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 2024, at 4,710. Wilcox County had the lowest, at 0. The median was 35. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest4,710Madison County
Lowest0Wilcox County
Median3567 counties

Top 40 counties, 2024

CSVChart (SVG)

Madison CountyMadison County: 4,710 count4,710Baldwin CountyBaldwin County: 3,883 count3,883Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 2,117 count2,117Lee CountyLee County: 1,877 count1,877Mobile CountyMobile County: 1,715 count1,715Shelby CountyShelby County: 990 count990Tuscaloosa CountyTuscaloosa County: 631 count631St. Clair CountySt. Clair County: 543 count543Limestone CountyLimestone County: 496 count496Houston CountyHouston County: 463 count463Montgomery CountyMontgomery County: 460 count460Morgan CountyMorgan County: 229 count229Autauga CountyAutauga County: 221 count221Tallapoosa CountyTallapoosa County: 216 count216Talladega CountyTalladega County: 195 count195Russell CountyRussell County: 183 count183Cullman CountyCullman County: 177 count177Lauderdale CountyLauderdale County: 167 count167Marshall CountyMarshall County: 163 count163Coffee CountyCoffee County: 146 count146Calhoun CountyCalhoun County: 138 count138Etowah CountyEtowah County: 133 count133Elmore CountyElmore County: 107 count107Colbert CountyColbert County: 94 count94Henry CountyHenry County: 72 count72Jackson CountyJackson County: 53 count53Monroe CountyMonroe County: 47 count47Pike CountyPike County: 43 count43Cherokee CountyCherokee County: 39 count39Dale CountyDale County: 39 count39DeKalb CountyDeKalb County: 39 count39Chambers CountyChambers County: 38 count38Walker CountyWalker County: 38 count38Escambia CountyEscambia County: 35 count35Barbour CountyBarbour County: 34 count34Geneva CountyGeneva County: 26 count26Chilton CountyChilton County: 25 count25Blount CountyBlount County: 17 count17Bibb CountyBibb County: 16 count16Covington CountyCovington County: 14 count14
count. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-10.

Full ranking

RankCounties2024
count		Change on 2023
1Madison County Estimated4,710-13.6%
2Baldwin County Estimated3,883-11%
3Jefferson County Estimated2,117+8.7%
4Lee County Estimated1,877+33.8%
5Mobile County Estimated1,715+87%
6Shelby County Estimated990+8%
7Tuscaloosa County Estimated631-3.8%
8St. Clair County Estimated543+13.4%
9Limestone County Estimated496+1%
10Houston County Estimated463+14.9%
11Montgomery County Estimated460-6.3%
12Morgan County Estimated229-27.8%
13Autauga County Estimated221-15%
14Tallapoosa County Estimated216-1.4%
15Talladega County Estimated195+14%
16Russell County Estimated183+8.3%
17Cullman County Estimated177-13.2%
18Lauderdale County Estimated167+42.7%
19Marshall County Estimated163+10.1%
20Coffee County Estimated146+11.5%
21Calhoun County Estimated138+115.6%
22Etowah County Estimated133+25.5%
23Elmore County Estimated107+15.1%
24Colbert County Estimated94+11.9%
25Henry County Estimated72+148.3%
26Jackson County Estimated53+23.3%
27Monroe County Estimated47-9.6%
28Pike County Estimated43-21.8%
29Cherokee County Estimated39+254.5%
29Dale County Estimated39-20.4%
29DeKalb County Estimated39-66.1%
32Chambers County Estimated38+31%
32Walker County Estimated38-36.7%
34Escambia County Estimated35+66.7%
35Barbour County Estimated34-46.9%
36Geneva County Estimated260%
37Chilton County Estimated25+4.2%
38Blount County Estimated17-15%
39Bibb County Estimated16+300%
40Covington County Estimated14+40%
41Franklin County Estimated13-23.5%
42Hale County Estimated11-57.7%
43Clarke County Estimated10+42.9%
44Clay County Estimated9+50%
45Butler County Estimated8-55.6%
46Dallas County Estimated6-25%
46Macon County Estimated6-14.3%
48Cleburne County Estimated5-16.7%
48Lawrence County Estimated5+150%
48Pickens County Estimated5+66.7%
48Sumter County Estimated5-16.7%
52Crenshaw County Estimated20%
52Greene County Estimated2-80%
52Lowndes County Estimated2n/a
52Randolph County Estimated2n/a
52Washington County Estimated2n/a
57Conecuh County Estimated10%
57Marion County Estimated10%
57Winston County Estimated1n/a
60Bullock County Estimated0n/a
60Choctaw County Estimated0n/a
60Coosa County Estimated0n/a
60Fayette County Estimated0n/a
60Lamar County Estimated0n/a
60Marengo County Estimated0n/a
60Perry County Estimated0n/a
60Wilcox County Estimated0-100%

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/co2024a.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-10.

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Questions

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

Madison County, with 4,710 in 2024, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

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

Wilcox County, with 0 in 2024.

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