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

Cities in Michigan by housing units authorized by building permits

Detroit, MI had the highest housing units authorized by building permits of 85 cities in 2023, at 1,225. Saginaw, MI had the lowest, at 0. The median was 13 and the figure for Michigan was 20,592. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest1,225Detroit, MI
Lowest0Saginaw, MI
Median1385 cities
Michigan20,592History

Top 40 cities, 2023

Detroit, MI: 1,225 countDetroit, MI1,225Grand Rapids, MI: 495 countGrand Rapids, MI495Ypsilanti, MI: 308 countYpsilanti, MI308Holland, MI: 250 countHolland, MI250Portage, MI: 250 countPortage, MI250Lansing, MI: 225 countLansing, MI225Ann Arbor, MI: 222 countAnn Arbor, MI222Troy, MI: 198 countTroy, MI198Sterling Heights, MI: 189 countSterling Heights, MI189Wyoming, MI: 183 countWyoming, MI183Walker, MI: 173 countWalker, MI173Auburn Hills, MI: 170 countAuburn Hills, MI170Royal Oak, MI: 124 countRoyal Oak, MI124Southfield, MI: 124 countSouthfield, MI124Flint, MI: 122 countFlint, MI122Grandville, MI: 120 countGrandville, MI120Kentwood, MI: 108 countKentwood, MI108Midland, MI: 88 countMidland, MI88Livonia, MI: 68 countLivonia, MI68Birmingham, MI: 64 countBirmingham, MI64Novi, MI: 63 countNovi, MI63Ferndale, MI: 61 countFerndale, MI61Muskegon, MI: 57 countMuskegon, MI57Westland, MI: 54 countWestland, MI54Niles, MI: 50 countNiles, MI50South Lyon, MI: 44 countSouth Lyon, MI44Taylor, MI: 44 countTaylor, MI44Sault Ste. Marie, MI: 40 countSault Ste. Marie, MI40Farmington Hills, MI: 39 countFarmington Hills, MI39Berkley, MI: 34 countBerkley, MI34Cadillac, MI: 29 countCadillac, MI29Grand Haven, MI: 29 countGrand Haven, MI29Rochester Hills, MI: 29 countRochester Hills, MI29Norton Shores, MI: 22 countNorton Shores, MI22Dearborn, MI: 21 countDearborn, MI21Clawson, MI: 20 countClawson, MI20Madison Heights, MI: 20 countMadison Heights, MI20Wixom, MI: 19 countWixom, MI19Pontiac, MI: 18 countPontiac, MI18Burton, MI: 15 countBurton, MI15Detroit, MI: 1,225 countDetroit, MI1,225Grand Rapids, MI: 495 countGrand Rapids, MI495Ypsilanti, MI: 308 countYpsilanti, MI308Holland, MI: 250 countHolland, MI250Portage, MI: 250 countPortage, MI250Lansing, MI: 225 countLansing, MI225Ann Arbor, MI: 222 countAnn Arbor, MI222Troy, MI: 198 countTroy, MI198Sterling Heights, MI: 189 countSterling Heights, MI189Wyoming, MI: 183 countWyoming, MI183Walker, MI: 173 countWalker, MI173Auburn Hills, MI: 170 countAuburn Hills, MI170Royal Oak, MI: 124 countRoyal Oak, MI124Southfield, MI: 124 countSouthfield, MI124Flint, MI: 122 countFlint, MI122Grandville, MI: 120 countGrandville, MI120Kentwood, MI: 108 countKentwood, MI108Midland, MI: 88 countMidland, MI88Livonia, MI: 68 countLivonia, MI68Birmingham, MI: 64 countBirmingham, MI64Novi, MI: 63 countNovi, MI63Ferndale, MI: 61 countFerndale, MI61Muskegon, MI: 57 countMuskegon, MI57Westland, MI: 54 countWestland, MI54Niles, MI: 50 countNiles, MI50South Lyon, MI: 44 countSouth Lyon, MI44Taylor, MI: 44 countTaylor, MI44Sault Ste. Marie, MI: 40 countSault Ste. Marie, MI40Farmington Hills, MI: 39 countFarmington Hills, MI39Berkley, MI: 34 countBerkley, MI34Cadillac, MI: 29 countCadillac, MI29Grand Haven, MI: 29 countGrand Haven, MI29Rochester Hills, MI: 29 countRochester Hills, MI29Norton Shores, MI: 22 countNorton Shores, MI22Dearborn, MI: 21 countDearborn, MI21Clawson, MI: 20 countClawson, MI20Madison Heights, MI: 20 countMadison Heights, MI20Wixom, MI: 19 countWixom, MI19Pontiac, MI: 18 countPontiac, MI18Burton, MI: 15 countBurton, MI15
count. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCities2023
count		Change on 2022
1Detroit, MI Estimated1,225-11.2%
2Grand Rapids, MI Estimated495+111.5%
3Ypsilanti, MI Estimated308n/a
4Holland, MI Estimated250-15%
4Portage, MI Estimated250+33%
6Lansing, MI Estimated225-11.8%
7Ann Arbor, MI Estimated222+59.7%
8Troy, MI Estimated198+117.6%
9Sterling Heights, MI Estimated189-51.9%
10Wyoming, MI Estimated183-62.7%
11Walker, MI Estimated173+9.5%
12Auburn Hills, MI Estimated170+269.6%
13Royal Oak, MI Estimated124-8.8%
13Southfield, MI Estimated124+1.6%
15Flint, MI Estimated122+154.2%
16Grandville, MI Estimated120-70.7%
17Kentwood, MI Estimated108+9.1%
18Midland, MI Estimated88+39.7%
19Livonia, MI Estimated68+41.7%
20Birmingham, MI Estimated64-11.1%
21Novi, MI Estimated63+37%
22Ferndale, MI Estimated61-41.9%
23Muskegon, MI Estimated57+21.3%
24Westland, MI Estimated54-14.3%
25Niles, MI Estimated50+2,400%
26South Lyon, MI Estimated44-35.3%
26Taylor, MI Estimated44+4.8%
28Sault Ste. Marie, MI Estimated40+1,900%
29Farmington Hills, MI Estimated39+116.7%
30Berkley, MI Estimated34+54.5%
31Cadillac, MI Estimated29+190%
31Grand Haven, MI Estimated29-27.5%
31Rochester Hills, MI Estimated29-78.2%
34Norton Shores, MI Estimated22+29.4%
35Dearborn, MI Estimated21-12.5%
36Clawson, MI Estimated20+900%
36Madison Heights, MI Estimated20+1,900%
38Wixom, MI Estimated19-5%
39Pontiac, MI Estimated18+350%
40Burton, MI Estimated15+7.1%
41Monroe, MI Estimated14n/a
41New Baltimore, MI Estimated14-12.5%
43Dearborn Heights, MI Estimated13-7.1%
43Wyandotte, MI Estimated13+30%
45Adrian, MI Estimated12+1,100%
46Hazel Park, MI Estimated11-26.7%
46Rochester, MI Estimated11+175%
48Warren, MI Estimated10-9.1%
49Romulus, MI Estimated9-72.7%
50Coldwater, MI Estimated8-97.5%
50Flat Rock, MI Estimated8-20%
50St. Clair Shores, MI Estimated8-11.1%
53Battle Creek, MI Estimated7-46.2%
53Mount Pleasant, MI Estimated7+16.7%
53Port Huron, MI Estimated7+133.3%
53Riverview, MI Estimated70%
53Roseville, MI Estimated7-36.4%
58Southgate, MI Estimated6-66.7%
58Sturgis, MI Estimated6-14.3%
60Beverly Hills, MI Estimated5-16.7%
60Hamtramck, MI Estimated5+25%
60Owosso, MI Estimated5+66.7%
60Trenton, MI Estimated5-28.6%
60Wayne, MI Estimated5-28.6%
65Garden City, MI Estimated4+100%
65Jackson, MI Estimated4+100%
65Kalamazoo, MI Estimated4-20%
68Alpena, MI Estimated3n/a
68Farmington, MI Estimated3-62.5%
68Fenton, MI Estimated3+50%
71East Lansing, MI Estimated20%
71Eastpointe, MI Estimated2n/a
71Melvindale, MI Estimated2n/a
71Woodhaven, MI Estimated2-75%
75Grosse Pointe Park, MI Estimated1-66.7%
75Grosse Pointe Woods, MI Estimated1-50%
75Lincoln Park, MI Estimated1n/a
75Oak Park, MI Estimated1-75%
79Allen Park, MI Estimated0n/a
79Bay City, MI Estimated0n/a
79Fraser, MI Estimated0-100%
79Harper Woods, MI Estimated0-100%
79Inkster, MI Estimated0n/a
79Mount Clemens, MI Estimated0n/a
79Saginaw, MI Estimated0-100%

