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 2020, at 17,690. Watauga, TX had the lowest, at 1. The median was 189 and the figure for Texas was 230,503. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest17,690Austin, TX

Lowest1Watauga, TX

Median189252 cities

Texas230,503History

Top 40 cities, 2020

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

Full ranking

Rank	Cities	2020 count	Change on 2019
1	Austin, TX Estimated	17,690	+20.3%
2	Houston, TX Estimated	16,585	+7.3%
3	Fort Worth, TX Estimated	9,568	-15.6%
4	San Antonio, TX Estimated	9,225	+0.3%
5	Dallas, TX Estimated	3,691	-54.4%
6	Lubbock, TX Estimated	3,600	+72.6%
7	Georgetown, TX Estimated	3,295	+58%
8	Frisco, TX Estimated	3,179	+4.5%
9	Denton, TX Estimated	2,860	+52%
10	New Braunfels, TX Estimated	2,783	+60.2%
11	Fulshear, TX Estimated	2,517	+100.9%
12	Leander, TX Estimated	2,302	+2.8%
12	McKinney, TX Estimated	2,302	-27.9%
14	Kyle, TX Estimated	2,042	+128.9%
15	Celina, TX Estimated	2,033	+64.2%
16	Conroe, TX Estimated	1,939	-13.1%
17	El Paso, TX Estimated	1,762	-22.9%
18	Manor, TX Estimated	1,597	+131.4%
19	Little Elm, TX Estimated	1,498	+55.7%
20	Grand Prairie, TX Estimated	1,458	+22.9%
21	Arlington, TX Estimated	1,447	-12.9%
21	Laredo, TX Estimated	1,447	-9.7%
23	Burleson, TX Estimated	1,381	+159.1%
24	Temple, TX Estimated	1,347	+33.9%
25	Pflugerville, TX Estimated	1,333	+53.7%
26	Killeen, TX Estimated	1,314	+53.1%
27	Midland, TX Estimated	1,289	-0.1%
28	Liberty Hill, TX Estimated	1,260	+462.5%
29	Edinburg, TX Estimated	1,207	+23.8%
30	Corpus Christi, TX Estimated	1,190	+10.8%
31	Odessa, TX Estimated	1,188	-33.3%
32	College Station, TX Estimated	1,165	+88.8%
33	Texas City, TX Estimated	1,126	+38.3%
34	Prosper, TX Estimated	1,115	+31.6%
35	Round Rock, TX Estimated	1,105	+9.4%
36	McAllen, TX Estimated	1,096	+26.7%
37	Plano, TX Estimated	976	-27.4%
38	Brownsville, TX Estimated	970	+3.5%
39	Anna, TX Estimated	960	+50.7%
40	Weatherford, TX Estimated	877	+226%
41	Melissa, TX Estimated	857	+53%
42	Hutto, TX Estimated	851	+59.7%
43	League City, TX Estimated	847	+14.2%
44	Amarillo, TX Estimated	845	+79%
44	Mansfield, TX Estimated	845	+81.3%
46	Waco, TX Estimated	836	-10.9%
47	Fate, TX Estimated	835	+53.5%
48	Princeton, TX Estimated	823	+26.6%
49	Iowa Colony, TX Estimated	796	+30.3%
50	Seguin, TX Estimated	792	+360.5%
51	Royse City, TX Estimated	785	+223%
52	Irving, TX Estimated	784	-60.5%
53	Manvel, TX Estimated	774	+66.5%
54	Bryan, TX Estimated	772	+8.9%
54	Josephine, TX Estimated	772	+362.3%
54	Waxahachie, TX Estimated	772	+13%
57	Rockwall, TX Estimated	763	+39.7%
58	Sachse, TX Estimated	759	+1,586.7%
59	Forney, TX Estimated	755	+145.1%
60	Rowlett, TX Estimated	698	+11.1%
61	San Angelo, TX Estimated	686	+142.4%
62	Northlake, TX Estimated	639	+22.6%
63	Abilene, TX Estimated	637	+82.5%
64	Missouri City, TX Estimated	634	+11.2%
65	San Marcos, TX Estimated	625	+8.3%
66	Rosenberg, TX Estimated	605	+21%
67	Brenham, TX Estimated	596	+983.6%
68	Port Arthur, TX Estimated	592	+81.6%
69	Socorro, TX Estimated	581	+19.1%
