Building permits · Jul 2026
Metro areas with the most building permits
How this is measured. Units authorized in permit-issuing jurisdictions, 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 where a population denominator exists (HUD publishes population for metropolitan areas only, so micropolitan rows show a dash); that denominator is 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. metropolitan and micropolitan statistical area ranked by residential units authorized in the 12 months to Jul 2026. Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington TX leads at 61,275 units.
A permit is an authorization, not a housing start — some authorized units are never built.
One time window, top 100 of 919 metro areas
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- 1.Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington TX61,275
- 2.Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands TX59,214
- 3.New York-Newark-Jersey City NY-NJ57,375
- 4.Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler AZ35,159
- 5.Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim CA34,696
- 6.Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell GA33,511
- 7.Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos TX23,056
- 8.Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater FL22,392
- 9.Washington-Arlington-Alexandria DC-VA-MD-WV21,779
- 10.Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford FL21,166
| # | Metro area | Units, 12 mo. | Latest month | 5+ unit share | Per 1,000 residents |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington TX | 61,275 | 5,102 | 36.2% | 8.0 |
| 2 | Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands TX | 59,214 | 5,773 | 20.7% | 8.3 |
| 3 | New York-Newark-Jersey City NY-NJ | 57,375 | 4,939 | 75.9% | 2.9 |
| 4 | Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler AZ | 35,159 | 2,401 | 32.9% | 7.2 |
| 5 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim CA | 34,696 | 2,776 | 58.1% | 2.6 |
| 6 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell GA | 33,511 | 2,870 | 34.6% | 5.5 |
| 7 | Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos TX | 23,056 | 2,605 | 34.6% | 10.0 |
| 8 | Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater FL | 22,392 | 2,473 | 37.8% | 7.0 |
| 9 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria DC-VA-MD-WV | 21,779 | 1,844 | 54.7% | 3.5 |
| 10 | Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford FL | 21,166 | 2,008 | 41.0% | 7.9 |
| 11 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue WA | 20,712 | 1,702 | 65.0% | 5.2 |
| 12 | Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia NC-SC | 19,485 | 1,289 | 31.9% | 7.3 |
| 13 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach FL | 18,973 | 2,732 | 65.1% | 3.1 |
| 14 | Raleigh-Cary NC | 18,703 | 1,538 | 35.2% | 13.2 |
| 15 | Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin TN | 16,883 | 1,472 | 25.8% | 8.4 |
| 16 | North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota FL | 16,522 | 1,039 | 25.3% | 19.6 |
| 17 | Denver-Aurora-Centennial CO | 16,055 | 1,490 | 53.0% | 5.4 |
| 18 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin IL-IN | 14,801 | 1,192 | 29.0% | 1.6 |
| 19 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington MN-WI | 14,757 | 1,776 | 39.4% | 4.0 |
| 20 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington PA-NJ-DE-MD | 14,154 | 1,055 | 41.6% | 2.3 |
| 21 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario CA | 13,739 | 903 | 30.7% | 3.0 |
| 22 | Columbus OH | 13,145 | 1,696 | 53.7% | 6.2 |
| 23 | Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood IN | 12,831 | 1,176 | 26.6% | 6.1 |
| 24 | Jacksonville FL | 11,930 | 844 | 20.9% | 7.4 |
| 25 | Cape Coral-Fort Myers FL | 11,055 | 1,138 | 25.2% | 14.3 |
| 26 | Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas NV | 11,004 | 740 | 30.0% | 4.9 |
| 27 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton MA-NH | 10,850 | 1,313 | 59.1% | 2.2 |
| 28 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom CA | 10,438 | 714 | 23.5% | 4.4 |
| 29 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad CA | 10,414 | 560 | 57.2% | 3.2 |
| 30 | Kansas City MO-KS | 10,133 | 855 | 42.3% | 4.6 |
| 31 | San Antonio-New Braunfels TX | 9,981 | 1,113 | 14.3% | 3.9 |
| 32 | Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers AR | 9,447 | 526 | 40.9% | 17.2 |
| 33 | Boise City ID | 9,409 | 1,080 | 12.8% | 12.2 |
| 34 | Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro OR-WA | 9,081 | 821 | 35.1% | 3.6 |
| 35 | Richmond VA | 8,733 | 705 | 49.0% | 6.6 |
| 36 | Cincinnati OH-KY-IN | 8,688 | 547 | 43.9% | 3.9 |
| 37 | Wilmington NC | 8,489 | 955 | 20.5% | 19.8 |
| 38 | Greenville-Anderson-Greer SC | 8,457 | 1,058 | 13.2% | 9.1 |
| 39 | Detroit-Warren-Dearborn MI | 8,322 | 655 | 36.8% | 1.9 |
