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Top 25 states with the newest homes

Written by:
February 17, 2023
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This story originally appeared on Portland Real Estate and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio.

Top 25 states with the newest homes

Prospective homeowners have a lot to consider when looking to buy a home. Even after you've narrowed down their preferred neighborhood, you must carefully consider what type of home you prefer. Apartment, townhouse, or single-family? Ranch-style, two-story, or split-level? Garage or carport? There are dozens of factors to consider—including whether you're looking for new construction or an existing home.

While some buyers prefer the character and charm of older homes, new construction has plenty of advantages. Older homes typically come with higher up-front maintenance costs, while new construction should have brand-new systems and features that won't need to be replaced for years. New homes also tend to be more energy-efficient, which can help you save on utility costs in the long run.

According to a 2021 survey conducted by the National Association of Home Builders, 60% of prospective buyers prefer newly built homes over existing homes—the highest share since 2007.

The increased demand for new construction can make securing a newly built home a challenge. Although the production of new homes ramped up after the COVID-19 pandemic, housing starts fell in December 2022 compared to the year before, as homes have grown more expensive and higher interest rates have priced buyers out.

Of course, every state's housing market is different. Portland Real Estate collected Census Bureau data to see which states have the highest share of newly built homes. The data is sourced from the 2020 five-year American Community Survey. States are ranked based on the percentage of the total housing units in the state that were built after 2014. The percentages displayed are rounded to the nearest 10th of a percent. According to the 2020 ACS five-year estimates, 4.8 million houses have been built since 2014, representing about 3.5% of total housing units.

Most of the states with the highest share of new homes are located in the Southern and Western regions of the United States. Keep reading to discover which states have the highest percentages of new homes built since 2014—and maybe get some inspiration for your next move.

New construction oceanfront multicolored vacation homes on the white sandy beach of Gulf of Mexico in Alabama.
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Natalia Bratslavsky // Shutterstock

#25. Alabama

- Share of homes built in 2014 or later: 3.5%
- Total number of homes built in 2014 or later: 78,866

New construction homes being built in Leesburg.
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Kosoff // Shutterstock

#24. Virginia

- Share of homes built in 2014 or later: 3.6%
- Total number of homes built in 2014 or later: 126,263

Aerial view of waterfront single-family homes in Bettendorf.
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Felix Mizioznikov // Shutterstock

#23. Iowa

- Share of homes built in 2014 or later: 3.6%
- Total number of homes built in 2014 or later: 50,845

A new construction luxury home in Omaha.
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Aspects and Angles // Shutterstock

#22. Nebraska

- Share of homes built in 2014 or later: 3.6%
- Total number of homes built in 2014 or later: 30,647

A modern home with its porch lit at sunset in Oregon.
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#21. Oregon

- Share of homes built in 2014 or later: 3.8%
- Total number of homes built in 2014 or later: 67,600

A row of new construction homes in Oklahoma City.
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Trong Nguyen // Shutterstock

#20. Oklahoma

- Share of homes built in 2014 or later: 3.9%
- Total number of homes built in 2014 or later: 68,547

A modern, new construction home in Louisiana.
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#19. Louisiana

- Share of homes built in 2014 or later: 4.0%
- Total number of homes built in 2014 or later: 82,137

New residential housing construction in suburban neighborhood in Bentonville.
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#18. Arkansas

- Share of homes built in 2014 or later: 4.1%
- Total number of homes built in 2014 or later: 56,324

A new log home being constructed in Montana.
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#17. Montana

- Share of homes built in 2014 or later: 4.1%
- Total number of homes built in 2014 or later: 21,178

A new construction luxury home with a pool in Scottsdale.
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Allison J. Hahn // Shutterstock

#16. Arizona

- Share of homes built in 2014 or later: 4.2%
- Total number of homes built in 2014 or later: 127,945

A new residential neighborhood development outside of Atlanta.
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Trong Nguyen // Shutterstock

#15. Georgia

- Share of homes built in 2014 or later: 4.3%
- Total number of homes built in 2014 or later: 184,993

A modern new construction home in Florida.
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#14. Florida

- Share of homes built in 2014 or later: 4.4%
- Total number of homes built in 2014 or later: 422,291

A row of residential homes being constructed in Clark County.
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#13. Nevada

- Share of homes built in 2014 or later: 4.7%
- Total number of homes built in 2014 or later: 59,001

Town homes in an upscale development in Franklin.
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#12. Tennessee

- Share of homes built in 2014 or later: 4.7%
- Total number of homes built in 2014 or later: 141,500

A modern residential home in Sioux Falls.
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#11. South Dakota

- Share of homes built in 2014 or later: 4.7%
- Total number of homes built in 2014 or later: 18,750

A new construction home being framed on a hillside with a view overlooking Spokane Valley.
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Kirk Fisher // Shutterstock

#10. Washington

- Share of homes built in 2014 or later: 4.8%
- Total number of homes built in 2014 or later: 152,051

An aerial shot of a development of single homes in the Charlotte suburbs.
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Gus Valente // Shutterstock

#9. North Carolina

- Share of homes built in 2014 or later: 4.8%
- Total number of homes built in 2014 or later: 226,750

A home being constructed in the suburbs of Denver.
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Arina P Habich // Shutterstock

#8. Colorado

- Share of homes built in 2014 or later: 5.1%
- Total number of homes built in 2014 or later: 121,565

New apartments being constructed in a manner that blocks the view of the Capitol Building.
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TJ Brown // Shutterstock

#7. District of Columbia

- Share of homes built in 2014 or later: 5.4%
- Total number of homes built in 2014 or later: 17,239

Luxury, new construction waterfront homes with a boat docked by the bay in Rehoboth Beach.
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#6. Delaware

- Share of homes built in 2014 or later: 5.4%
- Total number of homes built in 2014 or later: 23,761

An aerial view of a real estate development's construction site of new, tightly packed homes in South Carolina.
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#5. South Carolina

- Share of homes built in 2014 or later: 5.9%
- Total number of homes built in 2014 or later: 136,437

A new development waterfront community of luxury homes and condos under construction along the banks of the Spokane River in Coeur d'Alene.
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Kirk Fisher // Shutterstock

#4. Idaho

- Share of homes built in 2014 or later: 6.3%
- Total number of homes built in 2014 or later: 46,673

A new home being constructed with views of Mount Timpanogos in Daybreak.
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Jason Finn // Shutterstock

#3. Utah

- Share of homes built in 2014 or later: 6.8%
- Total number of homes built in 2014 or later: 75,954

A development of three-story, single-family homes in Richardson, North Dallas.
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Trong Nguyen // Shutterstock

#2. Texas

- Share of homes built in 2014 or later: 7.1%
- Total number of homes built in 2014 or later: 785,159

A home being constructed in rural North Dakota.
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Real Window Creative // Shutterstock

#1. North Dakota

- Share of homes built in 2014 or later: 8.0%
- Total number of homes built in 2014 or later: 30,241

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