70	Katy, TX Estimated	576	-32.9%
71	La Porte, TX Estimated	549	+7.4%
72	Allen, TX Estimated	538	-56.3%
73	Pearland, TX Estimated	531	-18.4%
74	Wylie, TX Estimated	511	+19.4%
75	Greenville, TX Estimated	508	+109.9%
76	Midlothian, TX Estimated	496	+4.2%
77	Carrollton, TX Estimated	463	+32.7%
77	Tyler, TX Estimated	463	+11.3%
79	Lewisville, TX Estimated	444	-52.2%
80	Dripping Springs, TX Estimated	431	+33.4%
81	Flower Mound, TX Estimated	429	-23%
82	Crowley, TX Estimated	426	-10.9%
83	Glenn Heights, TX Estimated	423	+15.3%
84	Addison, TX Estimated	413	+109.6%
85	Sherman, TX Estimated	395	-29.5%
86	Garland, TX Estimated	389	-42.6%
87	Mission, TX Estimated	381	-1%
87	Schertz, TX Estimated	381	+22.9%
89	Ennis, TX Estimated	367	+389.3%
90	Cibolo, TX Estimated	360	-56.5%
91	Converse, TX Estimated	352	+59.3%
92	Tomball, TX Estimated	350	+257.1%
93	Richmond, TX Estimated	343	n/a
94	Red Oak, TX Estimated	341	+57.1%
95	Lago Vista, TX Estimated	330	+22.2%
96	Copperas Cove, TX Estimated	328	+98.8%
97	Lakeway, TX Estimated	327	+30.3%
98	Cleburne, TX Estimated	326	+28.3%
99	Grapevine, TX Estimated	322	-32.4%
100	North Richland Hills, TX Estimated	321	-66.5%
101	Boerne, TX Estimated	314	-14%
102	Harlingen, TX Estimated	309	-4.9%
103	Weslaco, TX Estimated	289	-66.2%
104	Alvin, TX Estimated	285	+31.3%
105	Baytown, TX Estimated	283	-9.3%
106	Denison, TX Estimated	279	+43.8%
107	Lavon, TX Estimated	274	+204.4%
108	Mesquite, TX Estimated	257	+301.6%
109	Beaumont, TX Estimated	247	+6.5%
110	DeSoto, TX Estimated	245	-2.4%
111	La Marque, TX Estimated	241	+24.2%
112	Mont Belvieu, TX Estimated	240	+5.7%
113	The Colony, TX Estimated	239	-17.9%
114	Granbury, TX Estimated	238	+158.7%
115	Galveston, TX Estimated	237	+49.1%
116	Bastrop, TX Estimated	232	+209.3%
117	Farmers Branch, TX Estimated	229	-85.5%
118	Longview, TX Estimated	225	+35.5%
119	Elgin, TX Estimated	221	+166.3%
120	Seagoville, TX Estimated	219	+1.9%
121	Cedar Park, TX Estimated	214	-35.5%
122	Horizon City, TX Estimated	210	-10.3%
123	Benbrook, TX Estimated	209	+254.2%
124	Alton, TX Estimated	199	-7%
125	Sanger, TX Estimated	195	+62.5%
126	Fair Oaks Ranch, TX Estimated	192	+71.4%
127	Huntsville, TX Estimated	185	-33.7%
128	Alamo, TX Estimated	183	-39.8%
129	Dickinson, TX Estimated	176	+74.3%
130	Palestine, TX Estimated	174	+12.3%
131	Canyon, TX Estimated	166	+78.5%
132	Buda, TX Estimated	160	-13%
133	Friendswood, TX Estimated	156	+105.3%
134	San Juan, TX Estimated	155	+2%
135	Lockhart, TX Estimated	154	+170.2%
135	Taylor, TX Estimated	154	+2.7%
137	Belton, TX Estimated	149	+1.4%
138	Sugar Land, TX Estimated	148	+19.4%
138	Wichita Falls, TX Estimated	148	+15.6%
140	Gatesville, TX Estimated	144	+476%
140	Pasadena, TX Estimated	144	-23.8%
142	Eagle Pass, TX Estimated	139	+51.1%
143	Heath, TX Estimated	136	+13.3%
144	Harker Heights, TX Estimated	134	-26.4%
145	Victoria, TX Estimated	132	-34.3%
146	Rockport, TX Estimated	131	-35.5%
147	Seabrook, TX Estimated	129	+330%
148	Haltom City, TX Estimated	123	+92.2%
149	Ingleside, TX Estimated	122	-45.8%
150	Lumberton, TX Estimated	121	-1.6%
