Permits & units · Building Permits Survey
Housing unit
A single dwelling — a house, apartment, or condo — that a permit authorizes.
A housing unit is one place of residence: a single house, one apartment in a building, a condo, and so on. BPS reports both the number of structures (buildings) permitted and the number of housing units within them.
The distinction matters because one building can contain many units. A single permitted apartment building is one building but dozens of housing units, so 'units permitted' is the better measure of how much housing is being added.
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Housing unit — FAQ
What is housing unit in building permits data?+
A single dwelling — a house, apartment, or condo — that a permit authorizes. A housing unit is one place of residence: a single house, one apartment in a building, a condo, and so on. BPS reports both the number of structures (buildings) permitted and the number of housing units within them.
Why does housing unit matter?+
The distinction matters because one building can contain many units. A single permitted apartment building is one building but dozens of housing units, so 'units permitted' is the better measure of how much housing is being added.
Where does this building-permit data come from?+
All figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau's Building Permits Survey (BPS), a monthly census of permit-issuing jurisdictions. PUMSdata is an independent product that makes it easy to map and compare, and is not affiliated with the Census Bureau.