Americans bought new homes in September at the fastest pace in two years, another sign the industry whose decline was at the heart of the recession is bouncing back.

Sales climbed 5.7 percent, to a 389,000 annual pace, the most since April 2010, following a revised 368,000 rate in August, figures from the Commerce Department showed yesterday in Washington.

A median estimate of 75 economists called for an increase to 385,000.