Cities in Texas by housing units authorized by building permits

Dallas, TX had the highest housing units authorized by building permits of 252 cities in 2016, at 10,337. Robstown, TX had the lowest, at 0. The median was 127 and the figure for Texas was 165,853. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest10,337Dallas, TX

Lowest0Robstown, TX

Median127252 cities

Texas165,853History

Top 40 cities, 2016

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

Full ranking

Rank	Cities	2016 count	Change on 2015
1	Dallas, TX Estimated	10,337	-21%
2	Houston, TX Estimated	9,498	-37.6%
3	Austin, TX Estimated	8,903	-11.9%
4	Fort Worth, TX Estimated	7,408	+21.6%
5	San Antonio, TX Estimated	6,363	+112.6%
6	Frisco, TX Estimated	5,071	+33.4%
7	McKinney, TX Estimated	3,495	-17.5%
8	El Paso, TX Estimated	2,843	-33.1%
9	Lubbock, TX Estimated	2,406	+35.9%
10	New Braunfels, TX Estimated	2,256	+125.4%
11	College Station, TX Estimated	1,900	+57%
12	Leander, TX Estimated	1,806	+27.2%
13	Waco, TX Estimated	1,525	+18.6%
14	Richardson, TX Estimated	1,506	-1.6%
15	Pflugerville, TX Estimated	1,466	+72.3%
16	Georgetown, TX Estimated	1,336	+4.5%
17	Edinburg, TX Estimated	1,230	+122.8%
18	Pearland, TX Estimated	1,201	-32.4%
19	Laredo, TX Estimated	1,158	-37.3%
20	Corpus Christi, TX Estimated	1,138	+4.5%
21	Little Elm, TX Estimated	1,081	-20.2%
22	Conroe, TX Estimated	1,068	-55%
23	Flower Mound, TX Estimated	1,067	+33.2%
24	Garland, TX Estimated	1,048	+546.9%
25	Kyle, TX Estimated	1,046	+14.7%
26	Carrollton, TX Estimated	1,020	+195.7%
27	Arlington, TX Estimated	997	+21.4%
28	League City, TX Estimated	987	-18.4%
29	Cedar Park, TX Estimated	946	+4.1%
30	Denton, TX Estimated	871	-24.5%
31	Bryan, TX Estimated	869	+114%
32	Fulshear, TX Estimated	845	+7.9%
33	Farmers Branch, TX Estimated	843	-20.5%
34	Mansfield, TX Estimated	838	+161.9%
35	Plano, TX Estimated	811	-66.4%
36	Killeen, TX Estimated	810	-23.6%
37	Grand Prairie, TX Estimated	807	-41.3%
38	Grapevine, TX Estimated	770	+581.4%
39	Round Rock, TX Estimated	751	-47.1%
40	Prosper, TX Estimated	712	-25.8%
41	Allen, TX Estimated	690	-13.3%
42	Midland, TX Estimated	672	-34.4%
43	Irving, TX Estimated	640	-61.3%
44	Amarillo, TX Estimated	639	-20.5%
45	McAllen, TX Estimated	623	-40%
46	Lewisville, TX Estimated	622	+57.5%
47	Pharr, TX Estimated	616	+42.9%
48	Celina, TX Estimated	608	+350.4%
49	Temple, TX Estimated	579	+4.5%
50	Brownsville, TX Estimated	572	+1.2%
51	Boerne, TX Estimated	533	+180.5%
52	Sugar Land, TX Estimated	513	+258.7%
53	Midlothian, TX Estimated	474	+14.5%
54	Odessa, TX Estimated	448	-26.8%
55	Manvel, TX Estimated	427	+27.1%
56	Waxahachie, TX Estimated	424	+22.2%
57	Wylie, TX Estimated	414	-20.8%
58	Tyler, TX Estimated	398	+28.8%
59	Rosenberg, TX Estimated	394	-2.2%
60	Cibolo, TX Estimated	377	-8.5%
61	Manor, TX Estimated	370	+61.6%
62	Hutto, TX Estimated	367	+18.8%
62	Missouri City, TX Estimated	367	+33%
64	Katy, TX Estimated	362	+6.5%
65	Mission, TX Estimated	359	+18.9%
66	Buda, TX Estimated	354	-11.1%
67	Fate, TX Estimated	353	+63.4%
68	Portland, TX Estimated	352	+39.7%
