Research from the real estate information platform Zillow indicates that building a single-family home on each of the currently listed vacant residential plots would help alleviate the U.S. housing shortage. The current national housing deficit is approximately 4.7 million units, and developing these plots could reduce that gap by over 6%.

Zillow's data shows that in June 2026, there were 300,242 vacant land plots of five acres or less listed for sale across the country, representing 17.4% of all residential listings. The median size of these plots is 0.57 acres, which in many cases is sufficient to support the construction of more than one dwelling, making the 6.3% reduction a conservative estimate.

There are significant regional disparities in the distribution of these plots. Florida (42,601 plots), Texas (40,907 plots), and California (18,508 plots) have the highest numbers of vacant land listings. In rural markets, vacant plots constitute as much as 25.3% of all for-sale listings, compared to 13.6% in suburban areas and 9% in urban locales. Plot prices also vary dramatically by location, with a median price per acre of approximately $75,000 in rural areas, soaring to around $500,000 for urban plots.

Zillow senior economist Kara Wood noted that these over 300,000 listed plots represent the most direct path to addressing the U.S. housing shortage, but the real challenge lies in making them viable for development. Streamlining approval processes, relaxing zoning restrictions, and expanding financing options are all crucial to converting these plots into actual housing. This summer, Zillow is participating in a federal tech sprint as part of the U.S. Census Bureau's Opportunity Project, aimed at exploring ways to reduce barriers for rural homebuyers to purchase and build on vacant land.