting our nature and making sure we are not just bulldozing the world around us.
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