Cities in New Jersey by housing units authorized by building permits
Jersey City, NJ had the highest housing units authorized by building permits of 117 cities in 2018, at 2,493. Wanaque, NJ had the lowest, at 0. The median was 26 and the figure for New Jersey was 27,942. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.
Top 40 cities, 2018
Full ranking
| Rank | Cities | 2018 | Change on 2017 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jersey City, NJ Estimated | 2,493 | +55.4% |
| 2 | Bayonne, NJ Estimated | 757 | +35.7% |
| 3 | New Brunswick, NJ Estimated | 619 | +852.3% |
| 4 | Newark, NJ Estimated | 504 | -33.7% |
| 5 | Rahway, NJ Estimated | 446 | +265.6% |
| 6 | Bound Brook, NJ Estimated | 434 | +199.3% |
| 7 | Long Branch, NJ Estimated | 366 | +130.2% |
| 8 | Somerville, NJ Estimated | 314 | +503.8% |
| 9 | West New York, NJ Estimated | 311 | -31.3% |
| 10 | Paterson, NJ Estimated | 302 | +941.4% |
| 11 | East Orange, NJ Estimated | 286 | +1,405.3% |
| 12 | Linden, NJ Estimated | 282 | +362.3% |
| 13 | Atlantic City, NJ Estimated | 279 | -28.8% |
| 14 | Elizabeth, NJ Estimated | 275 | +21.1% |
| 15 | Dumont, NJ Estimated | 240 | +4,700% |
| 16 | Hoboken, NJ Estimated | 221 | -67.5% |
| 17 | East Rutherford, NJ Estimated | 210 | +1,212.5% |
| 18 | Ocean City, NJ Estimated | 202 | -9% |
| 19 | Highland Park, NJ Estimated | 195 | -48% |
| 20 | Ridgewood, NJ Estimated | 190 | +955.6% |
| 21 | Asbury Park, NJ Estimated | 129 | +17.3% |
| 21 | Perth Amboy, NJ Estimated | 129 | -8.5% |
| 23 | Cliffside Park, NJ Estimated | 124 | -35.4% |
| 24 | Wood-Ridge, NJ Estimated | 115 | -5% |
| 25 | Waldwick, NJ Estimated | 112 | -23.8% |
| 26 | Union City, NJ Estimated | 95 | +137.5% |
| 27 | Plainfield, NJ Estimated | 92 | -56.6% |
| 28 | South Plainfield, NJ Estimated | 89 | -21.2% |
| 29 | Hackensack, NJ Estimated | 84 | -88.4% |
| 29 | Palisades Park, NJ Estimated | 84 | -15.2% |
| 31 | Fort Lee, NJ Estimated | 78 | -43.9% |
| 32 | Camden, NJ Estimated | 72 | -62.7% |
| 32 | Roselle, NJ Estimated | 72 | -25.8% |
| 34 | Westfield, NJ Estimated | 68 | -4.2% |
| 35 | Hawthorne, NJ Estimated | 67 | -43.2% |
| 36 | Secaucus, NJ Estimated | 65 | +364.3% |
| 37 | Morristown, NJ Estimated | 64 | -76.6% |
| 38 | Glassboro, NJ Estimated | 56 | -39.8% |
| 39 | River Edge, NJ Estimated | 54 | -34.1% |
| 40 | Clifton, NJ Estimated | 53 | +8.2% |
| 40 | Franklin Lakes, NJ Estimated | 53 | -61% |
| 42 | Edgewater, NJ Estimated | 51 | -83.7% |
| 43 | Passaic, NJ Estimated | 50 | +2% |
| 44 | Harrison, NJ Estimated | 45 | -96.6% |
| 45 | Florham Park, NJ Estimated | 43 | +168.8% |
| 46 | Ridgefield Park, NJ Estimated | 42 | +2.4% |
| 47 | Tenafly, NJ Estimated | 41 | +51.9% |
| 48 | Paramus, NJ Estimated | 37 | +85% |
| 48 | Tinton Falls, NJ Estimated | 37 | +117.6% |
| 50 | Fairview, NJ Estimated | 36 | -78.7% |
| 51 | Fair Lawn, NJ Estimated | 34 | +126.7% |
| 51 | Madison, NJ Estimated | 34 | -80.1% |
| 53 | Lindenwold, NJ Estimated | 33 | -73.2% |
| 54 | Summit, NJ Estimated | 32 | +68.4% |
| 55 | Sayreville, NJ Estimated | 31 | -79.2% |
| 56 | Englewood, NJ Estimated | 29 | +314.3% |
| 56 | Metuchen, NJ Estimated | 29 | -86.2% |
| 58 | Bergenfield, NJ Estimated | 27 | -18.2% |
| 59 | Vineland, NJ Estimated | 26 | -35% |
| 60 | Elmwood Park, NJ Estimated | 25 | -3.8% |
| 60 | New Milford, NJ Estimated | 25 | -50% |
| 62 | South Amboy, NJ Estimated | 24 | -68.8% |
| 63 | Freehold, NJ Estimated | 23 | +27.8% |