68	San Marcos, TX Estimated	352	+27.1%
70	Burleson, TX Estimated	340	-16%
71	Rockwall, TX Estimated	326	-16%
72	Beaumont, TX Estimated	320	+22.6%
73	Abilene, TX Estimated	302	-43.1%
74	Denison, TX Estimated	295	+383.6%
75	Baytown, TX Estimated	293	+54.2%
75	Harker Heights, TX Estimated	293	+36.3%
77	Lakeway, TX Estimated	281	+5.2%
78	Forney, TX Estimated	279	-31.8%
79	Benbrook, TX Estimated	278	+162.3%
80	Sachse, TX Estimated	272	+4.6%
81	Rowlett, TX Estimated	269	-65.2%
81	White Settlement, TX Estimated	269	+647.2%
83	Dripping Springs, TX Estimated	268	+12.6%
84	Belton, TX Estimated	267	+214.1%
85	Schertz, TX Estimated	264	-54.1%
86	Fairview, TX Estimated	255	+1,175%
87	Seguin, TX Estimated	252	-22.5%
88	DeSoto, TX Estimated	241	-12%
89	North Richland Hills, TX Estimated	236	+55.3%
90	Princeton, TX Estimated	232	-7.9%
91	Melissa, TX Estimated	230	-38.7%
92	Weslaco, TX Estimated	227	-31.8%
93	Anna, TX Estimated	221	-8.7%
93	Stephenville, TX Estimated	221	+1.4%
95	Harlingen, TX Estimated	219	+54.2%
96	Weatherford, TX Estimated	209	+2%
97	Glenn Heights, TX Estimated	205	+72.3%
98	Southlake, TX Estimated	199	-27.1%
99	The Colony, TX Estimated	198	-32.2%
100	Texas City, TX Estimated	188	+6.2%
101	Euless, TX Estimated	185	+11.4%
102	Azle, TX Estimated	184	+38.3%
102	Selma, TX Estimated	184	-45.9%
104	Royse City, TX Estimated	176	-22.5%
105	Friendswood, TX Estimated	173	+13.8%
106	Converse, TX Estimated	172	+13.9%
106	San Angelo, TX Estimated	172	-27.1%
108	Northlake, TX Estimated	163	+79.1%
109	Wichita Falls, TX Estimated	161	+177.6%
110	Colleyville, TX Estimated	157	-19.9%
110	Kennedale, TX Estimated	157	+220.4%
112	Fair Oaks Ranch, TX Estimated	155	+0.6%
112	La Marque, TX Estimated	155	-27.2%
114	Galveston, TX Estimated	154	-14%
115	Alton, TX Estimated	152	-54.1%
116	Copperas Cove, TX Estimated	149	-29.7%
117	Humble, TX Estimated	148	+1,245.5%
118	Saginaw, TX Estimated	146	+17.7%
119	Sherman, TX Estimated	145	+8.2%
120	Greenville, TX Estimated	142	+144.8%
121	Coppell, TX Estimated	141	-30.5%
122	Seagoville, TX Estimated	139	+18.8%
123	Keller, TX Estimated	138	-36.7%
124	Lancaster, TX Estimated	134	-13.5%
125	Heath, TX Estimated	132	+63%
126	Longview, TX Estimated	128	-28.5%
127	Mont Belvieu, TX Estimated	126	-8%
128	Josephine, TX Estimated	125	+68.9%
129	Lago Vista, TX Estimated	115	+74.2%
129	Liberty Hill, TX Estimated	115	+23.7%
129	Lockhart, TX Estimated	115	+167.4%
132	Granbury, TX Estimated	110	-14.7%
133	Helotes, TX Estimated	108	+350%
134	Roanoke, TX Estimated	103	-42.1%
135	Horizon City, TX Estimated	101	+48.5%
136	Pasadena, TX Estimated	100	-66.4%
137	University Park, TX Estimated	97	-37%
138	Bastrop, TX Estimated	94	+176.5%
139	Crowley, TX Estimated	93	+173.5%
139	San Juan, TX Estimated	93	-10.6%
141	Sanger, TX Estimated	90	-8.2%
142	Rockport, TX Estimated	89	+1.1%
143	Trophy Club, TX Estimated	87	-44.9%
144	Brenham, TX Estimated	84	-35.9%
145	Canyon, TX Estimated	82	+34.4%
146	Balch Springs, TX Estimated	80	+370.6%
146	Red Oak, TX Estimated	80	-50.6%
148	Alvin, TX Estimated	79	-54.9%
148	Socorro, TX Estimated	79	-39.2%