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. 2 cities with data in other periods have no value for 2023 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/Midwest%20Region/mw2023a.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. (2024). Building Permits Survey: final annual estimates of new privately owned housing units authorized by permit-issuing place, including imputation (Cities in Michigan by housing units authorized by building permits, 2023) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/Midwest%20Region/mw2023a.txt

MLA 9

Building Permits Survey: final annual estimates of new privately owned housing units authorized by permit-issuing place, including imputation, Cities in Michigan by housing units authorized by building permits, 2023. U.S. Census Bureau, 24 Apr. 2024, https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/Midwest%20Region/mw2023a.txt. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/building-permit-housing-units/michigan-cities?period=2023. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Census Bureau. 2024. Building Permits Survey: final annual estimates of new privately owned housing units authorized by permit-issuing place, including imputation. Cities in Michigan by housing units authorized by building permits, 2023. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/Midwest%20Region/mw2023a.txt. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/building-permit-housing-units/michigan-cities?period=2023.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2024) Building Permits Survey: final annual estimates of new privately owned housing units authorized by permit-issuing place, including imputation, Cities in Michigan by housing units authorized by building permits, 2023 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/Midwest%20Region/mw2023a.txt, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/building-permit-housing-units/michigan-cities?period=2023 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_cities_in_michigan_by_2023,
  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 Michigan by housing units authorized by building permits, 2023}},
  year = {2024},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/Midwest%20Region/mw2023a.txt},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/building-permit-housing-units/michigan-cities?period=2023. 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/Midwest\%20Region/mw2023a.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 Michigan by housing units authorized by building permits, 2023
PY  - 2024
DA  - 2024/04/24
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/Midwest%20Region/mw2023a.txt
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/building-permit-housing-units/michigan-cities?period=2023
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/building-permit-housing-units/michigan-cities?period=2023.
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/Midwest%20Region/mw2023a.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -
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Questions

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

Detroit, MI, with 1,225 in 2023, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

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

Saginaw, MI, 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 estimates of new privately owned housing units authorized by permit-issuing place, including imputation. Retrieved 2026-10-12. 2 cities have no value for 2023 and are not ranked.

Housing units authorized by building permits: other rankings

Cities in Michigan: more rankings