The National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) has been tracking housing shortages across major metropolitan areas using its quarterly Housing Shortage Tracker index. This index measures the number of new building permits issued relative to job growth, helping to identify regions where housing supply lags behind demand. A higher index indicates that job creation is outpacing home construction. Historically, one single-family home permit has been issued for every two new jobs.
By the end of December 2024, nearly 93% of the metro areas monitored in the index had made progress in closing the housing supply gap by increasing the number of single-family building permits issued.
Areas with the Most Severe Housing Shortages:
Despite the overall increase in housing supply, 121 metro areas still faced housing shortages by the end of 2024, with indices above the historical average of two.
Metro Areas with the Highest Housing Shortages in Q4 2024:
While all of the top 10 metro areas showed some improvement in housing availability, Anchorage, AK was the exception, seeing its shortage worsen from one permit per eight jobs in December 2023 to one per 10 jobs in December 2024.
Throughout 2024, affordability remained a major challenge in the U.S. housing market, primarily due to low inventory. Metro areas where housing supply was constrained by factors such as labor shortages, limited building permits, or zoning restrictions continued to be unaffordable for many potential buyers. However, as more homes are built, along with job growth and lower mortgage rates, affordability is expected to improve in 2025. NAR forecasts a 2%-3% increase in the median single-family home price in 2025, a more moderate rise compared to the 6% increase seen between December 2023 and December 2024.
For more insights, visit NAR’s Housing Shortage Tracker to see how your area compares.
Citations
Housing Shortage Tracker: Insights from the Final Quarter of 2024
Author: Anat Nusinovich
Published: Feb. 11th, 2025
***NOTE: Housing Shortage Tracker as at the bottom of the page.***
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