Data / Rankings / Housing units authorized by building permits / Counties in Texas

Counties in Texas by housing units authorized by building permits

Harris County had the highest housing units authorized by building permits of 223 counties in 2024, at 29,936. Wheeler County had the lowest, at 0. The median was 24. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest29,936Harris County
Lowest0Wheeler County
Median24223 counties

Top 40 counties, 2024

CSVChart (SVG)

Harris CountyHarris County: 29,936 count29,936Tarrant CountyTarrant County: 18,858 count18,858Collin CountyCollin County: 18,813 count18,813Travis CountyTravis County: 16,990 count16,990Montgomery CountyMontgomery County: 13,246 count13,246Dallas CountyDallas County: 12,711 count12,711Fort Bend CountyFort Bend County: 12,017 count12,017Denton CountyDenton County: 10,507 count10,507Bexar CountyBexar County: 8,349 count8,349Williamson CountyWilliamson County: 7,529 count7,529Hidalgo CountyHidalgo County: 7,292 count7,292Hays CountyHays County: 5,405 count5,405Brazoria CountyBrazoria County: 3,963 count3,963Comal CountyComal County: 3,430 count3,430Bell CountyBell County: 3,243 count3,243Galveston CountyGalveston County: 3,148 count3,148Ellis CountyEllis County: 2,972 count2,972Cameron CountyCameron County: 2,347 count2,347El Paso CountyEl Paso County: 2,320 count2,320Brazos CountyBrazos County: 2,211 count2,211Lubbock CountyLubbock County: 2,209 count2,209Johnson CountyJohnson County: 2,183 count2,183Grayson CountyGrayson County: 2,142 count2,142Guadalupe CountyGuadalupe County: 2,062 count2,062Bastrop CountyBastrop County: 1,841 count1,841Rockwall CountyRockwall County: 1,810 count1,810Kaufman CountyKaufman County: 1,745 count1,745Nueces CountyNueces County: 1,645 count1,645Midland CountyMidland County: 1,504 count1,504Webb CountyWebb County: 1,448 count1,448Liberty CountyLiberty County: 1,321 count1,321Hunt CountyHunt County: 1,287 count1,287Potter CountyPotter County: 1,214 count1,214McLennan CountyMcLennan County: 1,046 count1,046Ector CountyEctor County: 1,004 count1,004Walker CountyWalker County: 829 count829Polk CountyPolk County: 755 count755Burnet CountyBurnet County: 742 count742Chambers CountyChambers County: 646 count646Smith CountySmith County: 608 count608
count. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-10.