| 64 | Hopatcong, NJ Estimated | 22 | -42.1% |
| 65 | Ramsey, NJ Estimated | 21 | +320% |
| 66 | Haddonfield, NJ Estimated | 20 | -4.8% |
| 66 | Hillsdale, NJ Estimated | 20 | +400% |
| 66 | Point Pleasant, NJ Estimated | 20 | -41.2% |
| 69 | Chatham, NJ Estimated | 16 | -30.4% |
| 70 | Ringwood, NJ Estimated | 15 | -6.3% |
| 70 | South River, NJ Estimated | 15 | -57.1% |
| 70 | Trenton, NJ Estimated | 15 | -50% |
| 73 | Millville, NJ Estimated | 14 | -12.5% |
| 74 | Beachwood, NJ Estimated | 13 | +116.7% |
| 74 | Roselle Park, NJ Estimated | 13 | +160% |
| 74 | Rutherford, NJ Estimated | 13 | +550% |
| 77 | Garfield, NJ Estimated | 11 | +22.2% |
| 77 | Glen Rock, NJ Estimated | 11 | +10% |
| 79 | Carteret, NJ Estimated | 10 | +25% |
| 79 | Guttenberg, NJ Estimated | 10 | -90.8% |
| 79 | New Providence, NJ Estimated | 10 | +150% |
| 79 | Ridgefield, NJ Estimated | 10 | -23.1% |
| 83 | Bridgeton, NJ Estimated | 9 | +28.6% |
| 84 | Westwood, NJ Estimated | 8 | +60% |
| 85 | Eatontown, NJ Estimated | 7 | 0% |
| 85 | Hammonton, NJ Estimated | 7 | +75% |
| 85 | Middlesex, NJ Estimated | 7 | +75% |
| 88 | Somers Point, NJ Estimated | 6 | 0% |
| 88 | Woodbury, NJ Estimated | 6 | +500% |
| 90 | Princeton, NJ Estimated | 5 | -88.4% |
| 91 | Hasbrouck Heights, NJ Estimated | 4 | -33.3% |
| 91 | Kearny, NJ Estimated | 4 | |
| 91 | Lincoln Park, NJ Estimated | 4 | |
| 91 | Lodi, NJ Estimated | 4 | -60% |
| 91 | Montvale, NJ Estimated | 4 | -80% |
| 96 | Phillipsburg, NJ Estimated | 3 | |
| 97 | Dover, NJ Estimated | 2 | 0% |
| 97 | Maywood, NJ Estimated | 2 | -50% |
| 97 | Totowa, NJ Estimated | 2 | -33.3% |
| 97 | Wallington, NJ Estimated | 2 | |
| 101 | Collingswood, NJ Estimated | 1 | -96.3% |
| 101 | Kinnelon, NJ Estimated | 1 | -80% |
| 101 | Little Ferry, NJ Estimated | 1 | -94.4% |
| 101 | North Plainfield, NJ Estimated | 1 | 0% |
| 101 | Oakland, NJ Estimated | 1 | -50% |
| 101 | Pine Hill, NJ Estimated | 1 | 0% |
| 101 | Pompton Lakes, NJ Estimated | 1 | -90% |
| 101 | Red Bank, NJ Estimated | 1 | -97.7% |
| 101 | Woodland Park, NJ Estimated | 1 | |
| 110 | Bellmawr, NJ Estimated | 0 | -100% |
| 110 | Burlington, NJ Estimated | 0 | -100% |
| 110 | Gloucester City, NJ Estimated | 0 | |
| 110 | Hackettstown, NJ Estimated | 0 | |
| 110 | Manville, NJ Estimated | 0 | -100% |
| 110 | North Arlington, NJ Estimated | 0 | |
| 110 | Pleasantville, NJ Estimated | 0 | -100% |
| 110 | Wanaque, NJ Estimated | 0 | -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. 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/Northeast%20Region/ne2018a.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-12.Citation styles
APA 7
U.S. Census Bureau. (2019). Building Permits Survey: final annual estimates of new privately owned housing units authorized by permit-issuing place, including imputation (Cities in New Jersey by housing units authorized by building permits, 2018) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/Northeast%20Region/ne2018a.txt
MLA 9
Building Permits Survey: final annual estimates of new privately owned housing units authorized by permit-issuing place, including imputation, Cities in New Jersey by housing units authorized by building permits, 2018. U.S. Census Bureau, 20 June 2019, https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/Northeast%20Region/ne2018a.txt. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/building-permit-housing-units/new-jersey-cities?period=2018. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.
