US housing market in December 2021
The median US home listing price was $369,158 in December 2021, up 9.8% from December 2020, according to Realtor.com. 445,310 homes were for sale (-27.3% from a year earlier); the typical listing spent 53 days on the market, versus 62 a year earlier; 20.1% of listings had a price cut. The 30-year fixed mortgage rate averaged 3.10% in December 2021, compared with 2.68% a year earlier (Freddie Mac). At that rate, the monthly principal and interest on the median-priced listing with 20% down would be about $1,261, up 15.9% from $1,088 a year earlier. Sales of new single-family homes ran at a 816,000 annual rate (-6.6% year over year), with 5.7 months' supply of new homes.
December 2021 in detail
| December 2021 | Value | A year earlier | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median listing price | $369,158 | $336,250 | +9.8% |
| Median price per sq ft (listings) | $195 | $173 | +12.7% |
| Active listings | 445,310 | 612,307 | -27.3% |
| New listings | 286,166 | 309,722 | -7.6% |
| Listings with a price reduction | 89,672 | 113,610 | -21.1% |
| Median days on market | 53 | 62 | -14.5% |
| New single-family homes sold (SAAR, thousands) | 816 | 874 | -6.6% |
| Median new-home sales price | $410,600 | $339,300 | +21.0% |
| Months' supply of new homes | 5.7 | 4.1 | +39.0% |
| Building permits (SAAR, thousands) | 1,886 | 1,755 | +7.5% |
| Housing starts (SAAR, thousands) | 1,711 | 1,614 | +6.0% |
| 30-year fixed mortgage rate (avg) | 3.10% | 2.68% | +15.4% |
| 15-year fixed mortgage rate (avg) | 2.35% | 2.22% | +5.9% |
| Payment on median listing (P&I, 20% down) | $1,261 | $1,088 | +15.9% |
SAAR = seasonally adjusted annual rate. Mortgage rates are the average of Freddie Mac's weekly readings in the month. The payment is an illustration: principal and interest on the median listing price with 20% down and a 30-year fixed loan at that month's average rate, before taxes and insurance.
Frequently asked questions
What was the median home price in December 2021?
The median US home listing price was $369,158 in December 2021, up 9.8% from December 2020, according to Realtor.com.
Sources: Realtor.com (housing inventory), U.S. Census Bureau (new residential sales and construction), S&P Dow Jones Indices (Case-Shiller), Freddie Mac (mortgage rates) and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (rent CPI), via FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. Data checked Nov 6, 5:42 PM ET. Not investment advice.