Top Ten Metros for New Construction Dominated by the South
Originally Published by: HBS Dealer — August 31, 2026
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Eight of the 10 best metros for purchasing a newly built home are in the South, according to the latest Realtor.com Top Metros for New Construction report. The list is led by Charleston-North Charleston, S.C., where the median newly built home is priced 12.2% below the median existing home.
The ranking finds that markets with builder-friendly conditions are giving buyers more opportunity to find a new home with a competitive price, ample availability and strong demand.
Charleston, home to thriving independent dealers like Espy Lumber, takes the top spot among the 100 largest U.S. metros, earning an overall score of 84.7 out of 100. The metro's median new-build listing price is $443,273, compared with $504,832 for existing homes, the strongest new-construction price advantage among the top 10 markets. The list
Greenville-Anderson-Greer, S.C., ranks second, followed by Boise City, Idaho, an increasingly hot territory covered by the likes of Franklin Building Supply.
"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," said Joel Berner, senior economist at Realtor.com. "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."
The Top 10 Metros for New Construction in 2026
| Metro | New Construction Share of Listings |
New Construction Premium |
Climate Risk Score vs Existing Homes |
Page Views per New Construction Listing vs National Average |
New Construction Days on Market |
| Charleston-North Charleston, SC | 24.8 % | -12.2 % | -0.5 % | -6.9 % | 48 |
| Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC | 33.4 % | -1.6 % | 3.1 % | 8.3 % | 60 |
| Boise City, ID | 53.4 % | -4.5 % | 6.1 % | -21.6 % | 61 |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | 29.5 % | 4.7 % | 0.3 % | 1.5 % | 65 |
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | 30.1 % | 5.1 % | 2.7 % | -19.1 % | 52 |
| Chattanooga, TN-GA | 26.8 % | 10.1 % | -2.4 % | 20.1 % | 66 |
| Winston-Salem, NC | 33.0 % | 9.7 % | 3.2 % | 15.9 % | 64 |
| Madison, WI | 30.8 % | 12.5 % | 0.8 % | 108.4 % | 70 |
| Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | 33.0 % | 8.7 % | -0.3 % | -18.8 % | 68 |
| Columbia, SC | 25.5 % | -3.0 % | 7.2 % | -0.4 % | 45 |
Carolinas Dominate as Smaller, Growing Metros Lead
Six of the top 10 metros are in North or South Carolina, and two more are in Tennessee. Together, these eight Southern markets underscore how local building conditions can shape the availability and relative affordability of new homes. More permissive zoning, less restrictive building codes and lower land costs can make it easier for builders to deliver new housing in the South.
The list is also dominated by small-to-midsize metros. Charlotte, the nation's 20th-largest metro, is the largest market in the top 10; Nashville, ranked 35th by size, is next. No other metro in the top 10 ranks among the 50 largest U.S. metropolitan areas.
"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. When communities make it feasible to build, buyers have more options."
College towns also remain prominent in the ranking, with nearly every top-10 metro anchored by a major research university or flagship school. These institutions support local employment, talent pipelines and economic growth, helping sustain demand for new homes.
What Sets the Top Markets Apart
The 2026 ranking evaluates the 100 largest U.S. metros by household count across four weighted measures:
- New-construction share of listings (33%)
- New-construction premium, or the percentage difference between median new-build and existing-home listing prices (33%)
- Difference in average flood, fire, air-quality, wind and heat risk between new and existing homes (17%)
- New-construction market hotness, based on page views per listing and median time on market (17%)
Madison, a territory covered by Bliffert Lumber and Zuern Building Products, is the only Midwestern metro in the ranking and has the strongest new-construction shopper interest among the top 10, with page views per listing running 108.4% above the national average. The ranking includes one Western metro, Boise, and no Northeast metros.
Honorable Mentions
| Metro | New Construction Share of Listings |
New Construction Premium |
Climate Risk Score vs Existing Homes |
Page Views per New Construction Listing vs National Average |
New Construction Days on Market |
| Richmond, VA | 35.7 % | 20.7 % | -1.5 % | 5.4 % | 65 |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | 41.9 % | 1.8 % | 5.1 % | -19.1 % | 69 |
| Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL | 20.1 % | -12.9 % | -0.6 % | -2.4 % | 75 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | 34.0 % | 2.9 % | 8.2 % | -57.2 % | 59 |
| Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA | 18.5 % | 4.3 % | 1.7 % | -4.5 % | 53 |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | 32.8 % | -8.1 % | 6.7 % | -48.1 % | 71 |
| Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC | 32.6 % | 3.9 % | 4.5 % | -40.0 % | 82 |
| McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX | 24.0 % | 3.4 % | 4.9 % | -24.8 % | 67 |
| Greensboro-High Point, NC | 28.6 % | 19.7 % | 3.9 % | 12.8 % | 70 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 28.6 % | 9.3 % | 6.6 % | -68.4 % | 59 |
| Wichita, KS | 29.6 % | 8.1 % | 8.5 % | 47.6 % | 89 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 31.0 % | 9.8 % | 13.6 % | -9.5 % | 68 |
| Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL | 26.8 % | -1.4 % | 6.7 % | -29.0 % | 77 |
| Knoxville, TN | 18.9 % | 16.7 % | 1.5 % | 87.9 % | 69 |
| Portland-South Portland, ME | 14.4 % | 15.2 % | -2.1 % | 359.5 % | 64 |
Read the full 2026 Top New-Construction Metros report here.