Full ranking

RankCounties2024
count		Change on 2023
1Harris County Estimated29,936-13.5%
2Tarrant County Estimated18,858+34.3%
3Collin County Estimated18,813-3.9%
4Travis County Estimated16,990-26.6%
5Montgomery County Estimated13,246-3.6%
6Dallas County Estimated12,711-4.3%
7Fort Bend County Estimated12,017+5.8%
8Denton County Estimated10,507-5.4%
9Bexar County Estimated8,349-20.1%
10Williamson County Estimated7,529-9.3%
11Hidalgo County Estimated7,292+5.7%
12Hays County Estimated5,405+7.9%
13Brazoria County Estimated3,963+5.6%
14Comal County Estimated3,430+5.6%
15Bell County Estimated3,243+4.4%
16Galveston County Estimated3,148+17.1%
17Ellis County Estimated2,972+3.1%
18Cameron County Estimated2,347+20.2%
19El Paso County Estimated2,320+3.2%
20Brazos County Estimated2,211+61.9%
21Lubbock County Estimated2,209-12.1%
22Johnson County Estimated2,183-13.6%
23Grayson County Estimated2,142-12.5%
24Guadalupe County Estimated2,062-3.1%
25Bastrop County Estimated1,841+37.3%
26Rockwall County Estimated1,810-6.6%
27Kaufman County Estimated1,745+55.8%
28Nueces County Estimated1,645+12.9%
29Midland County Estimated1,504+86.8%
30Webb County Estimated1,448-6.1%
31Liberty County Estimated1,321+1.9%
32Hunt County Estimated1,287+43.3%
33Potter County Estimated1,214+115.2%
34McLennan County Estimated1,046-40.2%
35Ector County Estimated1,004+45.5%
36Walker County Estimated829+64.8%
37Polk County Estimated755-18.9%
38Burnet County Estimated742-54.3%
39Chambers County Estimated646+11%
40Smith County Estimated608-19.3%
41San Jacinto County Estimated578+5.5%
42Kendall County Estimated560+80.6%
43Navarro County Estimated530+9.7%
44Caldwell County Estimated529-45.7%
45Taylor County Estimated516+15.4%
46Waller County Estimated480+29.4%
47San Patricio County Estimated471+19.5%
48Wise County Estimated463+102.2%
49Parker County Estimated439+2.8%
50Austin County Estimated412+12.3%
51Kerr County Estimated406+74.2%
52Coryell County Estimated385-14.1%
53Jefferson County Estimated356-16.6%
54Hardin County Estimated315-19.2%
55Henderson County Estimated274-0.7%
56Orange County Estimated244-33%
57Tom Green County Estimated233-7.5%
58Atascosa County Estimated220+59.4%
59Aransas County Estimated204+11.5%
60Wichita County Estimated201-16.6%
61Gregg County Estimated192-31.4%
62Wharton County Estimated184+25.2%
63Cooke County Estimated155+82.4%
64Matagorda County Estimated153-0.6%
65Brown County Estimated148-40.6%
66Hood County Estimated141+28.2%
67Bowie County Estimated135-34.8%
68Wilson County Estimated134-22.1%
69Angelina County Estimated120+14.3%
70Llano County Estimated119-30.8%
71Lamar County Estimated117+34.5%
72Washington County Estimated111-12.6%
73Erath County Estimated110+57.1%
74Fannin County Estimated109+18.5%
75Grimes County Estimated106-29.3%
76Medina County Estimated100+212.5%
76Van Zandt County Estimated100+122.2%
78Milam County Estimated98+206.3%
79Calhoun County Estimated94-16.8%
80Val Verde County Estimated85+28.8%
81Karnes County Estimated80-3.6%
82Maverick County Estimated77+6.9%
83Howard County Estimated75+400%
84Andrews County Estimated72+100%
84Wood County Estimated72-28%
86Robertson County Estimated68+83.8%
87Hopkins County Estimated65-12.2%
88Hill County Estimated61-7.6%
89Harrison County Estimated53-3.6%
90Gillespie County Estimated52-22.4%
91Deaf Smith County Estimated47+370%
92Jasper County Estimated46+130%
93Victoria County Estimated43-47.6%
94Burleson County Estimated42-28.8%
94Randall County Estimated42-42.5%
96Carson County Estimated41+17.1%
97Upshur County Estimated40+53.8%
98Somervell County Estimated39-32.8%
99Limestone County Estimated37+94.7%
100Willacy County Estimated36-20%
101Nacogdoches County Estimated35+9.4%
101Titus County Estimated35-64.6%
103Camp County Estimated32+3,100%
103Scurry County Estimated32+700%
105Reeves County Estimated30+114.3%
106Colorado County Estimated29-6.5%
107Anderson County Estimated27+50%
108Moore County Estimated26-84.6%
108Ward County Estimated26+188.9%
110Culberson County Estimated25+19%
111Archer County Estimated24-7.7%
111Palo Pinto County Estimated24+50%
113Presidio County Estimated23+27.8%
113Young County Estimated23+360%
115Montague County Estimated22+266.7%
116Cherokee County Estimated21-46.2%
116Rains County Estimated21-32.3%
118Lee County Estimated20-9.1%
119Nolan County Estimated19+11.8%
120Lampasas County Estimated18-28%
121Fayette County Estimated17-41.4%
121Panola County Estimated17+466.7%
121Sherman County Estimated17+13.3%
121Uvalde County Estimated17-10.5%
125Comanche County Estimated16+300%
125Eastland County Estimated16+220%
125Hamilton County Estimated16-23.8%
128Marion County Estimated15+66.7%
