Cities in Texas by housing units authorized by building permits

Austin, TX had the highest housing units authorized by building permits of 252 cities in 2017, at 11,579. Pampa, TX had the lowest, at 0. The median was 142 and the figure for Texas was 175,112. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest11,579Austin, TX

Lowest0Pampa, TX

Median142252 cities

Texas175,112History

Top 40 cities, 2017

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

Full ranking

Rank	Cities	2017 count	Change on 2016
1	Austin, TX Estimated	11,579	+30.1%
2	Houston, TX Estimated	9,672	+1.8%
3	Fort Worth, TX Estimated	8,856	+19.5%
4	Dallas, TX Estimated	7,251	-29.9%
5	San Antonio, TX Estimated	6,200	-2.6%
6	Frisco, TX Estimated	4,277	-15.7%
7	McKinney, TX Estimated	4,001	+14.5%
8	El Paso, TX Estimated	2,917	+2.6%
9	Garland, TX Estimated	2,352	+124.4%
10	New Braunfels, TX Estimated	2,252	-0.2%
11	Lubbock, TX Estimated	2,230	-7.3%
12	Richardson, TX Estimated	2,080	+38.1%
13	College Station, TX Estimated	1,913	+0.7%
14	Leander, TX Estimated	1,878	+4%
15	Round Rock, TX Estimated	1,703	+126.8%
16	Irving, TX Estimated	1,672	+161.3%
17	Denton, TX Estimated	1,440	+65.3%
18	Georgetown, TX Estimated	1,421	+6.4%
19	Farmers Branch, TX Estimated	1,393	+65.2%
20	Laredo, TX Estimated	1,331	+14.9%
21	Rowlett, TX Estimated	1,318	+390%
22	Little Elm, TX Estimated	1,287	+19.1%
23	Edinburg, TX Estimated	1,235	+0.4%
24	Kyle, TX Estimated	1,221	+16.7%
25	Plano, TX Estimated	1,174	+44.8%
26	Killeen, TX Estimated	1,135	+40.1%
27	Bryan, TX Estimated	1,074	+23.6%
28	Allen, TX Estimated	1,034	+49.9%
29	Euless, TX Estimated	1,012	+447%
30	Forney, TX Estimated	992	+255.6%
31	Arlington, TX Estimated	970	-2.7%
32	Pearland, TX Estimated	943	-21.5%
33	Conroe, TX Estimated	935	-12.5%
34	Celina, TX Estimated	891	+46.5%
35	Carrollton, TX Estimated	889	-12.8%
36	League City, TX Estimated	776	-21.4%
37	Prosper, TX Estimated	774	+8.7%
38	Midland, TX Estimated	761	+13.2%
39	Fulshear, TX Estimated	756	-10.5%
40	Mansfield, TX Estimated	730	-12.9%
41	Corpus Christi, TX Estimated	708	-37.8%
42	Grand Prairie, TX Estimated	683	-15.4%
43	Midlothian, TX Estimated	676	+42.6%
44	Waxahachie, TX Estimated	658	+55.2%
45	Pflugerville, TX Estimated	657	-55.2%
46	Fate, TX Estimated	651	+84.4%
47	McAllen, TX Estimated	638	+2.4%
48	Temple, TX Estimated	635	+9.7%
49	Manor, TX Estimated	633	+71.1%
49	Rockwall, TX Estimated	633	+94.2%
51	Waco, TX Estimated	620	-59.3%
52	Manvel, TX Estimated	588	+37.7%
53	Princeton, TX Estimated	585	+152.2%
54	Brownsville, TX Estimated	581	+1.6%
55	Wylie, TX Estimated	572	+38.2%
56	Weslaco, TX Estimated	540	+137.9%
57	Lewisville, TX Estimated	514	-17.4%
58	Anna, TX Estimated	501	+126.7%
59	Odessa, TX Estimated	492	+9.8%
60	Amarillo, TX Estimated	487	-23.8%
61	Flower Mound, TX Estimated	467	-56.2%
62	Cibolo, TX Estimated	444	+17.8%
63	Schertz, TX Estimated	433	+64%
64	Cedar Park, TX Estimated	430	-54.5%
65	Roanoke, TX Estimated	420	+307.8%
66	San Marcos, TX Estimated	419	+19%
67	Katy, TX Estimated	417	+15.2%
68	Mission, TX Estimated	399	+11.1%
