South Carolina Cities Lead Nation in Top Metros for New Construction Report

Three South Carolina cities are among the 10 best metros for purchasing a newly built home, according to the second annual Realtor.com Top Metros for New Construction report, led by Charleston-North Charleston, where the median newly built home is priced 12.2 percent below the median existing home. The ranking finds that markets with builder-friendly conditions are giving buyers more opportunity to find a new home with a competitive price, ample availability and strong demand.

Charleston takes the top spot among the 100 largest U.S. metros, earning an overall score of 84.7 out of 100. The metro's median new-build listing price is $443,273, compared with $504,832 for existing homes, the strongest new-construction price advantage among the top 10 markets. Greenville-Anderson-Greer, South Carolina, ranks second, with prices for newly built homes at 1.6 percent below the median existing home, followed by Boise City, Idaho.

Columbia, South Carolina, comes in at No. 10, with newly built home prices 3 percent below the median existing home price. In total, eight of the top 10 markets are located in the South.

"New construction is one of the most important ways to expand the supply of homes available to buyers, but the opportunity is not evenly distributed across the country," said Joel Berner, senior economist at Realtor.com. "This year's ranking shows that Southern metros are not only building more homes; they are also creating conditions where buyers can find newly built homes at prices that compete with, and in some cases beat, existing homes."

Together, these eight Southern markets underscore how local building conditions can shape the availability and relative affordability of new homes, Realtor.com officials said. More permissive zoning, less restrictive building codes and lower land costs can make it easier for builders to deliver new housing in the South.

"Markets such as Charleston, Greenville, and Boise are demonstrating what new-home buyers value most: choice and pricing that make a newly built home a realistic option," Berner said. "The concentration of top performers in smaller, high-growth metros is a reminder that housing supply responds to local conditions. When communities make it feasible to build, buyers have more options."