151	Pharr, TX Estimated	118	-67.2%
152	Fairview, TX Estimated	113	+25.6%
153	Hurst, TX Estimated	112	+409.1%
154	Selma, TX Estimated	109	-85.5%
155	Cedar Hill, TX Estimated	101	-55.1%
156	Hidalgo, TX Estimated	99	+16.5%
157	Saginaw, TX Estimated	97	-63.4%
158	Portland, TX Estimated	90	+30.4%
159	Robinson, TX Estimated	89	+48.3%
160	Universal City, TX Estimated	88	+20.5%
161	Kerrville, TX Estimated	86	-3.4%
162	Colleyville, TX Estimated	84	-22.9%
162	University Park, TX Estimated	84	-10.6%
164	Angleton, TX Estimated	83	+22.1%
164	Hewitt, TX Estimated	83	+18.6%
166	Lufkin, TX Estimated	82	+46.4%
167	Keller, TX Estimated	79	-19.4%
168	Fredericksburg, TX Estimated	72	+5.9%
169	Azle, TX Estimated	71	-53.3%
169	Lancaster, TX Estimated	71	-68%
169	Roanoke, TX Estimated	71	-40.8%
172	Euless, TX Estimated	69	-82.1%
173	Mercedes, TX Estimated	68	+13.3%
174	Port Neches, TX Estimated	66	+26.9%
175	Del Rio, TX Estimated	64	-28.9%
175	Southlake, TX Estimated	64	-23.8%
177	Terrell, TX Estimated	63	+40%
178	Santa Fe, TX Estimated	62	+10.7%
178	Stephenville, TX Estimated	62	-81.5%
180	Bellaire, TX Estimated	61	-34.4%
181	Corsicana, TX Estimated	59	+22.9%
182	Live Oak, TX Estimated	57	-30.5%
183	Port Lavaca, TX Estimated	56	+75%
184	San Benito, TX Estimated	52	+8.3%
185	Donna, TX Estimated	48	+11.6%
185	Groves, TX Estimated	48	+33.3%
185	Mount Pleasant, TX Estimated	48	+41.2%
188	Texarkana, TX Estimated	47	+27%
189	Clute, TX Estimated	46	-24.6%
190	Helotes, TX Estimated	45	-57.5%
190	Richardson, TX Estimated	45	-85.7%
190	West University Place, TX Estimated	45	-27.4%
193	Kingsville, TX Estimated	44	+18.9%
194	Gainesville, TX Estimated	43	+10.3%
194	Providence Village, TX Estimated	43	+26.5%
194	White Settlement, TX Estimated	43	-20.4%
197	Big Spring, TX Estimated	42	+2.4%
197	Corinth, TX Estimated	42	+20%
199	Palmview, TX Estimated	39	+2.6%
199	Trophy Club, TX Estimated	39	+14.7%
201	Highland Village, TX Estimated	37	-21.3%
201	Murphy, TX Estimated	37	-50.7%
201	Robstown, TX Estimated	37	+54.2%
204	Lake Jackson, TX Estimated	35	-28.6%
205	Dayton, TX Estimated	34	-49.3%
206	Coppell, TX Estimated	33	-8.3%
206	Orange, TX Estimated	33	-17.5%
208	Beeville, TX Estimated	31	+82.4%
209	Bonham, TX Estimated	30	+42.9%
209	Kilgore, TX Estimated	30	+25%
211	Paris, TX Estimated	29	-64.6%
212	Kaufman, TX Estimated	28	-84.9%
213	Nederland, TX Estimated	27	-12.9%
214	Nacogdoches, TX Estimated	25	0%
215	Pleasanton, TX Estimated	24	0%
216	Bay City, TX Estimated	23	+35.3%
217	Burkburnett, TX Estimated	22	+10%
218	Athens, TX Estimated	21	+23.5%
219	Kennedale, TX Estimated	20	-4.8%
220	South Houston, TX Estimated	19	-77.4%
220	Uvalde, TX Estimated	19	-32.1%
222	Forest Hill, TX Estimated	18	-60%
223	Deer Park, TX Estimated	17	+41.7%
224	Andrews, TX Estimated	16	-90.5%
224	Freeport, TX Estimated	16	-20%
224	Marshall, TX Estimated	16	-36%
227	Brownwood, TX Estimated	13	+8.3%
228	El Campo, TX Estimated	11	-21.4%
228	Mineral Wells, TX Estimated	11	+10%
230	Alice, TX Estimated	10	+11.1%
230	Sulphur Springs, TX Estimated	10	-76.2%
