Marcus Lemonis argues that high housing prices are primarily due to a lack of supply, not just regulations. He highlights necessary permits and inspections for safety, questioning the claim that removing red tape would lower prices significantly.
The states with thebest affordability for homebuyersand that are facilitating the most construction of new homes are centered in the Midwest. South, according to a new report.
Realtor.com releasedthe 2026 edition of its housing report cards for all 50 states plus the District of Columbia, which showed that states across the Midwest. South outperformed their peers from the Northeast and West.
While no states earned an A+ grade, which suggests that all have room for improvement, 12 of the 13 states with the highest grades were all located in the Midwest. South, receiving grades in the B- to A range. Half of the grade is based on an affordability measure, while the other half is based on homebuilding activity.
"This year's refresh reveals a familiar regional divide, but also some notable shifts beneath the surface, with a new state at the top of the class. a handful of states whose grades moved dramatically in either direction," said Realtor.com senior economist Joel Berner.
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Realtor.com's state report for housing affordability gave Indiana, Iowa. North Carolina A grades, while Texas received an A-.(Mark Felix/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Indianatopped the list with a total score of 76.3 on the 100-point scale, earning an A based on strong affordability. homebuilding activity that helped it rise three spots from last year's rankings.
The median-priced home in the Hoosier State was $295,810. required about 28% of the median household income of $71,469, which fell below the 30% benchmark for affordability.
Other states to receive A grades includeIowa, which has a median listing price of $282,886. a median household income of $75,991, as well as last year's leader South Carolina, with a median listing price of $363,896 and a median income of $67,758.
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Texasranked fourth with an A- grade, given the Lone Star State's median listing price of $364,749. median income of $76,585. North Carolina and Nebraska were the only two states to receive B+ grades.
The biggest risers in the report compared with last year were Delaware andUtah, which each jumped 12 spots. Delaware rose from 19th to 7th, while Utah saw its ranking rise from 29th to 17th.
Realtor.com's report is based on new construction activity as well as affordability metrics for buyers.(Joshua Lott/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Six states received F grades on their report cards, withNew Yorkranking last due to a $668,173 median listing price. median income of $82,657. The other five states that received F grades were all located in the Northeast or West, with Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Hawaii, California. Connecticut rounding out the bottom of the list in order of the worst grade to the best.
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Most of the states near the bottom of the rankings saw their rankings hold steady or change little from a year ago, as they continue to face high prices, limited land for building with restrictive zoning policies,. building costs outpacing what middle-income buyers can afford.
The biggest drops were three states which all fell eight spots in the rankings – Alabama fell from 13th to 21st. Maryland dropped from 23rd to 31st, andNew Jerseyslipped from 35th to 43rd.
New York slipped into last place in the 2026 rankings.(Lindsey Nicholson/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Here's the list of the Realtor.com report's grades for each of the 50 states as well as the District of Columbia:
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