Chicago (author-date)
U.S. Census Bureau. 2019. Building Permits Survey: final annual estimates of new privately owned housing units authorized by permit-issuing place, including imputation. Cities in New Jersey by housing units authorized by building permits, 2018. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/Northeast%20Region/ne2018a.txt. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/building-permit-housing-units/new-jersey-cities?period=2018.
Harvard
U.S. Census Bureau (2019) Building Permits Survey: final annual estimates of new privately owned housing units authorized by permit-issuing place, including imputation, Cities in New Jersey by housing units authorized by building permits, 2018 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/Northeast%20Region/ne2018a.txt, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/building-permit-housing-units/new-jersey-cities?period=2018 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).
BibTeX
@misc{census_cities_in_new_jersey_2018,
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 New Jersey by housing units authorized by building permits, 2018}},
year = {2019},
howpublished = {Data set},
url = {https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/Northeast%20Region/ne2018a.txt},
urldate = {2026-10-12},
note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/building-permit-housing-units/new-jersey-cities?period=2018. 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/Northeast\%20Region/ne2018a.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 New Jersey by housing units authorized by building permits, 2018
PY - 2019
DA - 2019/06/20
PB - U.S. Census Bureau
DB - Invokely
UR - https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/Northeast%20Region/ne2018a.txt
L2 - https://invokely.ai/rankings/building-permit-housing-units/new-jersey-cities?period=2018
Y2 - 2026/10/12
N1 - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/building-permit-housing-units/new-jersey-cities?period=2018.
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/Northeast%20Region/ne2018a.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER -
Use this data in your AI agent
Invokely serves this figure to AI assistants through MCP and to code through a REST API, with the source and citation attached. Ask your assistant:
Rank Cities in New Jersey by housing units authorized by building permits using official data, and cite the source.
rank_places {"indicator":"building_permit_units","level":"municipality","within":"New Jersey","limit":10}
GET https://invokely.ai/api/v1/rank?indicator=building_permit_units&level=municipality&within=New%20Jersey&limit=10Questions
Which city has the highest housing units authorized by building permits?
Jersey City, NJ, with 2,493 in 2018, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Which city has the lowest housing units authorized by building permits?
Wanaque, NJ, with 0 in 2018.
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.
Housing units authorized by building permits: other rankings
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Cities in New Jersey: more rankings
- Rent-burdened renter households (rent 30 percent or more of income)
- Housing vacancy rate, all vacant units (US)
- Homeownership rate (US, housing units)
- Households
- Residents who moved from another state in the past year
- School enrolment, children aged 3 and 4
- Asian population share
- Bachelor's degree or higher, population 25 and over