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Zillow says 300,000-plus small empty lots could cut the housing deficit 6.3%

Zillow estimates the typical listed lot is 0.57 acres and that the median listed lot price is $79,000, with rural areas showing the highest concentration of such listings.

Reported · Written up by our desk · Residential

Zillow data shows more than 300,000 empty lots of 5 acres or less listed for sale in June 2026, representing 17.4% of all for-sale listings on the platform, according to HousingWire.

Zillow estimates the U.S. is short 4.7 million homes, and that building one home on each currently listed lot would reduce the deficit to about 4.44 million units, a conservative 6.3% improvement.

The listing platform also said the typical listed lot is 0.57 acres, often enough land for more than one home under more flexible zoning rules, which it said suggests its 6.3% impact estimate may be conservative.

Zillow noted the rural market has the highest concentration of these lots, which make up 25.3% of listings, versus 13.6% in suburbs and 9.0% in urban areas, and said these lots are “low-hanging fruit” but not yet feasible to build on many of them under current rules and cost structures.

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