Data Analysis

Hillsborough County closed 1,692 new-construction home sales from January through September 2026, down 21.9 percent from a year earlier, while the new-home price premium over resales widened to 27.6 percent in September.

New homes were 11.8% of Hillsborough sales through September 2026, down from 14.7%. September's new-home median was $484,990 against $380,000 for resales.

Hillsborough County closed 1,692 new-construction home sales from January through September 2026, down 21.9 percent from 2,166 in the same months of 2025, according to our analysis of Stellar MLS closed sales. Resales rose 0.9 percent to 12,649 over the same stretch. New construction made up 11.8 percent of all closed sales, down from 14.7 percent. In September, the median new-construction sale price was $484,990 against $380,000 for resales, a premium of 27.6 percent, the widest monthly gap in our 2025 and 2026 series.

This piece covers only the split between new construction and resale. Our September articles on the Tampa median price, closed sales, price per square foot, days on market and seller concessions cover the all-homes figures, and the full monthly series is on the Tampa market data hub.

How many new homes are selling in Hillsborough County?

Fewer than last year, month after month. New-construction closings ran between 159 and 221 a month in 2026, against 210 to 294 a month in the first nine months of 2025. The 2025 high was 294 in May. The 2026 high was 221 in March.

Source: Momentum Research, computed from Stellar MLS closed residential sales in Hillsborough County. Deemed reliable but not guaranteed.

In September 2026, 172 of 1,425 closed sales were new construction, or 12.1 percent. A year earlier, 229 of 1,582 were, or 14.5 percent.

Why did the new-home price premium widen?

Mostly because the new homes that sold were bigger. The median new-construction home sold in September had 2,394 square feet, the largest monthly median in our 2025 and 2026 series. The median resale had 1,714 square feet. On a per-square-foot basis, new construction was cheaper: a median $216 a square foot, against $223 for resales.

A year earlier the picture was closer. In September 2025 the new-construction median was $425,000 against $390,000 for resales, a 9.0 percent premium, with new homes at 2,230 square feet and $205 a square foot.

So the headline premium says more about the size of the new homes closing than about builders raising prices per square foot. A buyer comparing a new four-bedroom home with an older resale is often comparing different amounts of house. The median new home sold in September had four bedrooms; the median resale had three and was built in 1993.

How fast are new homes selling compared with resales?

New homes took longer. The median new-construction sale in September took 63 days on market, against 39 days for resales. New homes have taken longer than resales in every month of 2026 in our data, with a high of 73 days in July.

Pricing held up better on new homes. The median new-construction sale closed at 98.0 percent of its original list price in September, against 95.6 percent for resales. Builders often adjust through rate buydowns, closing cost credits or upgrades rather than list price cuts, and those incentives do not show up in this ratio.

Where is new construction in Hillsborough County?

Our MLS aggregate does not break new-construction sales out by city. The new-home communities we track are listed on the new construction communities in Hillsborough County page, with separate lists for Riverview, Plant City and the city of Tampa. Recent sale prices for each place are on the Tampa, Riverview, Wimauma, Ruskin, Apollo Beach, Lithia, Brandon and Plant City market pages.

Many new Hillsborough subdivisions carry community development district assessments on top of property taxes. Our CDD fees on Florida new construction guide and the Hillsborough County property tax page cover those costs, and the Tampa home insurance cost page covers insurance budgets.

What does this mean for Tampa-area buyers and sellers?

For buyers, a new home in Hillsborough County costs more at the median but less per square foot than a resale, and new homes are sitting longer before they sell. That combination can leave room to negotiate builder incentives, especially on finished homes.

For resale sellers, the narrower new-construction share means less competition from builders than a year ago, but resales still take about 39 days to sell and close at 95.6 percent of the original asking price at the median.

Across the bay, Pinellas County shows a different pattern; see our St. Petersburg new construction closings analysis.

People also ask

Are new construction home sales down in Tampa?

Yes. Hillsborough County closed 1,692 new-construction home sales from January through September 2026, down 21.9 percent from 2,166 in the same months of 2025, in our analysis of Stellar MLS records. Resales rose 0.9 percent over the same period.

How much more do new homes cost than resales in Tampa?

In September 2026 the median new-construction sale price in Hillsborough County was $484,990, against $380,000 for resales, a 27.6 percent premium. Per square foot, new homes were cheaper, at a median $216 against $223 for resales, because the new homes that sold were larger.

How long do new homes take to sell in Hillsborough County?

The median new-construction sale in September 2026 took 63 days on market, against 39 days for resales.

Limitations

New construction is identified from the MLS new-construction flag on each closed listing, so builder sales that never appear in the MLS are not counted and the true new-home share is likely higher. Figures are medians of closed residential sales in Hillsborough County and mix home types, sizes and locations. The sale-to-original-list ratio does not capture builder incentives such as rate buydowns or closing cost credits. Monthly counts can be revised as late closings are recorded. Tampa here means Hillsborough County, the county our Tampa market hub covers. This article is general information, not advice about any specific property or transaction.

Sources and links

• Momentum Research, computed from Stellar MLS closed residential sales in Hillsborough County, January 2025 through September 2026, new construction and resale aggregates updated October 26, 2026. Listings courtesy of Stellar MLS as distributed by MLS GRID. Information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed.
• Momentum Research, Stellar Market Pulse.
• Full monthly series and per-feed attribution: Tampa market data

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.