Building permits · Jul 2026
Counties with the most building permits
How this is measured. Units authorized in permit-issuing jurisdictions within the county, summed over the trailing 12 months. Multifamily share is the portion of those units in buildings with 5 or more units. Permits per 1,000 residents is shown for counties with at least 25,000 residents, using the population published with HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rents, which carries a 2023 base year — roughly three years older than the permit window.
Figures are new privately owned residential units authorized by building permits, from the U.S. Census Bureau Building Permits Survey. A permit authorizes construction; it is not a housing start and not a completion. Permits lead starts by weeks to months, and some authorized units are never built. The survey covers permit-issuing jurisdictions: a jurisdiction that did not report in a month contributes nothing for that month, so an absent figure is not a zero. Data window ends Jul 2026.
Every U.S. county ranked by residential units authorized in the 12 months to Jul 2026. Los Angeles County, California leads at 28,583 units.
A permit is an authorization, not a housing start — some authorized units are never built.
One time window, top 100 of 2,763 counties
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- 1.Los Angeles County, California28,583
- 2.Harris County, Texas28,331
- 3.Maricopa County, Arizona27,595
- 4.Collin County, Texas16,561
- 5.Tarrant County, Texas15,480
- 6.Wake County, North Carolina14,808
- 7.Travis County, Texas11,766
- 8.Montgomery County, Texas11,744
- 9.Fort Bend County, Texas11,420
- 10.King County, Washington11,349
| # | County | Units, 12 mo. | Latest month | 5+ unit share | Per 1,000 residents |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Angeles CountyCalifornia | 28,583 | 2,302 | 60.1% | 2.9 |
| 2 | Harris CountyTexas | 28,331 | 2,949 | 34.3% | 6.0 |
| 3 | Maricopa CountyArizona | 27,595 | 1,727 | 39.4% | 6.2 |
| 4 | Collin CountyTexas | 16,561 | 908 | 38.4% | 15.3 |
| 5 | Tarrant CountyTexas | 15,480 | 1,633 | 42.8% | 7.3 |
| 6 | Wake CountyNorth Carolina | 14,808 | 1,254 | 42.0% | 13.1 |
| 7 | Travis CountyTexas | 11,766 | 1,732 | 52.5% | 9.1 |
| 8 | Montgomery CountyTexas | 11,744 | 1,273 | 6.0% | 18.6 |
| 9 | Fort Bend CountyTexas | 11,420 | 807 | 15.9% | 13.7 |
| 10 | King CountyWashington | 11,349 | 1,104 | 71.2% | 5.0 |
| 11 | Manatee CountyFlorida | 11,093 | 489 | 27.6% | 27.4 |
| 12 | Lee CountyFlorida | 11,055 | 1,138 | 25.2% | 14.3 |
| 13 | Clark CountyNevada | 11,004 | 740 | 30.0% | 4.9 |
| 14 | Miami-Dade CountyFlorida | 10,909 | 1,514 | 76.5% | 4.1 |
| 15 | Dallas CountyTexas | 10,803 | 1,091 | 53.9% | 4.1 |
| 16 | San Diego CountyCalifornia | 10,414 | 560 | 57.2% | 3.2 |
| 17 | Fulton CountyGeorgia | 9,652 | 800 | 74.9% | 9.1 |
| 18 | Denton CountyTexas | 9,330 | 641 | 27.9% | 10.2 |
