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

Counties in Missouri by housing units authorized by building permits

St. Charles County had the highest housing units authorized by building permits of 113 counties in 2023, at 2,677. Washington County had the lowest, at 0. The median was 17. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest2,677St. Charles County
Lowest0Washington County
Median17113 counties

Top 40 counties, 2023

CSVChart (SVG)

St. Charles CountySt. Charles County: 2,677 count2,677Jackson CountyJackson County: 2,494 count2,494Greene CountyGreene County: 1,168 count1,168St. Louis CountySt. Louis County: 1,153 count1,153Christian CountyChristian County: 801 count801Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 733 count733Jasper CountyJasper County: 683 count683Boone CountyBoone County: 656 count656Camden CountyCamden County: 572 count572Franklin CountyFranklin County: 547 count547St. Francois CountySt. Francois County: 500 count500Cass CountyCass County: 468 count468Warren CountyWarren County: 424 count424Taney CountyTaney County: 356 count356St. Louis citySt. Louis city: 278 count278Clay CountyClay County: 249 count249Stone CountyStone County: 244 count244Platte CountyPlatte County: 168 count168Cole CountyCole County: 162 count162Newton CountyNewton County: 114 count114Pettis CountyPettis County: 113 count113Webster CountyWebster County: 113 count113Phelps CountyPhelps County: 109 count109Lincoln CountyLincoln County: 102 count102Miller CountyMiller County: 88 count88Laclede CountyLaclede County: 87 count87Clinton CountyClinton County: 82 count82Howell CountyHowell County: 81 count81Scott CountyScott County: 81 count81Buchanan CountyBuchanan County: 80 count80Lafayette CountyLafayette County: 80 count80Cape Girardeau CountyCape Girardeau County: 79 count79Polk CountyPolk County: 78 count78Randolph CountyRandolph County: 78 count78Lawrence CountyLawrence County: 72 count72Marion CountyMarion County: 60 count60Pulaski CountyPulaski County: 57 count57Ray CountyRay County: 53 count53Caldwell CountyCaldwell County: 50 count50Montgomery CountyMontgomery County: 50 count50
count. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-10.

Full ranking

RankCounties2023
count
1St. Charles County Estimated2,677
2Jackson County Estimated2,494
3Greene County Estimated1,168
4St. Louis County Estimated1,153
5Christian County Estimated801
6Jefferson County Estimated733
7Jasper County Estimated683
8Boone County Estimated656
9Camden County Estimated572
10Franklin County Estimated547
11St. Francois County Estimated500
12Cass County Estimated468
13Warren County Estimated424
14Taney County Estimated356
15St. Louis city Estimated278
16Clay County Estimated249
17Stone County Estimated244
18Platte County Estimated168
19Cole County Estimated162
20Newton County Estimated114
21Pettis County Estimated113
21Webster County Estimated113
23Phelps County Estimated109
24Lincoln County Estimated102
25Miller County Estimated88
26Laclede County Estimated87
27Clinton County Estimated82
28Howell County Estimated81
28Scott County Estimated81
30Buchanan County Estimated80
30Lafayette County Estimated80
32Cape Girardeau County Estimated79
33Polk County Estimated78
33Randolph County Estimated78
35Lawrence County Estimated72
36Marion County Estimated60
37Pulaski County Estimated57
38Ray County Estimated53
39Caldwell County Estimated50
39Montgomery County Estimated50
41Johnson County Estimated49
41Livingston County Estimated49
43Nodaway County Estimated48
44Dunklin County Estimated32
45Wright County Estimated31
46McDonald County Estimated28
46Perry County Estimated28
48Audrain County Estimated26
48Butler County Estimated26
50Barry County Estimated25
51Pike County Estimated24
52Callaway County Estimated20
53Adair County Estimated18
53Crawford County Estimated18
53Texas County Estimated18
53Vernon County Estimated18
57Carroll County Estimated17
57Dallas County Estimated17
59Howard County Estimated15
59Pemiscot County Estimated15
61Andrew County Estimated13
62Stoddard County Estimated12
63Henry County Estimated11
63Morgan County Estimated11
65Cooper County Estimated10
65Douglas County Estimated10
65Saline County Estimated10
68Gasconade County Estimated9
68Macon County Estimated9
68Madison County Estimated9
68New Madrid County Estimated9
68Ste. Genevieve County Estimated9
73Knox County Estimated8
73Mississippi County Estimated8
75Schuyler County Estimated7
76Barton County Estimated6
76Bates County Estimated6
76Benton County Estimated6
76Oregon County Estimated6
76Ralls County Estimated6
81Moniteau County Estimated5
81Osage County Estimated5
83Cedar County Estimated4
83Linn County Estimated4
85Clark County Estimated3
85Monroe County Estimated3
85Shelby County Estimated3
88Carter County Estimated2
88DeKalb County Estimated2
88Gentry County Estimated2
88Harrison County Estimated2
88Lewis County Estimated2
88St. Clair County Estimated2
88Worth County Estimated2
95Chariton County Estimated1
95Dent County Estimated1
95Iron County Estimated1
98Atchison County Estimated0
98Bollinger County Estimated0
98Dade County Estimated0
98Daviess County Estimated0
98Grundy County Estimated0
98Holt County Estimated0
98Maries County Estimated0
98Mercer County Estimated0
98Ozark County Estimated0
98Putnam County Estimated0
98Reynolds County Estimated0
98Ripley County Estimated0
98Scotland County Estimated0
98Shannon County Estimated0
98Sullivan County Estimated0
98Washington 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 Missouri 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?

St. Charles County, with 2,677 in 2023, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

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

Washington 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 Missouri: more rankings