Cities in Texas by housing units authorized by building permits

Houston, TX had the highest housing units authorized by building permits of 252 cities in 2015, at 15,216. Sweetwater, TX had the lowest, at 0. The median was 131 and the figure for Texas was 175,443. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest15,216Houston, TX

Lowest0Sweetwater, TX

Median131252 cities

Texas175,443History

Top 40 cities, 2015

count. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

Rank	Cities	2015 count	Change on 2014
1	Houston, TX Estimated	15,216	-25.1%
2	Dallas, TX Estimated	13,085	+66.6%
3	Austin, TX Estimated	10,104	+7%
4	Fort Worth, TX Estimated	6,094	+2.9%
5	El Paso, TX Estimated	4,251	+51.9%
6	McKinney, TX Estimated	4,235	+89.3%
7	Frisco, TX Estimated	3,800	+19.2%
8	San Antonio, TX Estimated	2,993	-46.9%
9	Plano, TX Estimated	2,416	+19.8%
10	Conroe, TX Estimated	2,374	+113.7%
11	Laredo, TX Estimated	1,848	+7.5%
12	Pearland, TX Estimated	1,776	-14.5%
13	Lubbock, TX Estimated	1,771	-13.6%
14	Irving, TX Estimated	1,655	+6.6%
15	Richardson, TX Estimated	1,531	+144.2%
16	Leander, TX Estimated	1,420	+31.6%
17	Round Rock, TX Estimated	1,419	+78%
18	Grand Prairie, TX Estimated	1,375	+131.9%
19	Little Elm, TX Estimated	1,354	+51.8%
20	Waco, TX Estimated	1,286	+3.3%
21	Georgetown, TX Estimated	1,279	-25.8%
22	College Station, TX Estimated	1,210	-21.2%
22	League City, TX Estimated	1,210	-10.9%
24	Denton, TX Estimated	1,153	+38.9%
25	Corpus Christi, TX Estimated	1,089	-53.5%
26	Farmers Branch, TX Estimated	1,061	+3,689.3%
27	Killeen, TX Estimated	1,060	+10.1%
28	McAllen, TX Estimated	1,038	+70.7%
29	Midland, TX Estimated	1,025	-34%
30	New Braunfels, TX Estimated	1,001	-33.5%
31	Prosper, TX Estimated	959	+72.2%
32	Kyle, TX Estimated	912	+21.4%
33	Cedar Park, TX Estimated	909	+42.3%
34	Pflugerville, TX Estimated	851	-2.5%
35	Arlington, TX Estimated	821	-5.6%
36	Amarillo, TX Estimated	804	-5.7%
37	Flower Mound, TX Estimated	801	+125.6%
38	Allen, TX Estimated	796	-40.3%
39	Fulshear, TX Estimated	783	+32.9%
40	Rowlett, TX Estimated	773	+37.5%
41	Odessa, TX Estimated	612	+10.1%
42	Schertz, TX Estimated	575	+92.3%
43	Brownsville, TX Estimated	565	-7.2%
44	Temple, TX Estimated	554	-10.9%
45	Edinburg, TX Estimated	552	+11.5%
46	Abilene, TX Estimated	531	+91%
47	Wylie, TX Estimated	523	+108.4%
48	Pharr, TX Estimated	431	+18.4%
49	Midlothian, TX Estimated	414	+48.9%
50	Cibolo, TX Estimated	412	+8.7%
51	Ingleside, TX Estimated	410	+1,313.8%
52	Forney, TX Estimated	409	+203%
53	Bryan, TX Estimated	406	+61.8%
54	Burleson, TX Estimated	405	-31.7%
55	Rosenberg, TX Estimated	403	+18.9%
56	Buda, TX Estimated	398	-46.2%
57	Lewisville, TX Estimated	395	+96.5%
58	Rockwall, TX Estimated	388	+45.9%
59	Melissa, TX Estimated	375	+52.4%
60	Waxahachie, TX Estimated	347	+10.5%
61	Carrollton, TX Estimated	345	-78.2%
62	Katy, TX Estimated	340	+85.8%
62	Selma, TX Estimated	340	+70.9%
64	Manvel, TX Estimated	336	+8.4%
65	Weslaco, TX Estimated	333	+67.3%
66	Alton, TX Estimated	331	+372.9%
67	Seguin, TX Estimated	325	+273.6%
68	Mansfield, TX Estimated	320	-39.8%
69	Hutto, TX Estimated	309	-28%
69	Tyler, TX Estimated	309	+10.4%
71	Mission, TX Estimated	302	+1%
72	Pasadena, TX Estimated	298	+282.1%
73	The Colony, TX Estimated	292	+279.2%
74	San Marcos, TX Estimated	277	+14%
