New Privately-Owned Housing Units Started: Units in Buildings with 5 Units or More (HOUST5F)
New Privately-Owned Housing Units Started: Units in Buildings with 5 Units or More — Historical Chart
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New Privately-Owned Housing Units Started: Units in Buildings with 5 Units or More (FRED series HOUST5F) is a monthly economic indicator measured in thousands of units. The series is published through FRED, the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis economic database, with history going back to 1959. Values are seasonally adjusted, smoothing out predictable calendar effects so that underlying trends are easier to see.
Why it matters: New Privately-Owned Housing Units Started: Units in Buildings with 5 Units or More is one of the indicators traders, economists, and policymakers watch within the economic complex. Analysts use it to track conditions in the US economy and to anticipate shifts in growth, inflation, and policy.
How to read it: focus on the direction and persistence of changes rather than any single monthly print. Comparing the latest value against its level a year ago, and against its long-run range since 1959, gives a better sense of whether the series is signaling acceleration, deceleration, or a turning point.
About This Series
From January 1959 until July 1963, the 5 units or more category also includes 2 to 4 unit structures.
Recent Data
| Date | Value (Thous. of Units) | Change |
|---|---|---|
| April 1, 2026 | 529.00 | +66 |
| March 1, 2026 | 463.00 | +56 |
| February 1, 2026 | 407.00 | -71 |
| January 1, 2026 | 478.00 | +72 |
| December 1, 2025 | 406.00 | +41 |
| November 1, 2025 | 365.00 | +12 |
| October 1, 2025 | 353.00 | -128 |
| September 1, 2025 | 481.00 | +70 |
| August 1, 2025 | 411.00 | -38 |
| July 1, 2025 | 449.00 | +16 |
| June 1, 2025 | 433.00 | +120 |
| May 1, 2025 | 313.00 | -119 |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is New Privately-Owned Housing Units Started: Units in Buildings with 5 Units or More today?
The latest value of New Privately-Owned Housing Units Started: Units in Buildings with 5 Units or More (HOUST5F) is shown at the top of this page, along with its observation date and the change from the prior reading. Data is sourced from FRED and refreshed regularly.
How often is New Privately-Owned Housing Units Started: Units in Buildings with 5 Units or More updated?
New Privately-Owned Housing Units Started: Units in Buildings with 5 Units or More is reported monthly (Monthly). New observations appear on FRED shortly after the source agency releases them, and this page updates daily.
What does a rising New Privately-Owned Housing Units Started: Units in Buildings with 5 Units or More mean?
A sustained rise in New Privately-Owned Housing Units Started: Units in Buildings with 5 Units or More signals strengthening readings in this economic measure, in thousands of units. Whether that is positive or negative for markets depends on context — compare the move against the series’ trend and related indicators in the same category.
Where does the HOUST5F data come from?
The data comes from FRED® (Federal Reserve Economic Data), maintained by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, under series ID HOUST5F. History is available back to 1959.
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Data sourced from FRED®, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis: New Privately-Owned Housing Units Started: Units in Buildings with 5 Units or More (HOUST5F). Retrieved from fred.stlouisfed.org. Last updated May 21, 2026.