150	Port Arthur, TX Estimated	78	-49%
151	Lumberton, TX Estimated	77	-3.8%
152	Eagle Pass, TX Estimated	76	-20%
152	Mercedes, TX Estimated	76	+117.1%
154	Dickinson, TX Estimated	75	+120.6%
155	Lake Jackson, TX Estimated	72	+188%
155	Murphy, TX Estimated	72	+118.2%
155	Nederland, TX Estimated	72	+18%
158	Cedar Hill, TX Estimated	67	-32.3%
159	Hidalgo, TX Estimated	64	+8.5%
159	La Porte, TX Estimated	64	-26.4%
161	Del Rio, TX Estimated	63	+18.9%
161	San Benito, TX Estimated	63	+8.6%
163	Victoria, TX Estimated	62	-54.4%
164	Alamo, TX Estimated	61	+41.9%
164	Bellaire, TX Estimated	61	-33.7%
166	Elgin, TX Estimated	60	-22.1%
167	Ennis, TX Estimated	59	+145.8%
167	Kerrville, TX Estimated	59	-6.3%
169	Dayton, TX Estimated	57	+256.3%
169	Providence Village, TX Estimated	57	-50.4%
171	Deer Park, TX Estimated	55	-43.9%
172	Hewitt, TX Estimated	52	+4%
173	Angleton, TX Estimated	51	+50%
173	Cleburne, TX Estimated	51	-1.9%
175	Borger, TX Estimated	49	+2.1%
175	Fredericksburg, TX Estimated	49	+19.5%
175	Freeport, TX Estimated	49	+345.5%
175	Robinson, TX Estimated	49	+96%
179	Bellmead, TX Estimated	46	+9.5%
179	Clute, TX Estimated	46	-35.2%
179	Lufkin, TX Estimated	46	+39.4%
182	Huntsville, TX Estimated	43	-15.7%
183	Terrell, TX Estimated	41	-14.6%
184	Santa Fe, TX Estimated	40	-4.8%
185	Corinth, TX Estimated	39	-4.9%
186	Stafford, TX Estimated	38	+171.4%
186	Universal City, TX Estimated	38	-43.3%
186	West University Place, TX Estimated	38	-33.3%
189	Webster, TX Estimated	37	+105.6%
190	Mesquite, TX Estimated	34	-81.3%
190	Taylor, TX Estimated	34	+6.3%
192	Groves, TX Estimated	33	+73.7%
192	Port Neches, TX Estimated	33	+6.5%
194	Gainesville, TX Estimated	32	+18.5%
194	Texarkana, TX Estimated	32	-83.4%
196	Donna, TX Estimated	31	-26.2%
197	Bay City, TX Estimated	30	-16.7%
197	Paris, TX Estimated	30	-6.3%
197	Tomball, TX Estimated	30	-53.8%
200	Ingleside, TX Estimated	29	-92.9%
201	Nacogdoches, TX Estimated	28	+33.3%
202	Bonham, TX Estimated	27	+92.9%
202	Gatesville, TX Estimated	27	-28.9%
204	Kaufman, TX Estimated	25	+78.6%
205	Brownwood, TX Estimated	23	+187.5%
205	Lavon, TX Estimated	23	-70.9%
205	Marshall, TX Estimated	23	+76.9%
205	Uvalde, TX Estimated	23	-17.9%
209	Corsicana, TX Estimated	22	+29.4%
209	Highland Village, TX Estimated	22	-87.6%
211	Big Spring, TX Estimated	21	-77.9%
212	Mount Pleasant, TX Estimated	19	-86.6%
212	Orange, TX Estimated	19	-36.7%
214	Kilgore, TX Estimated	18	+157.1%
215	Addison, TX Estimated	17	n/a
215	Iowa Colony, TX Estimated	17	+13.3%
215	Palmview, TX Estimated	17	-19%
215	Pleasanton, TX Estimated	17	-34.6%
215	Seabrook, TX Estimated	17	-39.3%
220	Haltom City, TX Estimated	16	+100%
221	Hurst, TX Estimated	15	+25%
222	South Houston, TX Estimated	14	-30%
223	Bedford, TX Estimated	13	-55.2%
223	Duncanville, TX Estimated	13	-18.8%
225	Alice, TX Estimated	12	0%
225	El Campo, TX Estimated	12	+9.1%
227	Hereford, TX Estimated	11	+10%
228	Forest Hill, TX Estimated	10	+11.1%
228	Sulphur Springs, TX Estimated	10	-37.5%
230	Burkburnett, TX Estimated	9	-18.2%
230	Dumas, TX Estimated	9	-35.7%