| 19 | Orange CountyFlorida | 8,979 | 610 | 58.3% | 6.3 |
| 20 | Kings CountyNew York | 8,821 | 613 | 97.6% | 3.3 |
| 21 | Franklin CountyOhio | 8,718 | 1,125 | 75.5% | 6.6 |
| 22 | Bronx CountyNew York | 8,702 | 624 | 98.8% | 6.0 |
| 23 | Pasco CountyFlorida | 8,349 | 784 | 23.6% | 14.7 |
| 24 | Hillsborough CountyFlorida | 8,217 | 771 | 49.7% | 5.6 |
| 25 | Riverside CountyCalifornia | 7,701 | 588 | 22.2% | 3.2 |
| 26 | Pinal CountyArizona | 7,564 | 674 | 9.1% | 17.5 |
| 27 | Santa Clara CountyCalifornia | 7,495 | 249 | 74.9% | 3.9 |
| 28 | Queens CountyNew York | 7,265 | 1,540 | 93.6% | 3.1 |
| 29 | Salt Lake CountyUtah | 7,109 | 1,103 | 59.6% | 6.0 |
| 30 | Polk CountyFlorida | 6,862 | 657 | 4.1% | 9.3 |
| 31 | Denver CountyColorado | 6,640 | 801 | 85.5% | 9.3 |
| 32 | Hidalgo CountyTexas | 6,573 | 506 | 7.1% | 7.5 |
| 33 | Utah CountyUtah | 6,536 | 341 | 23.2% | 9.8 |
| 34 | Oklahoma CountyOklahoma | 6,406 | 543 | 19.4% | 8.0 |
| 35 | Sacramento CountyCalifornia | 6,322 | 443 | 29.2% | 4.0 |
| 36 | Horry CountySouth Carolina | 6,318 | 562 | 1.2% | 17.7 |
| 37 | Dane CountyWisconsin | 6,275 | 593 | 76.0% | 11.2 |
| 38 | Orange CountyCalifornia | 6,113 | 474 | 48.9% | 1.9 |
| 39 | Duval CountyFlorida | 6,083 | 353 | 35.9% | 6.1 |
| 40 | San Bernardino CountyCalifornia | 6,038 | 315 | 41.7% | 2.8 |
| 41 | Pierce CountyWashington | 5,817 | 409 | 66.5% | 6.3 |
| 42 | Benton CountyArkansas | 5,792 | 337 | 38.5% | 20.2 |
| 43 | Osceola CountyFlorida | 5,718 | 687 | 34.3% | 14.5 |
| 44 | Palm Beach CountyFlorida | 5,683 | 803 | 43.5% | 3.8 |
| 45 | Marion CountyFlorida | 5,645 | 453 | 0.9% | 14.9 |
| 46 | Hamilton CountyIndiana | 5,612 | 446 | 42.5% | 16.1 |
| 47 | Ada CountyIdaho | 5,475 | 648 | 13.4% | 11.0 |
| 48 | Sarasota CountyFlorida | 5,429 | 550 | 20.7% | 12.4 |
| 49 | El Paso CountyColorado | 5,366 | 142 | 42.2% | 7.3 |
| 50 | Bexar CountyTexas | 5,246 | 401 | 17.2% | 2.6 |
| 51 | Knox CountyTennessee | 5,244 | 504 | 47.2% | 10.9 |
| 52 | Davidson CountyTennessee | 5,081 | 531 | 57.4% | 7.2 |
| 53 | Brunswick CountyNorth Carolina | 5,026 | 683 | 4.3% | 36.0 |
| 54 | Mecklenburg CountyNorth Carolina | 5,025 | 10 | 79.1% | 4.5 |
| 55 | Greenville CountySouth Carolina | 4,924 | 758 | 18.0% | 9.3 |
| 56 | Pima CountyArizona | 4,779 | 564 | 23.1% | 4.6 |
| 57 | Essex CountyNew Jersey | 4,771 | 205 | 78.7% | 5.6 |
| 58 | Brevard CountyFlorida | 4,741 | 750 | 25.3% | 7.8 |
| 59 | Hays CountyTexas | 4,551 | 382 | 18.0% | 18.5 |
| 60 | Philadelphia CountyPennsylvania | 4,515 | 437 | 70.2% | 2.8 |
| 61 | Lake CountyFlorida | 4,482 | 416 | 6.6% | 11.6 |
| 62 | Cook CountyIllinois | 4,389 | 275 | 57.6% | 0.8 |
| 63 | Williamson CountyTexas | 4,375 | 362 | 9.4% | 7.1 |
| 64 | Johnson CountyKansas | 4,338 | 417 | 48.2% | 7.1 |
| 65 | Spartanburg CountySouth Carolina | 4,232 | 608 | 0.0% | 12.8 |
| 66 | Durham CountyNorth Carolina | 4,149 | 435 | 47.7% | 12.8 |
| 67 | Madison CountyAlabama | 4,099 | 241 | 21.7% | 10.5 |