75	Missouri City, TX Estimated	276	-64.8%
76	DeSoto, TX Estimated	274	+67.1%
77	Southlake, TX Estimated	273	+35.1%
78	Lakeway, TX Estimated	267	+9.4%
79	Beaumont, TX Estimated	261	-26.3%
80	Sachse, TX Estimated	260	-7.1%
81	Portland, TX Estimated	252	+165.3%
81	Princeton, TX Estimated	252	-13.7%
83	Anna, TX Estimated	242	-18.2%
84	Dripping Springs, TX Estimated	238	+190.2%
85	San Angelo, TX Estimated	236	-62.5%
86	Manor, TX Estimated	229	+6%
87	Royse City, TX Estimated	227	-2.6%
88	Keller, TX Estimated	218	-58.6%
88	Stephenville, TX Estimated	218	+156.5%
90	Fate, TX Estimated	216	-23.7%
91	Harker Heights, TX Estimated	215	+5.9%
92	La Marque, TX Estimated	213	+47.9%
93	Copperas Cove, TX Estimated	212	+86%
94	Weatherford, TX Estimated	205	+5.1%
95	Coppell, TX Estimated	203	+72%
96	Colleyville, TX Estimated	196	+79.8%
97	Texarkana, TX Estimated	193	+135.4%
98	Baytown, TX Estimated	190	0%
98	Boerne, TX Estimated	190	-21.5%
100	Mesquite, TX Estimated	182	+911.1%
101	Galveston, TX Estimated	179	-35.8%
101	Longview, TX Estimated	179	-23.8%
103	Highland Village, TX Estimated	178	+888.9%
103	Roanoke, TX Estimated	178	+13.4%
105	Texas City, TX Estimated	177	-51.4%
106	Alvin, TX Estimated	175	+32.6%
107	Euless, TX Estimated	166	+59.6%
108	Garland, TX Estimated	162	-50.8%
108	Red Oak, TX Estimated	162	+20%
110	Trophy Club, TX Estimated	158	-7.1%
111	Lancaster, TX Estimated	155	+74.2%
112	Fair Oaks Ranch, TX Estimated	154	+8.5%
112	University Park, TX Estimated	154	+22.2%
114	Port Arthur, TX Estimated	153	-64.4%
115	Friendswood, TX Estimated	152	-19.6%
115	North Richland Hills, TX Estimated	152	+60%
117	Converse, TX Estimated	151	-34.3%
118	Sugar Land, TX Estimated	143	-66.7%
119	Harlingen, TX Estimated	142	+15.4%
119	Mount Pleasant, TX Estimated	142	+545.5%
121	Mont Belvieu, TX Estimated	137	-6.2%
122	Victoria, TX Estimated	136	-83.7%
123	Celina, TX Estimated	135	-32.5%
124	Sherman, TX Estimated	134	+12.6%
125	Azle, TX Estimated	133	+209.3%
126	Brenham, TX Estimated	131	+54.1%
127	Socorro, TX Estimated	130	-19.3%
128	Granbury, TX Estimated	129	+19.4%
129	Saginaw, TX Estimated	124	+61%
130	Glenn Heights, TX Estimated	119	+417.4%
131	Seagoville, TX Estimated	117	+160%
132	Providence Village, TX Estimated	115	+0.9%
133	Grapevine, TX Estimated	113	-7.4%
134	Benbrook, TX Estimated	106	+120.8%
135	San Juan, TX Estimated	104	-5.5%
136	Cedar Hill, TX Estimated	99	-6.6%
137	Deer Park, TX Estimated	98	+66.1%
137	Sanger, TX Estimated	98	+157.9%
139	Live Oak, TX Estimated	97	+470.6%
140	Big Spring, TX Estimated	95	+187.9%
140	Eagle Pass, TX Estimated	95	-4%
142	Liberty Hill, TX Estimated	93	-34%
143	Bellaire, TX Estimated	92	-23.3%
144	Northlake, TX Estimated	91	-46.8%
145	Raymondville, TX Estimated	89	+64.8%
146	Rockport, TX Estimated	88	+1.1%
147	La Porte, TX Estimated	87	+40.3%
148	Belton, TX Estimated	85	-9.6%
149	Heath, TX Estimated	81	+15.7%
150	Lumberton, TX Estimated	80	-10.1%
151	Lavon, TX Estimated	79	-20.2%
152	Elgin, TX Estimated	77	-8.3%
153	Josephine, TX Estimated	74	+640%
154	Clute, TX Estimated	71	+136.7%
155	Horizon City, TX Estimated	68	+106.1%
156	Universal City, TX Estimated	67	+857.1%
157	Lago Vista, TX Estimated	66	+43.5%
158	Tomball, TX Estimated	65	-39.3%
159	Kerrville, TX Estimated	63	-30.8%
160	Canyon, TX Estimated	61	+1.7%