69	The Colony, TX Estimated	397	+100.5%
70	Texas City, TX Estimated	395	+110.1%
71	Addison, TX Estimated	389	+2,188.2%
72	Tyler, TX Estimated	361	-9.3%
73	Azle, TX Estimated	349	+89.7%
74	Seguin, TX Estimated	339	+34.5%
75	Melissa, TX Estimated	337	+46.5%
76	Boerne, TX Estimated	327	-38.6%
77	Dripping Springs, TX Estimated	317	+18.3%
78	Abilene, TX Estimated	313	+3.6%
79	Lakeway, TX Estimated	312	+11%
80	Huntsville, TX Estimated	304	+607%
81	Denison, TX Estimated	297	+0.7%
81	Hutto, TX Estimated	297	-19.1%
83	Seabrook, TX Estimated	293	+1,623.5%
84	Corinth, TX Estimated	289	+641%
85	Pharr, TX Estimated	285	-53.7%
86	Burleson, TX Estimated	279	-17.9%
87	Rosenberg, TX Estimated	276	-29.9%
88	Canyon, TX Estimated	274	+234.1%
89	Ennis, TX Estimated	250	+323.7%
90	Weatherford, TX Estimated	241	+15.3%
91	Baytown, TX Estimated	235	-19.8%
92	Brenham, TX Estimated	232	+176.2%
93	North Richland Hills, TX Estimated	226	-4.2%
94	Missouri City, TX Estimated	225	-38.7%
95	Liberty Hill, TX Estimated	219	+90.4%
96	Harlingen, TX Estimated	218	-0.5%
97	Socorro, TX Estimated	215	+172.2%
98	Saginaw, TX Estimated	209	+43.2%
99	Converse, TX Estimated	207	+20.3%
100	Galveston, TX Estimated	206	+33.8%
100	Lago Vista, TX Estimated	206	+79.1%
100	Stephenville, TX Estimated	206	-6.8%
103	Beaumont, TX Estimated	199	-37.8%
104	Northlake, TX Estimated	197	+20.9%
104	San Angelo, TX Estimated	197	+14.5%
104	Sherman, TX Estimated	197	+35.9%
107	Friendswood, TX Estimated	196	+13.3%
108	Royse City, TX Estimated	192	+9.1%
109	Belton, TX Estimated	181	-32.2%
110	Harker Heights, TX Estimated	179	-38.9%
111	Iowa Colony, TX Estimated	177	+941.2%
112	Hewitt, TX Estimated	166	+219.2%
113	Greenville, TX Estimated	162	+14.1%
114	Lancaster, TX Estimated	159	+18.7%
115	Sugar Land, TX Estimated	158	-69.2%
116	Southlake, TX Estimated	157	-21.1%
117	Alvin, TX Estimated	156	+97.5%
118	Brownwood, TX Estimated	155	+573.9%
119	DeSoto, TX Estimated	154	-36.1%
120	Mont Belvieu, TX Estimated	153	+21.4%
121	Buda, TX Estimated	152	-57.1%
122	San Juan, TX Estimated	147	+58.1%
123	Longview, TX Estimated	146	+14.1%
124	Fair Oaks Ranch, TX Estimated	144	-7.1%
125	Lavon, TX Estimated	143	+521.7%
125	Sanger, TX Estimated	143	+58.9%
127	Copperas Cove, TX Estimated	140	-6%
128	Colleyville, TX Estimated	137	-12.7%
129	Alton, TX Estimated	135	-11.2%
130	Kerrville, TX Estimated	134	+127.1%
131	Red Oak, TX Estimated	130	+62.5%
131	Sachse, TX Estimated	130	-52.2%
133	Heath, TX Estimated	129	-2.3%
134	Granbury, TX Estimated	127	+15.5%
134	Horizon City, TX Estimated	127	+25.7%
136	Lumberton, TX Estimated	116	+50.6%
137	Helotes, TX Estimated	114	+5.6%
138	Keller, TX Estimated	105	-23.9%
139	Selma, TX Estimated	103	-44%
140	Rockport, TX Estimated	101	+13.5%
141	Bastrop, TX Estimated	99	+5.3%
142	Portland, TX Estimated	98	-72.2%
143	Crowley, TX Estimated	96	+3.2%
144	Cleburne, TX Estimated	94	+84.3%
144	Wichita Falls, TX Estimated	94	-41.6%
146	Coppell, TX Estimated	91	-35.5%
147	Seagoville, TX Estimated	89	-36%
148	Duncanville, TX Estimated	84	+546.2%
149	Bellaire, TX Estimated	82	+34.4%
