Counties in Virginia by housing units authorized by building permits

Fairfax County had the highest housing units authorized by building permits of 132 counties in 2023, at 3,248. Lexington city had the lowest, at 0. The median was 82. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest3,248Fairfax County
Median82132 counties

Top 40 counties, 2023

CSVChart (SVG)

Fairfax CountyFairfax County: 3,248 count3,248Chesterfield CountyChesterfield County: 3,194 count3,194Henrico CountyHenrico County: 2,743 count2,743Richmond cityRichmond city: 2,283 count2,283Loudoun CountyLoudoun County: 1,782 count1,782Prince William CountyPrince William County: 1,492 count1,492Norfolk cityNorfolk city: 1,427 count1,427Arlington CountyArlington County: 1,274 count1,274Spotsylvania CountySpotsylvania County: 1,089 count1,089Albemarle CountyAlbemarle County: 820 count820Frederick CountyFrederick County: 798 count798Suffolk citySuffolk city: 727 count727Newport News cityNewport News city: 647 count647James City CountyJames City County: 597 count597Virginia Beach cityVirginia Beach city: 542 count542Stafford CountyStafford County: 541 count541Rockingham CountyRockingham County: 515 count515Chesapeake cityChesapeake city: 505 count505Hanover CountyHanover County: 481 count481York CountyYork County: 479 count479Orange CountyOrange County: 422 count422Montgomery CountyMontgomery County: 374 count374New Kent CountyNew Kent County: 345 count345Louisa CountyLouisa County: 336 count336Campbell CountyCampbell County: 331 count331Culpeper CountyCulpeper County: 294 count294Danville cityDanville city: 292 count292Bedford CountyBedford County: 285 count285Lynchburg cityLynchburg city: 271 count271Goochland CountyGoochland County: 268 count268Greene CountyGreene County: 263 count263Caroline CountyCaroline County: 255 count255Fauquier CountyFauquier County: 247 count247Staunton cityStaunton city: 245 count245Westmoreland CountyWestmoreland County: 215 count215Page CountyPage County: 213 count213Isle of Wight CountyIsle of Wight County: 206 count206Augusta CountyAugusta County: 190 count190Accomack CountyAccomack County: 187 count187Shenandoah CountyShenandoah County: 187 count187
count. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-10.

Full ranking

RankCounties2023
count
1Fairfax County Estimated3,248
2Chesterfield County Estimated3,194
3Henrico County Estimated2,743
4Richmond city Estimated2,283
5Loudoun County Estimated1,782
6Prince William County Estimated1,492
7Norfolk city Estimated1,427
8Arlington County Estimated1,274
9Spotsylvania County Estimated1,089
10Albemarle County Estimated820
11Frederick County Estimated798
12Suffolk city Estimated727
13Newport News city Estimated647
14James City County Estimated597
15Virginia Beach city Estimated542
16Stafford County Estimated541
17Rockingham County Estimated515
18Chesapeake city Estimated505
19Hanover County Estimated481
20York County Estimated479
21Orange County Estimated422
22Montgomery County Estimated374
23New Kent County Estimated345
24Louisa County Estimated336
25Campbell County Estimated331
26Culpeper County Estimated294
27Danville city Estimated292
28Bedford County Estimated285
29Lynchburg city Estimated271
30Goochland County Estimated268
31Greene County Estimated263
32Caroline County Estimated255
33Fauquier County Estimated247
34Staunton city Estimated245
35Westmoreland County Estimated215
36Page County Estimated213
37Isle of Wight County Estimated206
38Augusta County Estimated190
39Accomack County Estimated187
39Shenandoah County Estimated187
41Franklin County Estimated174
42King George County Estimated170
42Waynesboro city Estimated170
44Manassas Park city Estimated166
45Warren County Estimated148
46Powhatan County Estimated145
47Northampton County Estimated144
48Roanoke County Estimated139
49King William County Estimated135
50Mecklenburg County Estimated122
51Alexandria city Estimated121
52Poquoson city Estimated120
53Salem city Estimated117
54Amherst County Estimated108
55Roanoke city Estimated107
56Hampton city Estimated103
57Fluvanna County Estimated102
58Halifax County Estimated100
58Washington County Estimated100
60Appomattox County Estimated97
61Lancaster County Estimated95
62Prince George County Estimated94
63Nottoway County Estimated89
64Gloucester County Estimated85
65Buckingham County Estimated84
66Fredericksburg city Estimated82
67Prince Edward County Estimated81
68Harrisonburg city Estimated80
69Dinwiddie County Estimated78
70Carroll County Estimated77
71Manassas city Estimated74
72Portsmouth city Estimated73
73Cumberland County Estimated69
73Pittsylvania County Estimated69
75Floyd County Estimated68
76Winchester city Estimated66
77Alleghany County Estimated65
77Nelson County Estimated65
79Botetourt County Estimated64
80Charlottesville city Estimated59
80Northumberland County Estimated59
80Rockbridge County Estimated59
80Southampton County Estimated59
84Madison County Estimated53
85Amelia County Estimated52
85Patrick County Estimated52
87Middlesex County Estimated45
87Pulaski County Estimated45
89Rappahannock County Estimated43
89Sussex County Estimated43
91Grayson County Estimated39
92Dickenson County Estimated38
93Brunswick County Estimated37
94King and Queen County Estimated36
95Giles County Estimated35
95Radford city Estimated35
95Wythe County Estimated35
98Essex County Estimated33
99Clarke County Estimated28
99Surry County Estimated28
101Galax city Estimated27
101Wise County Estimated27
103Fairfax city Estimated26
103Henry County Estimated26
105Charlotte County Estimated25
105Greensville County Estimated25
105Richmond County Estimated25
105Scott County Estimated25
109Petersburg city Estimated24
109Smyth County Estimated24
111Charles City County Estimated22
111Lee County Estimated22
113Buena Vista city Estimated20
113Craig County Estimated20
113Russell County Estimated20
116Bath County Estimated18
116Hopewell city Estimated18
118Falls Church city Estimated17
119Williamsburg city Estimated15
120Bland County Estimated14
120Lunenburg County Estimated14
120Mathews County Estimated14
123Colonial Heights city Estimated12
124Buchanan County Estimated11
124Tazewell County Estimated11
126Highland County Estimated9
127Bristol city Estimated7
128Emporia city Estimated5
129Martinsville city Estimated2
129Norton city Estimated2
131Covington city Estimated0
131Lexington city Estimated0

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/co2023a.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-10.

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Rank Counties in Virginia by housing units authorized by building permits using official data, and cite the source.
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Questions

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

Fairfax County, with 3,248 in 2023, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

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

Lexington city, with 0 in 2023.

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 Virginia: more rankings