U.S. Retail Occupancy Continued to Improve in the Third Quarter of 2026
CoStar Group released proprietary research showing U.S. retail occupancy improved again in Q3 2026, with about 8.5 million square feet of net absorption following a 10.3 million-square-foot gain in the prior quarter. Move-ins reached nearly 96.7 million square feet — the highest since mid-2022 — while move-outs fell 7% year over year, and newly delivered space hit its smallest quarterly total since 2021. Sun Belt markets led gains (Austin, Phoenix, Dallas-Fort Worth), while Columbus, Washington D.C., Kansas City and Miami shed occupied space.
Key figures
- Move ins sqft
- 96.7 million
- Move outs sqft
- 92.3 million
- New deliveries sqft
- 12.3 million
- Move outs yoy change
- -7%
- Net absorption sqft q3
- 8.5 million
- Monthly unique visitors
- 121 million
- Prior quarter absorption sqft
- 10.3 million
AI analysis
The rest of the AI analysis, red flags and sentiment are part of Signal8 Pro.
AI-generated analysis of a public disclosure. Not investment advice; verify against the original document.