160	Denison, TX Estimated	61	+454.5%
160	Nederland, TX Estimated	61	+29.8%
163	Hidalgo, TX Estimated	59	+5.4%
164	Greenville, TX Estimated	58	+23.4%
164	San Benito, TX Estimated	58	+20.8%
164	Wichita Falls, TX Estimated	58	-52.5%
167	West University Place, TX Estimated	57	-14.9%
168	Kingsville, TX Estimated	55	+52.8%
169	Del Rio, TX Estimated	53	-15.9%
170	Cleburne, TX Estimated	52	+67.7%
171	Huntsville, TX Estimated	51	-77%
172	Hewitt, TX Estimated	50	+6.4%
173	Kennedale, TX Estimated	49	-50.5%
174	Borger, TX Estimated	48	n/a
174	Terrell, TX Estimated	48	+41.2%
176	Alamo, TX Estimated	43	-27.1%
176	Lockhart, TX Estimated	43	-46.3%
178	Bellmead, TX Estimated	42	+23.5%
178	Donna, TX Estimated	42	+27.3%
178	Santa Fe, TX Estimated	42	-17.6%
181	Corinth, TX Estimated	41	+78.3%
181	Fredericksburg, TX Estimated	41	+5.1%
183	Gatesville, TX Estimated	38	+18.8%
184	Bay City, TX Estimated	36	-76%
184	White Settlement, TX Estimated	36	+2.9%
186	Mercedes, TX Estimated	35	+29.6%
187	Angleton, TX Estimated	34	+36%
187	Bastrop, TX Estimated	34	-56.4%
187	Crowley, TX Estimated	34	-46.9%
187	Dickinson, TX Estimated	34	-59.5%
191	Lufkin, TX Estimated	33	-41.1%
191	Murphy, TX Estimated	33	-64.9%
193	Paris, TX Estimated	32	+14.3%
193	Taylor, TX Estimated	32	-3%
195	Port Neches, TX Estimated	31	+63.2%
196	Orange, TX Estimated	30	-87.7%
197	Bedford, TX Estimated	29	-3.3%
198	Seabrook, TX Estimated	28	-93.5%
198	Uvalde, TX Estimated	28	+115.4%
200	Gainesville, TX Estimated	27	+50%
201	Pleasanton, TX Estimated	26	-21.2%
202	Lake Jackson, TX Estimated	25	+212.5%
202	Robinson, TX Estimated	25	-39%
204	Ennis, TX Estimated	24	-11.1%
204	Helotes, TX Estimated	24	-38.5%
206	Andrews, TX Estimated	22	-85.8%
207	Nacogdoches, TX Estimated	21	-69.1%
207	Palmview, TX Estimated	21	+16.7%
209	Fairview, TX Estimated	20	-39.4%
209	South Houston, TX Estimated	20	+53.8%
211	Groves, TX Estimated	19	+72.7%
212	Webster, TX Estimated	18	-18.2%
213	Balch Springs, TX Estimated	17	+54.5%
213	Corsicana, TX Estimated	17	+54.5%
215	Dayton, TX Estimated	16	0%
215	Duncanville, TX Estimated	16	+14.3%
215	Sulphur Springs, TX Estimated	16	+100%
218	Iowa Colony, TX Estimated	15	+25%
219	Bonham, TX Estimated	14	-33.3%
219	Dumas, TX Estimated	14	+7.7%
219	Kaufman, TX Estimated	14	+1,300%
219	Stafford, TX Estimated	14	-56.3%
223	Henderson, TX Estimated	13	+333.3%
223	Marshall, TX Estimated	13	-27.8%
225	Alice, TX Estimated	12	-50%
225	Hurst, TX Estimated	12	-20%
227	Burkburnett, TX Estimated	11	-8.3%
227	El Campo, TX Estimated	11	+83.3%
227	Freeport, TX Estimated	11	+83.3%
227	Humble, TX Estimated	11	-64.5%
231	Athens, TX Estimated	10	+150%
231	Hereford, TX Estimated	10	0%
231	Leon Valley, TX Estimated	10	+11.1%
234	Forest Hill, TX Estimated	9	+200%
235	Brownwood, TX Estimated	8	-50%
235	Haltom City, TX Estimated	8	+100%
237	Beeville, TX Estimated	7	-36.4%
237	Kilgore, TX Estimated	7	-68.2%
237	Mineral Wells, TX Estimated	7	+40%
240	Richmond, TX Estimated	6	-78.6%
240	Snyder, TX Estimated	6	-25%
242	Galena Park, TX Estimated	5	0%
242	Plainview, TX Estimated	5	+66.7%
242	Port Lavaca, TX Estimated	5	-68.8%
245	Jacksonville, TX Estimated	3	0%
245	Palestine, TX Estimated	3	+50%
247	Levelland, TX Estimated	2	-84.6%
247	Pampa, TX Estimated	2	-33.3%
247	Watauga, TX Estimated	2	-66.7%
250	Addison, TX Estimated	0	-100%

