- The Carolinas claimed six of Realtor.com’s top 10 markets for new construction. The South captured eight spots overall.
- Charleston ranked first, with new homes near $443K and a 12.2% discount to the metro’s median existing-home listing price.
- Builder-friendly land, zoning, and incentives are helping new homes compete with resale inventory across leading Southern markets.
The Carolinas dominate Realtor.com’s 2026 ranking of the strongest new construction markets. Six top-10 metros are in North or South Carolina. Eight of the 10 are in the South. Charleston ranked first, followed by Greenville. Charlotte, Winston-Salem, Durham, and Columbia also made the list.
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New Construction Markets Favor the South
Realtor.com evaluated the 100 largest US metros using four factors. The scoring considered new-home listing share, price premiums, climate-risk differences, and buyer demand. Charleston led, followed by Greenville, Boise City, Charlotte, Nashville, Chattanooga, Winston-Salem, Madison, Durham, and Columbia. Senior economist Joel Berner tied Southern strength to cheaper land, permissive zoning, and less restrictive building codes.
Charleston Leads on Affordability
New construction represents nearly one-quarter of Charleston’s active inventory. Realtor.com put the median new-home listing at $443,273, compared with $504,832 for existing homes. That gives new construction a 12.2% discount, the widest price gap among the top 10 markets. Greenville also scored strongly on supply and pricing. More than one-third of listings are new construction. The typical new build costs $364,493, slightly below existing homes.
Builder Incentives Shape Competition
Developers are using builder incentives to make new construction more competitive with resale homes. Nashville shows how that strategy can work. New homes make up 30% of listings and carry a 5.1% premium over existing inventory. Local agents cited mortgage-rate buydowns and closing-cost assistance as important tools. Greater Nashville Realtors reported median size of 2,209 SF for new homes and 1,992 SF for existing homes.
Why It Matters
The ranking shows that new-home performance is highly local. Supply, land economics, zoning, and buyer incentives can matter as much as broad housing demand. In four top-10 metros, the typical new home costs less than the median existing listing, Realtor.com found. That increases competition for resale sellers with overpriced homes or properties needing upgrades.
