Data Analysis

The FHFA House Price Index rose 2.4 percent over the year in August 2026, while prices in the South Atlantic division that includes Florida rose just 1.3 percent, third slowest of the nine census divisions.

Prices rose 0.3 percent from July, and FHFA revised July's monthly gain down to 0.2 percent. Annual growth slowed from the 2.6 percent first reported for July.

The FHFA House Price Index rose 2.4 percent from August 2025 to August 2026, according to the Federal Housing Finance Agency's monthly report released October 27, 2026. Prices rose 0.3 percent from July on a seasonally adjusted basis. FHFA revised July's monthly gain down to 0.2 percent from the 0.3 percent it first reported. In the South Atlantic division, which includes Florida, prices rose 1.3 percent over the year, third slowest of the nine census divisions and 1.1 points below the national rate.

The national index stood at 444.6 in August (January 1991 equals 100). The 12-month change slowed from the 2.6 percent FHFA reported for July in its September 29 release.

How much did home prices rise in August 2026, according to FHFA?

FHFA's seasonally adjusted, purchase-only index rose 0.3 percent from July to August 2026 and 2.4 percent from August 2025. The index is built from repeat sales of the same single-family homes with mortgages bought or guaranteed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, so it measures price change on conforming-loan homes rather than on every sale.

July was revised. FHFA first reported a 0.3 percent monthly gain for July and now puts it at 0.2 percent. Revisions of a tenth are routine in this series as late-recorded sales come in.

How did Florida's region compare?

FHFA does not publish a monthly Florida figure in this report. Its closest monthly reading is the South Atlantic census division, which covers Florida, Georgia, North and South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Delaware and the District of Columbia. Florida is the largest housing market in that group.

South Atlantic prices rose 1.3 percent over the twelve months ending August 2026. Only two divisions grew more slowly: the Pacific at 1.2 percent and the Mountain division at 0.5 percent, the lowest in the country. At the top, the East North Central division rose 4.4 percent and the Middle Atlantic 4.3 percent. Ranks and the gap to the national rate are Momentum Research's arithmetic on FHFA's table.

The monthly change for the South Atlantic division was cut off in the copy of the report's table this desk could read, so this article gives no August monthly figure for the division. Across all nine divisions, FHFA said monthly changes ranged from minus 0.8 percent in New England to plus 2.1 percent in the East South Central division.

How does FHFA compare with Case-Shiller for August?

The two major repeat-sales indexes moved in the same direction in August but at different speeds. S&P Cotality Case-Shiller reported a 2.1 percent annual gain in its U.S. National Index on the same day, three tenths of a point below FHFA's 2.4 percent. The gap has narrowed from July, when FHFA first reported 2.6 percent against Case-Shiller's 1.9 percent.

The indexes differ in coverage. FHFA includes only homes with conforming mortgages backed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and excludes cash and jumbo sales. Case-Shiller includes all arms-length single-family sales it can match, cash purchases included. Florida's two Case-Shiller metros split in August: Miami rose 4.24 percent and Tampa fell 0.39 percent, as covered in our Case-Shiller August report.

Are home prices keeping up with inflation?

Not nationally, and not in Florida's region. S&P's release put August inflation at 3.4 percent. FHFA's 2.4 percent national gain falls about one point short of that, and the South Atlantic's 1.3 percent falls about 2.1 points short. On that simple comparison, homes in Florida's region lost value in real terms over the year. FHFA does not publish inflation-adjusted figures; the comparison is ours.

What does this mean for Florida buyers and sellers?

Florida's region is among the slowest-appreciating parts of the country on FHFA's measure. For buyers, slow regional appreciation means less pressure to rush. For sellers, it means pricing against a year of small gains, below inflation, rather than the double-digit run of 2021 and 2022.

Because the South Atlantic division blends nine states, it can hide large differences inside Florida. Local figures are on our market index, statewide trends on the Florida housing tracker, and July's FHFA results in our July report. Today's new home sales report covers prices on newly built homes.

People also ask

How much did home prices go up in August 2026?

The FHFA House Price Index rose 0.3 percent from July to August 2026 and 2.4 percent from August 2025, according to FHFA's report of October 27, 2026.

Are home prices going up in Florida?

FHFA's monthly report does not give a Florida figure. The South Atlantic division, which includes Florida, rose 1.3 percent over the year to August 2026, third slowest of nine divisions. The Case-Shiller index showed Miami up 4.24 percent and Tampa down 0.39 percent over the same period.

What is the difference between the FHFA and Case-Shiller home price indexes?

FHFA tracks repeat sales of single-family homes with conforming mortgages backed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Case-Shiller tracks repeat sales of single-family homes regardless of financing, including cash sales.

When is the next FHFA House Price Index release?

FHFA said its next report will be released on November 24, 2026, with monthly data through September and quarterly data through the third quarter of 2026, which includes state-level figures.

Limitations

Figures come from FHFA's monthly report document dated October 27, 2026 and read from fhfa.gov in the evening. FHFA's news-release list and reports index had not added the release when this desk checked at mid-morning and 2 p.m., which is why this article posted late. The report table this desk read cut off the monthly change for the South Atlantic and Middle Atlantic divisions, so neither is given. The prior-year comparison columns in FHFA's division table were not used because their period labels could not be confirmed.

The South Atlantic division is not Florida. State-level FHFA figures come only with the quarterly report, next due November 24. Ranks, gaps and the inflation comparison are Momentum Research's calculations from published figures. A long-run history chart was not built because the public series mirror the desk uses for history was unreachable from our systems today.

Sources

U.S. Federal Housing Finance Agency, "FHFA House Price Index Up 0.3 Percent in August," monthly report released October 27, 2026.

U.S. Federal Housing Finance Agency, "FHFA House Price Index Up 0.3 Percent in July; Up 2.6 Percent from Last Year," released September 29, 2026.

S&P Dow Jones Indices, "S&P Cotality Case-Shiller Index Reports Annual Gain in August 2026," released October 27, 2026.

Disclosure: Jon Brooks is a co-founder of Momentum Realty, a Florida real estate brokerage that owns and funds Florida Housing Intelligence. Momentum has a financial interest in Florida real estate transactions, including in markets named here. See our editorial standards.