230	Kingsville, TX Estimated	9	-83.6%
230	Mineral Wells, TX Estimated	9	+28.6%
230	Palestine, TX Estimated	9	+200%
230	Port Lavaca, TX Estimated	9	+80%
236	Andrews, TX Estimated	8	-63.6%
236	Snyder, TX Estimated	8	+33.3%
238	Beeville, TX Estimated	7	0%
239	Levelland, TX Estimated	6	+200%
240	Leon Valley, TX Estimated	5	-50%
241	Jacksonville, TX Estimated	4	+33.3%
241	Plainview, TX Estimated	4	-20%
241	Richmond, TX Estimated	4	-33.3%
244	Galena Park, TX Estimated	3	-40%
245	Henderson, TX Estimated	2	-84.6%
245	Raymondville, TX Estimated	2	-97.8%
247	Live Oak, TX Estimated	1	-99%
247	Sweetwater, TX Estimated	1	n/a
247	Watauga, TX Estimated	1	-50%
250	Athens, 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 2016 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/so2016a.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. (2017). 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, 2016) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/South%20Region/so2016a.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, 2016. U.S. Census Bureau, 1 May 2017, https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/South%20Region/so2016a.txt. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/building-permit-housing-units/texas-cities?period=2016. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Census Bureau. 2017. 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, 2016. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/South%20Region/so2016a.txt. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/building-permit-housing-units/texas-cities?period=2016.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2017) 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, 2016 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/South%20Region/so2016a.txt, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/building-permit-housing-units/texas-cities?period=2016 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX

@misc{census_cities_in_texas_by_2016,
  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, 2016}},
  year = {2017},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/South%20Region/so2016a.txt},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/building-permit-housing-units/texas-cities?period=2016. 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/so2016a.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, 2016
PY  - 2017
DA  - 2017/05/01
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/South%20Region/so2016a.txt
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/building-permit-housing-units/texas-cities?period=2016
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/building-permit-housing-units/texas-cities?period=2016.
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/so2016a.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?

Dallas, TX, with 10,337 in 2016, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

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

Robstown, TX, with 0 in 2016.

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 2016 and are not ranked.