Houston homebuyers tap into newer housing
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Houston homebuyers are purchasing much newer homes than buyers in most major U.S. cities, thanks to a steady supply of new construction.
Why it matters: America's housing stock is aging, but fast-growing Texas metros are building quickly to meet demand — keeping the state's homes comparatively younger.
The big picture: The median-aged U.S. home bought last year was 36 years old — the oldest since at least 2012, per Redfin records.
- In the Houston area, the median home bought last year was 16 years old.
Stunning stat: Just 9% of homes were built in the 2010s, after the global financial crisis — the smallest share for any decade since the 1940s.
By the numbers: 35% of homes bought last year in the Houston area were built in the previous five years.
- Almost 31% were over 30.
- The median cost of a house over 30 was $270,000, compared to the median cost of $345,990 for a house built in the last five years, per Redfin's data.
Context: It's a homebuyer's market right now — a sharp reversal from the pandemic-era frenzy, when buyers were bidding up prices just to secure a home.
- Redfin found in April that the number of sellers in Houston was now about double the number of buyers.
Yes, but: The one-two punch of still-high home prices and high mortgage rates is making it hard for buyers, especially first-timers, to find a place they can afford.
- Add to that the extreme economic uncertainty of 2025. Tariff news, layoff fears and, for many federal workers, layoff realities are tamping down buyer demand.
What to watch: Historically, when sellers outnumber buyers, prices drop. And in some markets, prices have already started falling.
The bottom line: "The balance of power in the U.S. housing market has shifted toward buyers, but a lot of sellers have yet to see or accept the writing on the wall," said Redfin senior economist Asad Khan in the report.