| 68 | Hudson CountyNew Jersey | 4,092 | 386 | 88.3% | 5.7 |
| 69 | Douglas CountyNebraska | 4,059 | 874 | 53.6% | 7.0 |
| 70 | Richland CountySouth Carolina | 4,054 | 188 | 43.2% | 9.7 |
| 71 | Pinellas CountyFlorida | 3,896 | 715 | 58.3% | 4.1 |
| 72 | Bergen CountyNew Jersey | 3,880 | 192 | 52.3% | 4.1 |
| 73 | Sumter CountyFlorida | 3,671 | 406 | 5.1% | 27.8 |
| 74 | Canyon CountyIdaho | 3,653 | 400 | 12.7% | 15.5 |
| 75 | Hennepin CountyMinnesota | 3,648 | 556 | 56.4% | 2.9 |
| 76 | Washington CountyArkansas | 3,627 | 183 | 44.9% | 14.7 |
| 77 | Sussex CountyDelaware | 3,574 | 420 | 8.3% | 14.9 |
| 78 | Chatham CountyGeorgia | 3,557 | 481 | 58.2% | 12.0 |
| 79 | Sedgwick CountyKansas | 3,548 | 434 | 17.9% | 6.8 |
| 80 | Snohomish CountyWashington | 3,546 | 189 | 42.7% | 4.3 |
| 81 | Gwinnett CountyGeorgia | 3,495 | 352 | 11.9% | 3.6 |
| 82 | Polk CountyIowa | 3,495 | 500 | 32.0% | 7.1 |
| 83 | Weld CountyColorado | 3,467 | 253 | 30.1% | 10.5 |
| 84 | Charleston CountySouth Carolina | 3,374 | 267 | 29.7% | 8.2 |
| 85 | St. Johns CountyFlorida | 3,373 | 293 | 7.9% | 12.1 |
| 86 | Alameda CountyCalifornia | 3,367 | 263 | 63.8% | 2.0 |
| 87 | Buncombe CountyNorth Carolina | 3,367 | 504 | 69.4% | 12.5 |
| 88 | Tulsa CountyOklahoma | 3,360 | 274 | 43.9% | 5.0 |
| 89 | Rutherford CountyTennessee | 3,355 | 211 | 23.9% | 9.8 |
| 90 | Clark CountyWashington | 3,347 | 431 | 33.3% | 6.6 |
| 91 | Baldwin CountyAlabama | 3,337 | 214 | 5.6% | 14.3 |
| 92 | York CountySouth Carolina | 3,318 | 211 | 37.6% | 11.7 |
| 93 | Brazos CountyTexas | 3,286 | 762 | 49.8% | 14.0 |
| 94 | Collier CountyFlorida | 3,265 | 305 | 38.7% | 8.6 |
| 95 | Fairfax CountyVirginia | 3,237 | 562 | 78.9% | 2.8 |
| 96 | Jackson CountyMissouri | 3,234 | 243 | 54.9% | 4.5 |
| 97 | Charlotte CountyFlorida | 3,212 | 358 | 6.2% | 16.9 |
| 98 | St. Lucie CountyFlorida | 3,195 | 351 | 0.8% | 9.5 |
| 99 | Guilford CountyNorth Carolina | 3,162 | 441 | 51.1% | 5.9 |
| 100 | Wayne CountyMichigan | 3,150 | 264 | 50.9% | 1.8 |
Top 100 of 2,763 ranked counties. Every row links to that geography’s full monthly permit history.
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Counties with the most building permits — FAQ
Which county issues the most building permits?+
Los Angeles County, California authorized 28,583 housing units in the 12 months to Jul 2026, the most of any U.S. county (Census Building Permits Survey).
Are unincorporated areas included?+
Yes, where the county itself issues permits. County totals are the sum of every reporting permit-issuing jurisdiction assigned to that county, which includes county-run permit offices.
Why is a county I expected missing?+
A county whose jurisdictions did not report for a month contributes nothing for that month — absent is not the same as zero. Counties with no reported units in the window are omitted.
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