Data / Rankings / Housing units authorized by building permits / Cities in Georgia

Cities in Georgia by housing units authorized by building permits

Atlanta, GA had the highest housing units authorized by building permits of 90 cities in 2016, at 8,031. Waycross, GA had the lowest, at 0. The median was 97 and the figure for Georgia was 51,675. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest8,031Atlanta, GA
Lowest0Waycross, GA
Median9790 cities
Georgia51,675History

Top 40 cities, 2016

Atlanta, GA: 8,031 countAtlanta, GA8,031Gainesville, GA: 971 countGainesville, GA971Sandy Springs, GA: 837 countSandy Springs, GA837Canton, GA: 669 countCanton, GA669Fairburn, GA: 542 countFairburn, GA542Valdosta, GA: 424 countValdosta, GA424Decatur, GA: 423 countDecatur, GA423Columbus, GA: 384 countColumbus, GA384Newnan, GA: 345 countNewnan, GA345Chamblee, GA: 331 countChamblee, GA331Woodstock, GA: 330 countWoodstock, GA330McDonough, GA: 313 countMcDonough, GA313Savannah, GA: 300 countSavannah, GA300Roswell, GA: 287 countRoswell, GA287Sugar Hill, GA: 281 countSugar Hill, GA281Johns Creek, GA: 277 countJohns Creek, GA277Warner Robins, GA: 270 countWarner Robins, GA270Alpharetta, GA: 259 countAlpharetta, GA259Perry, GA: 256 countPerry, GA256Brookhaven, GA: 255 countBrookhaven, GA255Holly Springs, GA: 252 countHolly Springs, GA252Marietta, GA: 243 countMarietta, GA243Port Wentworth, GA: 241 countPort Wentworth, GA241Kennesaw, GA: 228 countKennesaw, GA228Jefferson, GA: 226 countJefferson, GA226Smyrna, GA: 226 countSmyrna, GA226Union City, GA: 226 countUnion City, GA226Braselton, GA: 224 countBraselton, GA224Milton, GA: 216 countMilton, GA216Pooler, GA: 202 countPooler, GA202Cartersville, GA: 194 countCartersville, GA194Thomasville, GA: 185 countThomasville, GA185Flowery Branch, GA: 174 countFlowery Branch, GA174Buford, GA: 155 countBuford, GA155Douglasville, GA: 154 countDouglasville, GA154Richmond Hill, GA: 154 countRichmond Hill, GA154Winder, GA: 145 countWinder, GA145Hinesville, GA: 143 countHinesville, GA143Loganville, GA: 143 countLoganville, GA143Kingsland, GA: 133 countKingsland, GA133Atlanta, GA: 8,031 countAtlanta, GA8,031Gainesville, GA: 971 countGainesville, GA971Sandy Springs, GA: 837 countSandy Springs, GA837Canton, GA: 669 countCanton, GA669Fairburn, GA: 542 countFairburn, GA542Valdosta, GA: 424 countValdosta, GA424Decatur, GA: 423 countDecatur, GA423Columbus, GA: 384 countColumbus, GA384Newnan, GA: 345 countNewnan, GA345Chamblee, GA: 331 countChamblee, GA331Woodstock, GA: 330 countWoodstock, GA330McDonough, GA: 313 countMcDonough, GA313Savannah, GA: 300 countSavannah, GA300Roswell, GA: 287 countRoswell, GA287Sugar Hill, GA: 281 countSugar Hill, GA281Johns Creek, GA: 277 countJohns Creek, GA277Warner Robins, GA: 270 countWarner Robins, GA270Alpharetta, GA: 259 countAlpharetta, GA259Perry, GA: 256 countPerry, GA256Brookhaven, GA: 255 countBrookhaven, GA255Holly Springs, GA: 252 countHolly Springs, GA252Marietta, GA: 243 countMarietta, GA243Port Wentworth, GA: 241 countPort Wentworth, GA241Kennesaw, GA: 228 countKennesaw, GA228Jefferson, GA: 226 countJefferson, GA226Smyrna, GA: 226 countSmyrna, GA226Union City, GA: 226 countUnion City, GA226Braselton, GA: 224 countBraselton, GA224Milton, GA: 216 countMilton, GA216Pooler, GA: 202 countPooler, GA202Cartersville, GA: 194 countCartersville, GA194Thomasville, GA: 185 countThomasville, GA185Flowery Branch, GA: 174 countFlowery Branch, GA174Buford, GA: 155 countBuford, GA155Douglasville, GA: 154 countDouglasville, GA154Richmond Hill, GA: 154 countRichmond Hill, GA154Winder, GA: 145 countWinder, GA145Hinesville, GA: 143 countHinesville, GA143Loganville, GA: 143 countLoganville, GA143Kingsland, GA: 133 countKingsland, GA133
count. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCities2016
count		Change on 2015
1Atlanta, GA Estimated8,031+19.9%
2Gainesville, GA Estimated971+122.7%
3Sandy Springs, GA Estimated837+168.3%
4Canton, GA Estimated669+158.3%
5Fairburn, GA Estimated542+411.3%
6Valdosta, GA Estimated424+410.8%
7Decatur, GA Estimated423-0.5%
8Columbus, GA Estimated384-37.7%
9Newnan, GA Estimated345-37.2%
10Chamblee, GA Estimated331+845.7%
11Woodstock, GA Estimated330-37.3%
12McDonough, GA Estimated313+43.6%
13Savannah, GA Estimated300-8.5%
14Roswell, GA Estimated287+11.2%
15Sugar Hill, GA Estimated281+86.1%
16Johns Creek, GA Estimated277-5.1%
17Warner Robins, GA Estimated270-34.3%
18Alpharetta, GA Estimated259-66.7%
19Perry, GA Estimated256-28.3%
20Brookhaven, GA Estimated255+363.6%
21Holly Springs, GA Estimated252+18.3%
22Marietta, GA Estimated243+89.8%
23Port Wentworth, GA Estimated241+99.2%
24Kennesaw, GA Estimated228+686.2%
25Jefferson, GA Estimated226+189.7%
25Smyrna, GA Estimated226+18.9%
25Union City, GA Estimated226+119.4%
28Braselton, GA Estimated224-13.2%
29Milton, GA Estimated216-31.9%
30Pooler, GA Estimated202-21.4%
31Cartersville, GA Estimated194+22.8%
32Thomasville, GA Estimated185+670.8%
33Flowery Branch, GA Estimated174+27%
34Buford, GA Estimated155+11.5%
35Douglasville, GA Estimated154+180%
35Richmond Hill, GA Estimated154+0.7%
37Winder, GA Estimated145+85.9%
38Hinesville, GA Estimated143-35%
38Loganville, GA Estimated143+4.4%
40Kingsland, GA Estimated133+51.1%
41Fayetteville, GA Estimated130-47.4%
42Tifton, GA Estimated129+186.7%
43Grovetown, GA Estimated122-18.1%
44Acworth, GA Estimated118+11.3%
45Dallas, GA Estimated98+30.7%
46Locust Grove, GA Estimated96+81.1%
47Macon, GA Estimated89-21.2%
48Dunwoody, GA Estimated87+55.4%
48Peachtree City, GA Estimated87+141.7%
50Albany, GA Estimated860%
51Lawrenceville, GA Estimated81+12.5%
52Cumming, GA Estimated79-54.1%
53Carrollton, GA Estimated65+225%
54East Point, GA Estimated64-22.9%
55Cedartown, GA Estimated62+6,100%
56St. Marys, GA Estimated58+75.8%
57Powder Springs, GA Estimated51-5.6%
58Duluth, GA Estimated49+4.3%
59LaGrange, GA Estimated46+35.3%
60Villa Rica, GA Estimated45+95.7%
61Fort Oglethorpe, GA Estimated44-35.3%
61Statesboro, GA Estimated44-37.1%
63Calhoun, GA Estimated41+24.2%
64Suwanee, GA Estimated39-85%
65Norcross, GA Estimated37-27.5%
66Rincon, GA Estimated34-64.2%
67College Park, GA Estimated26+1,200%
68Monroe, GA Estimated21+40%
68Moultrie, GA Estimated21+16.7%
70Snellville, GA Estimated20n/a
71Vidalia, GA Estimated18+20%
72Covington, GA Estimated17-34.6%
73Dublin, GA Estimated15+36.4%
74Lilburn, GA Estimated11+83.3%
74Milledgeville, GA Estimated11-87.8%
76Conyers, GA Estimated9+350%
77Americus, GA Estimated4n/a
77Griffin, GA Estimated4+100%
79Clarkston, GA Estimated3+50%
80Cairo, GA Estimated2-33.3%
80Douglas, GA Estimated20%
80Lovejoy, GA Estimated2-33.3%
83Doraville, GA Estimated1-50%
83Garden City, GA Estimated1n/a
83Riverdale, GA Estimated1n/a
86Auburn, GA Estimated0-100%
86Bainbridge, GA Estimated0-100%
86Forest Park, GA Estimated0n/a
86Jesup, GA Estimated0n/a
86Waycross, GA Estimated0n/a