| 40 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont CA | 8,172 | 1,041 | 62.8% | 1.7 |
| 41 | Oklahoma City OK | 8,129 | 711 | 16.9% | 5.7 |
| 42 | Knoxville TN | 7,947 | 977 | 35.7% | 8.8 |
| 43 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara CA | 7,773 | 299 | 72.2% | 3.9 |
| 44 | Charleston-North Charleston SC | 7,654 | 678 | 20.9% | 9.5 |
| 45 | Salt Lake City-Murray UT | 7,629 | 1,167 | 56.6% | 6.1 |
| 46 | Omaha NE-IA | 7,088 | 1,128 | 48.4% | 7.3 |
| 47 | Lakeland-Winter Haven FL | 6,862 | 657 | 4.1% | 9.3 |
| 48 | Madison WI | 6,708 | 665 | 73.0% | 9.9 |
| 49 | Provo-Orem-Lehi UT | 6,618 | 353 | 22.9% | 9.8 |
| 50 | McAllen-Edinburg-Mission TX | 6,573 | 506 | 7.1% | 7.5 |
| 51 | St. Louis MO-IL | 6,544 | 532 | 28.8% | 2.3 |
| 52 | Columbia SC | 6,492 | 425 | 27.0% | 7.8 |
| 53 | Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach SC | 6,318 | 562 | 1.2% | 17.7 |
| 54 | Durham-Chapel Hill NC | 5,831 | 536 | 46.1% | 9.9 |
| 55 | Ocala FL | 5,645 | 453 | 0.9% | 14.9 |
| 56 | Louisville-Jefferson County KY-IN | 5,562 | 505 | 35.0% | 4.1 |
| 57 | Baltimore-Columbia-Towson MD | 5,551 | 406 | 36.2% | 2.0 |
| 58 | Pittsburgh PA | 5,514 | 594 | 37.9% | 2.2 |
| 59 | Colorado Springs CO | 5,469 | 150 | 41.4% | 7.2 |
| 60 | Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk VA-NC | 5,239 | 388 | 31.3% | 2.9 |
| 61 | Des Moines-West Des Moines IA | 5,058 | 817 | 31.7% | 7.1 |
| 62 | Savannah GA | 5,042 | 570 | 51.8% | 12.4 |
| 63 | Tulsa OK | 4,932 | 445 | 33.3% | 4.8 |
| 64 | Tucson AZ | 4,779 | 564 | 23.1% | 4.6 |
| 65 | Birmingham AL | 4,762 | 358 | 32.8% | 4.0 |
| 66 | Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville FL | 4,741 | 750 | 25.3% | 7.8 |
| 67 | Asheville NC | 4,667 | 571 | 61.9% | 11.5 |
| 68 | Winston-Salem NC | 4,646 | 339 | 6.5% | 6.9 |
| 69 | Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach FL | 4,587 | 393 | 19.8% | 6.8 |
| 70 | Huntsville AL | 4,579 | 304 | 19.5% | 9.3 |
| 71 | Cleveland OH | 4,553 | 403 | 34.5% | 2.1 |
| 72 | Spartanburg SC | 4,459 | 641 | 3.0% | 12.5 |
| 73 | Baton Rouge LA | 4,330 | 251 | 28.0% | 5.0 |
| 74 | Greensboro-High Point NC | 4,311 | 521 | 43.0% | 5.6 |
| 75 | Port St. Lucie FL | 4,154 | 425 | 0.6% | 8.4 |
| 76 | Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood MI | 4,003 | 275 | 33.3% | 3.5 |
| 77 | Wichita KS | 3,919 | 463 | 16.4% | 6.1 |
| 78 | Portland-South Portland ME | 3,786 | 645 | 46.0% | 6.8 |
| 79 | Ogden UT | 3,779 | 346 | 49.4% | 5.9 |
| 80 | Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent FL | 3,734 | 332 | 5.4% | 7.3 |
| 81 | Memphis TN-MS-AR | 3,683 | 367 | 11.4% | 2.7 |
| 82 | Wildwood-The Villages FL | 3,671 | 406 | 5.1% | 27.8 |
| 83 | Seaford DE | 3,574 | 420 | 8.3% | — |
| 84 | Augusta-Richmond County GA-SC | 3,545 | 293 | 1.2% | 5.8 |
| 85 | Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin FL | 3,485 | 285 | 13.3% | 12.1 |
| 86 | Greeley CO | 3,467 | 253 | 30.1% | 10.5 |
| 87 | Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton NC | 3,416 | 259 | 17.6% | 9.3 |
| 88 | College Station-Bryan TX | 3,405 | 780 | 48.0% | 12.6 |
| 89 | Fresno CA | 3,394 | 297 | 15.0% | 2.9 |
| 90 | Gulfport-Biloxi MS | 3,345 | 243 | 10.9% | 8.0 |
| 91 | Daphne-Fairhope-Foley AL | 3,337 | 214 | 5.6% | 14.3 |
| 92 | Naples-Marco Island FL | 3,265 | 305 | 38.7% | 8.6 |
| 93 | Punta Gorda FL | 3,212 | 358 | 6.2% | 16.9 |
| 94 | Spokane-Spokane Valley WA | 3,188 | 442 | 45.9% | 5.4 |
| 95 | Reno NV | 3,180 | 221 | 46.4% | 5.8 |
| 96 | Providence-Warwick RI-MA | 3,164 | 321 | 44.1% | 1.9 |
| 97 | Chattanooga TN-GA | 3,156 | 260 | 15.2% | 5.6 |
| 98 | Milwaukee-Waukesha WI | 3,126 | 228 | 38.9% | 2.0 |
| 99 | Killeen-Temple TX | 3,104 | 272 | 7.4% | 6.5 |
| 100 | Bakersfield-Delano CA | 3,053 | 234 | 3.0% | 3.4 |
Top 100 of 919 ranked metro areas. Every row links to that geography’s full monthly permit history.
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Building permits by state
Metro areas with the most building permits — FAQ
Which metro area issues the most building permits?+
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington TX authorized 61,275 housing units in the 12 months to Jul 2026, the most of any U.S. metro area (Census Building Permits Survey).
Does this count permits or housing units?+
Housing units. A single permit for a 200-unit apartment building counts as 200 units, which is why multifamily markets rank higher here than a permit count would suggest.
Why is a metro area I expected missing?+
The Building Permits Survey covers permit-issuing jurisdictions. An area that did not report for a month contributes nothing for that month — absent is not the same as zero. Areas with no reported units in the window are omitted.
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