150	Hidalgo, TX Estimated	81	+26.6%
151	Benbrook, TX Estimated	80	-71.2%
152	Nederland, TX Estimated	79	+9.7%
153	Dayton, TX Estimated	76	+33.3%
154	Eagle Pass, TX Estimated	75	-1.3%
154	Lake Jackson, TX Estimated	75	+4.2%
156	University Park, TX Estimated	74	-23.7%
157	Kennedale, TX Estimated	73	-53.5%
158	Del Rio, TX Estimated	70	+11.1%
159	Glenn Heights, TX Estimated	69	-66.3%
160	Fairview, TX Estimated	68	-73.3%
161	Alamo, TX Estimated	67	+9.8%
161	Mesquite, TX Estimated	67	+97.1%
163	Balch Springs, TX Estimated	66	-17.5%
163	Universal City, TX Estimated	66	+73.7%
165	Providence Village, TX Estimated	61	+7%
166	La Marque, TX Estimated	58	-62.6%
166	Taylor, TX Estimated	58	+70.6%
168	Dickinson, TX Estimated	57	-24%
168	Victoria, TX Estimated	57	-8.1%
170	Webster, TX Estimated	56	+51.4%
171	Bellmead, TX Estimated	54	+17.4%
171	Cedar Hill, TX Estimated	54	-19.4%
171	Elgin, TX Estimated	54	-10%
171	Fredericksburg, TX Estimated	54	+10.2%
171	Tomball, TX Estimated	54	+80%
176	Mercedes, TX Estimated	53	-30.3%
176	Pasadena, TX Estimated	53	-47%
178	Deer Park, TX Estimated	51	-7.3%
178	Port Arthur, TX Estimated	51	-34.6%
180	Trophy Club, TX Estimated	49	-43.7%
181	La Porte, TX Estimated	48	-25%
182	Grapevine, TX Estimated	47	-93.9%
183	West University Place, TX Estimated	46	+21.1%
184	Bay City, TX Estimated	42	+40%
184	Robinson, TX Estimated	42	-14.3%
184	Santa Fe, TX Estimated	42	+5%
184	White Settlement, TX Estimated	42	-84.4%
188	Gainesville, TX Estimated	39	+21.9%
189	Clute, TX Estimated	38	-17.4%
190	Donna, TX Estimated	37	+19.4%
191	Gatesville, TX Estimated	36	+33.3%
191	Terrell, TX Estimated	36	-12.2%
193	Angleton, TX Estimated	35	-31.4%
193	Lockhart, TX Estimated	35	-69.6%
193	Lufkin, TX Estimated	35	-23.9%
196	Paris, TX Estimated	34	+13.3%
197	Bedford, TX Estimated	33	+153.8%
197	Freeport, TX Estimated	33	-32.7%
199	Texarkana, TX Estimated	32	0%
200	Kaufman, TX Estimated	29	+16%
200	Sulphur Springs, TX Estimated	29	+190%
202	Groves, TX Estimated	28	-15.2%
203	Athens, TX Estimated	27	n/a
204	Mount Pleasant, TX Estimated	26	+36.8%
205	Orange, TX Estimated	25	+31.6%
206	Palmview, TX Estimated	24	+41.2%
206	Port Neches, TX Estimated	24	-27.3%
206	South Houston, TX Estimated	24	+71.4%
209	Ingleside, TX Estimated	23	-20.7%
210	Big Spring, TX Estimated	22	+4.8%
210	Corsicana, TX Estimated	22	0%
210	Highland Village, TX Estimated	22	0%
210	Marshall, TX Estimated	22	-4.3%
210	Uvalde, TX Estimated	22	-4.3%
215	Kilgore, TX Estimated	21	+16.7%
215	Murphy, TX Estimated	21	-70.8%
217	Josephine, TX Estimated	20	-84%
218	Pleasanton, TX Estimated	19	+11.8%
219	Andrews, TX Estimated	18	+125%
220	Bonham, TX Estimated	17	-37%
221	Port Lavaca, TX Estimated	16	+77.8%
222	San Benito, TX Estimated	15	-76.2%
223	Humble, TX Estimated	13	-91.2%
223	Hurst, TX Estimated	13	-13.3%
225	Alice, TX Estimated	11	-8.3%
225	Forest Hill, TX Estimated	11	+10%
227	Palestine, TX Estimated	10	+11.1%
228	Burkburnett, TX Estimated	9	0%
229	Beeville, TX Estimated	8	+14.3%
229	El Campo, TX Estimated	8	-33.3%
229	Haltom City, TX Estimated	8	-50%
