Wood is a major component of most U.S. homes, which makes housing starts a major economic indicator for wood products. Many wood products such as flooring, cabinets, moldings, and furniture are found throughout our homes. Housing starts are down from 2023; they peaked in February, then slowed toward the end of 2024 before picking back up in December. (Figure 8). Over the last 10 years, housing starts were highest in 2021, peaking at over 19 million units. Since 2021, housing starts have gradually declined to 16.4 million units in 2024, which is higher than the 13.28 million in 2015 (Figure 9).