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

Counties in Michigan by housing units authorized by building permits

Oakland County had the highest housing units authorized by building permits of 83 counties in 2023, at 2,328. Montmorency County had the lowest, at 0. The median was 94. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest2,328Oakland County
Lowest0Montmorency County
Median9483 counties

Top 40 counties, 2023

CSVChart (SVG)

Oakland CountyOakland County: 2,328 count2,328Kent CountyKent County: 1,987 count1,987Wayne CountyWayne County: 1,904 count1,904Washtenaw CountyWashtenaw County: 1,597 count1,597Ottawa CountyOttawa County: 1,333 count1,333Macomb CountyMacomb County: 1,263 count1,263Livingston CountyLivingston County: 800 count800Kalamazoo CountyKalamazoo County: 718 count718Ingham CountyIngham County: 632 count632Grand Traverse CountyGrand Traverse County: 619 count619Allegan CountyAllegan County: 381 count381Genesee CountyGenesee County: 380 count380Berrien CountyBerrien County: 355 count355Muskegon CountyMuskegon County: 312 count312St. Clair CountySt. Clair County: 295 count295Monroe CountyMonroe County: 258 count258Leelanau CountyLeelanau County: 207 count207Van Buren CountyVan Buren County: 205 count205Saginaw CountySaginaw County: 190 count190Montcalm CountyMontcalm County: 179 count179Midland CountyMidland County: 156 count156Jackson CountyJackson County: 155 count155Barry CountyBarry County: 151 count151Emmet CountyEmmet County: 151 count151Iron CountyIron County: 148 count148Clinton CountyClinton County: 147 count147Newaygo CountyNewaygo County: 146 count146Oceana CountyOceana County: 145 count145Lapeer CountyLapeer County: 144 count144Benzie CountyBenzie County: 131 count131Calhoun CountyCalhoun County: 131 count131Cass CountyCass County: 131 count131Lenawee CountyLenawee County: 128 count128Houghton CountyHoughton County: 118 count118Mecosta CountyMecosta County: 118 count118Wexford CountyWexford County: 118 count118St. Joseph CountySt. Joseph County: 115 count115Eaton CountyEaton County: 107 count107Charlevoix CountyCharlevoix County: 105 count105Ionia CountyIonia County: 104 count104
count. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-10.

Full ranking

RankCounties2023
count
1Oakland County Estimated2,328
2Kent County Estimated1,987
3Wayne County Estimated1,904
4Washtenaw County Estimated1,597
5Ottawa County Estimated1,333
6Macomb County Estimated1,263
7Livingston County Estimated800
8Kalamazoo County Estimated718
9Ingham County Estimated632
10Grand Traverse County Estimated619
11Allegan County Estimated381
12Genesee County Estimated380
13Berrien County Estimated355
14Muskegon County Estimated312
15St. Clair County Estimated295
16Monroe County Estimated258
17Leelanau County Estimated207
18Van Buren County Estimated205
19Saginaw County Estimated190
20Montcalm County Estimated179
21Midland County Estimated156
22Jackson County Estimated155
23Barry County Estimated151
23Emmet County Estimated151
25Iron County Estimated148
26Clinton County Estimated147
27Newaygo County Estimated146
28Oceana County Estimated145
29Lapeer County Estimated144
30Benzie County Estimated131
30Calhoun County Estimated131
30Cass County Estimated131
33Lenawee County Estimated128
34Houghton County Estimated118
34Mecosta County Estimated118
34Wexford County Estimated118
37St. Joseph County Estimated115
38Eaton County Estimated107
39Charlevoix County Estimated105
40Ionia County Estimated104
41Manistee County Estimated99
42Antrim County Estimated94
43Marquette County Estimated93
44Hillsdale County Estimated88
45Chippewa County Estimated84
46Gladwin County Estimated83
47Mason County Estimated80
48Cheboygan County Estimated73
49Roscommon County Estimated70
50Sanilac County Estimated67
51Isabella County Estimated65
52Shiawassee County Estimated63
53Ogemaw County Estimated55
54Iosco County Estimated53
55Tuscola County Estimated51
56Alpena County Estimated49
57Clare County Estimated47
58Dickinson County Estimated45
58Huron County Estimated45
60Presque Isle County Estimated43
61Branch County Estimated41
61Gratiot County Estimated41
61Mackinac County Estimated41
64Bay County Estimated38
65Kalkaska County Estimated36
66Alcona County Estimated35
66Missaukee County Estimated35
68Delta County Estimated34
69Crawford County Estimated33
70Alger County Estimated31
71Gogebic County Estimated30
72Lake County Estimated28
73Menominee County Estimated24
74Keweenaw County Estimated23
74Otsego County Estimated23
76Oscoda County Estimated19
77Baraga County Estimated16
78Arenac County Estimated15
79Schoolcraft County Estimated12
80Ontonagon County Estimated11
81Luce County Estimated9
81Osceola County Estimated9
83Montmorency 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 Michigan 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?

Oakland County, with 2,328 in 2023, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

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

Montmorency 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 Michigan: more rankings