Home Price Appreciation Edges Higher Amid Growing Regional Divide

Home prices continued to edge higher in the latest readings from FHFA and the S&P Cotality Case-Shiller Home Price Indices , with both measures showing somewhat stronger annual gains than they did a month earlier. The improvement was still relatively modest, however, and inflation continued to run ahead of home values. At the same time, the national figures continue to mask a growing divide between markets where prices are still climbing at a healthy pace and those where values have begun to slip. According to FHFA, U.S. house prices rose 2.1% between the second quarter of 2025 and the second quarter of 2026, while prices increased 0.3% from the first quarter. The agency's seasonally adjusted index was unchanged from May to June, suggesting that the quarterly gain came without much additional momentum heading into the summer. Prices have continued to appreciate nationally, but the current pace remains a far cry from the rapid increases seen earlier in the decade. The FHFA data also show just how differently housing markets are behaving across the country. All nine census divisions posted annual gains, led by the East North Central division at 4.5% . The Pacific division brought up the rear with appreciation of just above 0% . At the state level, Alaska recorded the largest increase at 8.3% , while Vermont and Hawaii followed at 7.3% and 5.8%, respectively. Only four states saw prices decline, with New Mexico posting the largest drop at 1.2% .