Measures · Building Permits Survey
Total units permitted
The sum of housing units across all structure types in a period.
Total units permitted adds up the housing units from all four structure categories (1-unit, 2-unit, 3-to-4 unit, and 5+ unit) for a place and period. It's the headline measure of how much new housing was authorized.
Because it counts units rather than buildings, it correctly credits a single apartment building with all the homes it contains.
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Total units permitted — FAQ
What is total units permitted in building permits data?+
The sum of housing units across all structure types in a period. Total units permitted adds up the housing units from all four structure categories (1-unit, 2-unit, 3-to-4 unit, and 5+ unit) for a place and period. It's the headline measure of how much new housing was authorized.
Why does total units permitted matter?+
Because it counts units rather than buildings, it correctly credits a single apartment building with all the homes it contains.
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.