Data / Rankings / Housing units authorized by building permits / Counties in Alabama

Counties in Alabama by housing units authorized by building permits

Madison County had the highest housing units authorized by building permits of 67 counties in 2023, at 5,449. Winston County had the lowest, at 0. The median was 26. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest5,449Madison County
Lowest0Winston County
Median2667 counties

Top 40 counties, 2023

CSVChart (SVG)

Madison CountyMadison County: 5,449 count5,449Baldwin CountyBaldwin County: 4,363 count4,363Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 1,948 count1,948Lee CountyLee County: 1,403 count1,403Mobile CountyMobile County: 917 count917Shelby CountyShelby County: 917 count917Tuscaloosa CountyTuscaloosa County: 656 count656Limestone CountyLimestone County: 491 count491Montgomery CountyMontgomery County: 491 count491St. Clair CountySt. Clair County: 479 count479Houston CountyHouston County: 403 count403Morgan CountyMorgan County: 317 count317Autauga CountyAutauga County: 260 count260Tallapoosa CountyTallapoosa County: 219 count219Cullman CountyCullman County: 204 count204Talladega CountyTalladega County: 171 count171Russell CountyRussell County: 169 count169Marshall CountyMarshall County: 148 count148Coffee CountyCoffee County: 131 count131Lauderdale CountyLauderdale County: 117 count117DeKalb CountyDeKalb County: 115 count115Etowah CountyEtowah County: 106 count106Elmore CountyElmore County: 93 count93Colbert CountyColbert County: 84 count84Barbour CountyBarbour County: 64 count64Calhoun CountyCalhoun County: 64 count64Walker CountyWalker County: 60 count60Pike CountyPike County: 55 count55Monroe CountyMonroe County: 52 count52Dale CountyDale County: 49 count49Jackson CountyJackson County: 43 count43Chambers CountyChambers County: 29 count29Henry CountyHenry County: 29 count29Geneva CountyGeneva County: 26 count26Hale CountyHale County: 26 count26Chilton CountyChilton County: 24 count24Escambia CountyEscambia County: 21 count21Blount CountyBlount County: 20 count20Butler CountyButler County: 18 count18Franklin CountyFranklin County: 17 count17
count. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-10.

Full ranking

RankCounties2023
count
1Madison County Estimated5,449
2Baldwin County Estimated4,363
3Jefferson County Estimated1,948
4Lee County Estimated1,403
5Mobile County Estimated917
5Shelby County Estimated917
7Tuscaloosa County Estimated656
8Limestone County Estimated491
8Montgomery County Estimated491
10St. Clair County Estimated479
11Houston County Estimated403
12Morgan County Estimated317
13Autauga County Estimated260
14Tallapoosa County Estimated219
15Cullman County Estimated204
16Talladega County Estimated171
17Russell County Estimated169
18Marshall County Estimated148
19Coffee County Estimated131
20Lauderdale County Estimated117
21DeKalb County Estimated115
22Etowah County Estimated106
23Elmore County Estimated93
24Colbert County Estimated84
25Barbour County Estimated64
25Calhoun County Estimated64
27Walker County Estimated60
28Pike County Estimated55
29Monroe County Estimated52
30Dale County Estimated49
31Jackson County Estimated43
32Chambers County Estimated29
32Henry County Estimated29
34Geneva County Estimated26
34Hale County Estimated26
36Chilton County Estimated24
37Escambia County Estimated21
38Blount County Estimated20
39Butler County Estimated18
40Franklin County Estimated17
41Cherokee County Estimated11
42Covington County Estimated10
42Greene County Estimated10
44Dallas County Estimated8
45Clarke County Estimated7
45Macon County Estimated7
47Clay County Estimated6
47Cleburne County Estimated6
47Sumter County Estimated6
50Wilcox County Estimated5
51Bibb County Estimated4
52Pickens County Estimated3
53Crenshaw County Estimated2
53Lawrence County Estimated2
55Conecuh County Estimated1
55Marion County Estimated1
57Bullock County Estimated0
57Choctaw County Estimated0
57Coosa County Estimated0
57Fayette County Estimated0
57Lamar County Estimated0
57Lowndes County Estimated0
57Marengo County Estimated0
57Perry County Estimated0
57Randolph County Estimated0
57Washington County Estimated0
57Winston County Estimated0

Other periods

About this ranking

Annual number of new privately owned housing units authorized by building permits, from the US Census Bureau Building Permits Survey.

Final annual county estimates include imputation for missing reports. Counts housing units, not buildings, starts, completions or sales. Covers permit-issuing areas; areas where permits are not required are outside the survey. Not seasonally adjusted or expressed as an annualized monthly rate. The total is the sum of units in the four published structure categories; inputs are retained.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the counties are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

U.S. Census Bureau. Building Permits Survey: final annual county estimates of new privately owned housing units authorized, including imputation. https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/County/co2023a.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-10.

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Rank Counties in Alabama by housing units authorized by building permits using official data, and cite the source.
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Questions

Which county has the highest housing units authorized by building permits?

Madison County, with 5,449 in 2023, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest housing units authorized by building permits?

Winston County, with 0 in 2023.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey: final annual county estimates of new privately owned housing units authorized, including imputation. Retrieved 2026-10-10.

Housing units authorized by building permits: other rankings

Counties in Alabama: more rankings