229	Leon Valley, TX Estimated	8	+60%
229	Snyder, TX Estimated	8	0%
234	Levelland, TX Estimated	6	0%
235	Kingsville, TX Estimated	5	-44.4%
236	Jacksonville, TX Estimated	4	0%
236	Mineral Wells, TX Estimated	4	-55.6%
236	Nacogdoches, TX Estimated	4	-85.7%
236	Stafford, TX Estimated	4	-89.5%
240	Dumas, TX Estimated	3	-66.7%
240	Plainview, TX Estimated	3	-25%
240	Sweetwater, TX Estimated	3	+200%
243	Henderson, TX Estimated	2	0%
243	Live Oak, TX Estimated	2	+100%
243	Raymondville, TX Estimated	2	0%
243	Robstown, TX Estimated	2	n/a
247	Hereford, TX Estimated	1	-90.9%
247	Richmond, TX Estimated	1	-75%
247	Watauga, TX Estimated	1	0%
250	Borger, 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 2017 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/so2017a.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. (2018). 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, 2017) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/South%20Region/so2017a.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, 2017. U.S. Census Bureau, 1 May 2018, https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/South%20Region/so2017a.txt. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/building-permit-housing-units/texas-cities?period=2017. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Census Bureau. 2018. 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, 2017. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/South%20Region/so2017a.txt. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/building-permit-housing-units/texas-cities?period=2017.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2018) 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, 2017 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/South%20Region/so2017a.txt, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/building-permit-housing-units/texas-cities?period=2017 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX

@misc{census_cities_in_texas_by_2017,
  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, 2017}},
  year = {2018},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/South%20Region/so2017a.txt},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/building-permit-housing-units/texas-cities?period=2017. 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/so2017a.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, 2017
PY  - 2018
DA  - 2018/05/01
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/South%20Region/so2017a.txt
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/building-permit-housing-units/texas-cities?period=2017
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/building-permit-housing-units/texas-cities?period=2017.
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/so2017a.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?

Austin, TX, with 11,579 in 2017, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

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

Pampa, TX, with 0 in 2017.

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 2017 and are not ranked.