232	Levelland, TX Estimated	9	0%
233	Raymondville, TX Estimated	8	+60%
234	Balch Springs, TX Estimated	7	-84.4%
234	Dumas, TX Estimated	7	-36.4%
236	Bellmead, TX Estimated	6	+100%
237	Duncanville, TX Estimated	5	+25%
237	Jacksonville, TX Estimated	5	0%
239	Humble, TX Estimated	4	+100%
239	Sweetwater, TX Estimated	4	+100%
241	Bedford, TX Estimated	3	+200%
241	Henderson, TX Estimated	3	n/a
241	Leon Valley, TX Estimated	3	0%
241	Snyder, TX Estimated	3	0%
241	Stafford, TX Estimated	3	-57.1%
241	Webster, TX Estimated	3	-88.5%
247	Galena Park, TX Estimated	2	+100%
247	Hereford, TX Estimated	2	0%
247	Plainview, TX Estimated	2	n/a
250	Borger, TX Estimated	1	n/a

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 2020 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/so2020a.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. (2021). 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, 2020) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/South%20Region/so2020a.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, 2020. U.S. Census Bureau, 3 May 2021, https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/South%20Region/so2020a.txt. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/building-permit-housing-units/texas-cities?period=2020. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Census Bureau. 2021. 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, 2020. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/South%20Region/so2020a.txt. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/building-permit-housing-units/texas-cities?period=2020.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2021) 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, 2020 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/South%20Region/so2020a.txt, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/building-permit-housing-units/texas-cities?period=2020 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX

@misc{census_cities_in_texas_by_2020,
  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, 2020}},
  year = {2021},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/South%20Region/so2020a.txt},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/building-permit-housing-units/texas-cities?period=2020. 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/so2020a.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, 2020
PY  - 2021
DA  - 2021/05/03
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/South%20Region/so2020a.txt
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/building-permit-housing-units/texas-cities?period=2020
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/building-permit-housing-units/texas-cities?period=2020.
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/so2020a.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 17,690 in 2020, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

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

Watauga, TX, with 1 in 2020.

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 2020 and are not ranked.