129Bee County Estimated14+7.7%
129Clay County Estimated14+100%
129Gonzales County Estimated14+40%
129Mason County Estimated14+600%
129Refugio County Estimated14-44%
134Frio County Estimated13+30%
135Bosque County Estimated12-29.4%
135Cass County Estimated12-20%
135Lavaca County Estimated120%
135Red River County Estimated12-33.3%
139Callahan County Estimated11-15.4%
139Gaines County Estimated11-42.1%
139Jack County Estimated11-31.3%
139Kleberg County Estimated11-59.3%
143Pecos County Estimated10+11.1%
143Winkler County Estimated10n/a
145Live Oak County Estimated9-25%
146Blanco County Estimated8-50%
146DeWitt County Estimated8-38.5%
148Brewster County Estimated7+75%
148Delta County Estimated7-36.4%
148Falls County Estimated7-22.2%
148Garza County Estimated70%
148Yoakum County Estimated7-22.2%
153Hale County Estimated6-57.1%
153Hockley County Estimated6+100%
153Tyler County Estimated60%
156Bailey County Estimated5+66.7%
156Coleman County Estimated5-28.6%
156Dallam County Estimated5-28.6%
156Martin County Estimated5-61.5%
156Morris County Estimated5+25%
156Reagan County Estimated5-28.6%
162Coke County Estimated4+100%
162Dimmit County Estimated40%
162Jim Wells County Estimated4-33.3%
162Mitchell County Estimated4n/a
162Ochiltree County Estimated40%
162Shelby County Estimated4+33.3%
168Donley County Estimated3+200%
168Gray County Estimated3-57.1%
168Houston County Estimated3-40%
168Madison County Estimated3+50%
168Parmer County Estimated30%
168Rusk County Estimated30%
168Schleicher County Estimated3+200%
168Wilbarger County Estimated30%
176Bandera County Estimated2-71.4%
176Kinney County Estimated2+100%
176Runnels County Estimated2-77.8%
176Stephens County Estimated2-33.3%
176Terry County Estimated2+100%
176Zavala County Estimated20%
182Floyd County Estimated1n/a
182Freestone County Estimated10%
182Hardeman County Estimated1n/a
182Lamb County Estimated10%
182Lynn County Estimated1n/a
182San Augustine County Estimated1-50%
182Upton County Estimated1n/a
189Armstrong County Estimated0n/a
189Baylor County Estimated0n/a
189Brooks County Estimated0n/a
189Castro County Estimated0n/a
189Childress County Estimated0n/a
189Cochran County Estimated0n/a
189Collingsworth County Estimated0n/a
189Concho County Estimated0-100%
189Cottle County Estimated0n/a
189Crane County Estimated0-100%
189Crosby County Estimated0n/a
189Dawson County Estimated0n/a
189Franklin County Estimated0-100%
189Goliad County Estimated0-100%
189Hall County Estimated0n/a
189Hansford County Estimated0n/a
189Haskell County Estimated0n/a
189Hemphill County Estimated0n/a
189Hutchinson County Estimated0-100%
189Jackson County Estimated0n/a
189Jones County Estimated0-100%
189Kimble County Estimated0n/a
189La Salle County Estimated0-100%
189Leon County Estimated0n/a
189Lipscomb County Estimated0n/a
189McCulloch County Estimated0-100%
189Oldham County Estimated0n/a
189Real County Estimated0n/a
189Sabine County Estimated0n/a
189San Saba County Estimated0n/a
189Starr County Estimated0n/a
189Sutton County Estimated0n/a
189Swisher County Estimated0n/a
189Trinity County Estimated0n/a
189Wheeler County Estimated0n/a

Other periods

About this ranking

Annual number of new privately owned housing units authorized by building permits, from the US Census Bureau Building Permits Survey.

Final annual county estimates include imputation for missing reports. Counts housing units, not buildings, starts, completions or sales. Covers permit-issuing areas; areas where permits are not required are outside the survey. Not seasonally adjusted or expressed as an annualized monthly rate. The total is the sum of units in the four published structure categories; inputs are retained.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the counties are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

U.S. Census Bureau. Building Permits Survey: final annual county estimates of new privately owned housing units authorized, including imputation. https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/County/co2024a.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-10.

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Questions

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

Harris County, with 29,936 in 2024, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

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

Wheeler County, with 0 in 2024.

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 county estimates of new privately owned housing units authorized, including imputation. Retrieved 2026-10-10.

Housing units authorized by building permits: other rankings

Counties in Texas: more rankings