Showing the top 250 of 252. The Excel download has every row.

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. 1 cities with data in other periods have no value for 2015 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/so2015a.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. (2016). Building Permits Survey: final annual estimates of new privately owned housing units authorized by permit-issuing place, including imputation (Cities in Texas by housing units authorized by building permits, 2015) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/South%20Region/so2015a.txt

MLA 9

Building Permits Survey: final annual estimates of new privately owned housing units authorized by permit-issuing place, including imputation, Cities in Texas by housing units authorized by building permits, 2015. U.S. Census Bureau, 30 Sept. 2016, https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/South%20Region/so2015a.txt. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/building-permit-housing-units/texas-cities?period=2015. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Census Bureau. 2016. Building Permits Survey: final annual estimates of new privately owned housing units authorized by permit-issuing place, including imputation. Cities in Texas by housing units authorized by building permits, 2015. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/South%20Region/so2015a.txt. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/building-permit-housing-units/texas-cities?period=2015.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2016) Building Permits Survey: final annual estimates of new privately owned housing units authorized by permit-issuing place, including imputation, Cities in Texas by housing units authorized by building permits, 2015 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/South%20Region/so2015a.txt, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/building-permit-housing-units/texas-cities?period=2015 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX

@misc{census_cities_in_texas_by_2015,
  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 Texas by housing units authorized by building permits, 2015}},
  year = {2016},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/South%20Region/so2015a.txt},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/building-permit-housing-units/texas-cities?period=2015. 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/so2015a.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 Texas by housing units authorized by building permits, 2015
PY  - 2016
DA  - 2016/09/30
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/South%20Region/so2015a.txt
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/building-permit-housing-units/texas-cities?period=2015
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/building-permit-housing-units/texas-cities?period=2015.
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/so2015a.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -

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rank_places {"indicator":"building_permit_units","level":"municipality","within":"Texas","limit":10}
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Questions

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

Houston, TX, with 15,216 in 2015, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

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

Sweetwater, TX, with 0 in 2015.

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. 1 cities have no value for 2015 and are not ranked.