Other periods

About this ranking

Number of new privately owned housing units authorized by building permits in the year or month, from the US Census Bureau Building Permits Survey. Annual totals for the nation, states and counties; monthly counts for the nation and states.

Counts housing units, not buildings, starts, completions or sales. Monthly counts are not seasonally adjusted and do not add up exactly to the annual total, which includes later corrections; the national seasonally adjusted annual rate in the monthly New Residential Construction release is a different measure.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the cities are compared on one definition. 9 cities with data in other periods have no value for 2016 and are left out rather than filled from another source. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

U.S. Census Bureau. Building Permits Survey: final annual estimates of new privately owned housing units authorized by permit-issuing place, including imputation. https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/South%20Region/so2016a.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Citation styles

The publisher is the author. Invokely is named only as the place the figures were read, where a style asks for it.

APA 7

U.S. Census Bureau. (2017). Building Permits Survey: final annual estimates of new privately owned housing units authorized by permit-issuing place, including imputation (Cities in Georgia by housing units authorized by building permits, 2016) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/South%20Region/so2016a.txt

MLA 9

Building Permits Survey: final annual estimates of new privately owned housing units authorized by permit-issuing place, including imputation, Cities in Georgia by housing units authorized by building permits, 2016. U.S. Census Bureau, 1 May 2017, https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/South%20Region/so2016a.txt. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/building-permit-housing-units/georgia-cities?period=2016. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Census Bureau. 2017. Building Permits Survey: final annual estimates of new privately owned housing units authorized by permit-issuing place, including imputation. Cities in Georgia by housing units authorized by building permits, 2016. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/South%20Region/so2016a.txt. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/building-permit-housing-units/georgia-cities?period=2016.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2017) Building Permits Survey: final annual estimates of new privately owned housing units authorized by permit-issuing place, including imputation, Cities in Georgia by housing units authorized by building permits, 2016 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/South%20Region/so2016a.txt, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/building-permit-housing-units/georgia-cities?period=2016 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_cities_in_georgia_by_2016,
  author = {{U.S. Census Bureau}},
  title = {{Building Permits Survey: final annual estimates of new privately owned housing units authorized by permit-issuing place, including imputation: Cities in Georgia by housing units authorized by building permits, 2016}},
  year = {2017},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/South%20Region/so2016a.txt},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/building-permit-housing-units/georgia-cities?period=2016. Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. Building Permits Survey: final annual estimates of new privately owned housing units authorized by permit-issuing place, including imputation. https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/South\%20Region/so2016a.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Census Bureau
TI  - Building Permits Survey: final annual estimates of new privately owned housing units authorized by permit-issuing place, including imputation: Cities in Georgia by housing units authorized by building permits, 2016
PY  - 2017
DA  - 2017/05/01
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/South%20Region/so2016a.txt
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/building-permit-housing-units/georgia-cities?period=2016
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/building-permit-housing-units/georgia-cities?period=2016.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. Building Permits Survey: final annual estimates of new privately owned housing units authorized by permit-issuing place, including imputation. https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/South%20Region/so2016a.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -
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Questions

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

Atlanta, GA, with 8,031 in 2016, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

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

Waycross, GA, with 0 in 2016.

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 estimates of new privately owned housing units authorized by permit-issuing place, including imputation. Retrieved 2026-10-12. 9 cities have no value for 2016 and are not ranked.

Housing units authorized by building permits: other rankings

Cities in Georgia: more rankings