US housing starts surged 19% in June 2026 to a seasonally adjusted annualized rate of 1,427 thousand units, the highest level in three months and well above market expectations of 1,310 thousand. The increase came after a revised 15.4% jump in May, which had pushed housing starts to a six-year low.
By category, multi-family starts soared 76.3% to 513 thousand units, rebounding sharply after a 41% plunge in the previous month. In contrast, single-family starts slipped 0.2% to 895 thousand units, marking a third consecutive monthly decline.
Regionally, housing starts rose across all four major US regions: the South increased 15.2% to 741 thousand units, the Midwest jumped 33.3% to 248 thousand, the Northeast advanced 10.3% to 129 thousand, and the West climbed 22.1% to 309 thousand.