Data / Rankings / Housing units authorized by building permits / Cities in Washington

Cities in Washington by housing units authorized by building permits

Seattle, WA had the highest housing units authorized by building permits of 91 cities in 2024, at 5,895. Fife, WA had the lowest, at 0. The median was 112 and the figure for Washington was 37,778. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest5,895Seattle, WA
Lowest0Fife, WA
Median11291 cities
Washington37,778History

Top 40 cities, 2024

Seattle, WA: 5,895 countSeattle, WA5,895Spokane, WA: 1,321 countSpokane, WA1,321Vancouver, WA: 1,205 countVancouver, WA1,205Pasco, WA: 892 countPasco, WA892Redmond, WA: 816 countRedmond, WA816Marysville, WA: 747 countMarysville, WA747Everett, WA: 592 countEverett, WA592Bellevue, WA: 589 countBellevue, WA589Kennewick, WA: 581 countKennewick, WA581Bellingham, WA: 535 countBellingham, WA535Lynnwood, WA: 535 countLynnwood, WA535Spokane Valley, WA: 474 countSpokane Valley, WA474Woodinville, WA: 454 countWoodinville, WA454Lakewood, WA: 451 countLakewood, WA451Richland, WA: 449 countRichland, WA449Kirkland, WA: 442 countKirkland, WA442Port Orchard, WA: 427 countPort Orchard, WA427Tacoma, WA: 402 countTacoma, WA402Liberty Lake, WA: 401 countLiberty Lake, WA401SeaTac, WA: 375 countSeaTac, WA375Ridgefield, WA: 374 countRidgefield, WA374Shoreline, WA: 324 countShoreline, WA324Tukwila, WA: 292 countTukwila, WA292Battle Ground, WA: 291 countBattle Ground, WA291Olympia, WA: 282 countOlympia, WA282West Richland, WA: 280 countWest Richland, WA280University Place, WA: 266 countUniversity Place, WA266Tumwater, WA: 260 countTumwater, WA260Camas, WA: 247 countCamas, WA247Bothell, WA: 206 countBothell, WA206Snohomish, WA: 191 countSnohomish, WA191Kent, WA: 184 countKent, WA184Lacey, WA: 178 countLacey, WA178Burien, WA: 174 countBurien, WA174Grandview, WA: 166 countGrandview, WA166Moses Lake, WA: 164 countMoses Lake, WA164Sumner, WA: 161 countSumner, WA161Burlington, WA: 154 countBurlington, WA154Walla Walla, WA: 154 countWalla Walla, WA154Bremerton, WA: 148 countBremerton, WA148Seattle, WA: 5,895 countSeattle, WA5,895Spokane, WA: 1,321 countSpokane, WA1,321Vancouver, WA: 1,205 countVancouver, WA1,205Pasco, WA: 892 countPasco, WA892Redmond, WA: 816 countRedmond, WA816Marysville, WA: 747 countMarysville, WA747Everett, WA: 592 countEverett, WA592Bellevue, WA: 589 countBellevue, WA589Kennewick, WA: 581 countKennewick, WA581Bellingham, WA: 535 countBellingham, WA535Lynnwood, WA: 535 countLynnwood, WA535Spokane Valley, WA: 474 countSpokane Valley, WA474Woodinville, WA: 454 countWoodinville, WA454Lakewood, WA: 451 countLakewood, WA451Richland, WA: 449 countRichland, WA449Kirkland, WA: 442 countKirkland, WA442Port Orchard, WA: 427 countPort Orchard, WA427Tacoma, WA: 402 countTacoma, WA402Liberty Lake, WA: 401 countLiberty Lake, WA401SeaTac, WA: 375 countSeaTac, WA375Ridgefield, WA: 374 countRidgefield, WA374Shoreline, WA: 324 countShoreline, WA324Tukwila, WA: 292 countTukwila, WA292Battle Ground, WA: 291 countBattle Ground, WA291Olympia, WA: 282 countOlympia, WA282West Richland, WA: 280 countWest Richland, WA280University Place, WA: 266 countUniversity Place, WA266Tumwater, WA: 260 countTumwater, WA260Camas, WA: 247 countCamas, WA247Bothell, WA: 206 countBothell, WA206Snohomish, WA: 191 countSnohomish, WA191Kent, WA: 184 countKent, WA184Lacey, WA: 178 countLacey, WA178Burien, WA: 174 countBurien, WA174Grandview, WA: 166 countGrandview, WA166Moses Lake, WA: 164 countMoses Lake, WA164Sumner, WA: 161 countSumner, WA161Burlington, WA: 154 countBurlington, WA154Walla Walla, WA: 154 countWalla Walla, WA154Bremerton, WA: 148 countBremerton, WA148
count. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCities2024
count		Change on 2023
1Seattle, WA Estimated5,895+11.2%
2Spokane, WA Estimated1,321+2%
3Vancouver, WA Estimated1,205-11.3%
4Pasco, WA Estimated892+4%
5Redmond, WA Estimated816+276%
6Marysville, WA Estimated747-2.7%
7Everett, WA Estimated592+256.6%
8Bellevue, WA Estimated589-26.6%
9Kennewick, WA Estimated581+43.1%
10Bellingham, WA Estimated535+33.1%
10Lynnwood, WA Estimated535+144.3%
12Spokane Valley, WA Estimated474-50.1%
13Woodinville, WA Estimated454+97.4%
14Lakewood, WA Estimated451+463.8%
15Richland, WA Estimated449+3%
16Kirkland, WA Estimated442-7.9%
17Port Orchard, WA Estimated427-18%
18Tacoma, WA Estimated402-41.9%
19Liberty Lake, WA Estimated401+152.2%
20SeaTac, WA Estimated375+155.1%
21Ridgefield, WA Estimated374+53.3%
22Shoreline, WA Estimated324-77.3%
23Tukwila, WA Estimated292-7.3%
24Battle Ground, WA Estimated291+32.3%
25Olympia, WA Estimated282+47.6%
26West Richland, WA Estimated280+95.8%
27University Place, WA Estimated266+1,946.2%
28Tumwater, WA Estimated260-12.8%
29Camas, WA Estimated247+60.4%
30Bothell, WA Estimated206+15.1%
31Snohomish, WA Estimated191+634.6%
32Kent, WA Estimated184+46%
33Lacey, WA Estimated178-52%
34Burien, WA Estimated174-38.1%
35Grandview, WA Estimated166+61.2%
36Moses Lake, WA Estimated164+12.3%
37Sumner, WA Estimated161+16,000%
38Burlington, WA Estimated154-33%
38Walla Walla, WA Estimated154+13.2%
40Bremerton, WA Estimated148-49.1%
41Yakima, WA Estimated134-58%
42Lynden, WA Estimated131+133.9%
43Lake Stevens, WA Estimated128-19%
44Oak Harbor, WA Estimated121+450%
45Arlington, WA Estimated120+275%
46Kenmore, WA Estimated112+27.3%
47Mount Vernon, WA Estimated109+626.7%
48Yelm, WA Estimated105-29.1%
49Poulsbo, WA Estimated104-57%
50Longview, WA Estimated93+210%
51Airway Heights, WA Estimated92+12.2%
52Ellensburg, WA Estimated91+28.2%
52Washougal, WA Estimated91-41.7%
54Monroe, WA Estimated880%
55Ferndale, WA Estimated83+69.4%
56Renton, WA Estimated73+32.7%
56Wenatchee, WA Estimated73+204.2%
58Sedro-Woolley, WA Estimated61-41.9%
59Covington, WA Estimated60+122.2%
60Edmonds, WA Estimated51-44%
61Edgewood, WA Estimated50-2%
62Newcastle, WA Estimated47+2.2%
63Bainbridge Island, WA Estimated43-70.3%
64Shelton, WA Estimated42+500%
65Puyallup, WA Estimated41+156.3%
66Port Angeles, WA Estimated39-32.8%
67Kelso, WA Estimated34+36%
67Port Townsend, WA Estimated34-47.7%
69Des Moines, WA Estimated33+120%
70Federal Way, WA Estimated31-54.4%
71Sunnyside, WA Estimated29-34.1%
72Sammamish, WA Estimated27-41.3%
73Mercer Island, WA Estimated26+13%
74Cheney, WA Estimated25+47.1%
75Anacortes, WA Estimated23-34.3%
75Gig Harbor, WA Estimated23+91.7%
77Issaquah, WA Estimated22-33.3%
78Mountlake Terrace, WA Estimated21-59.6%
79Enumclaw, WA Estimated19-50%
80Pullman, WA Estimated17-92.2%
81Centralia, WA Estimated16+60%
81Maple Valley, WA Estimated16-38.5%
83Bonney Lake, WA Estimated15-62.5%
84Lake Forest Park, WA Estimated12+9.1%
85Aberdeen, WA Estimated11+22.2%
86East Wenatchee, WA Estimated6-87.5%
87Snoqualmie, WA Estimated3n/a
88Mill Creek, WA Estimated1n/a
88Mukilteo, WA Estimated1-85.7%
90Auburn, WA Estimated0-100%
90Fife, WA Estimated0n/a

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. 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/West%20Region/we2024a.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. (2025). Building Permits Survey: final annual estimates of new privately owned housing units authorized by permit-issuing place, including imputation (Cities in Washington by housing units authorized by building permits, 2024) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/West%20Region/we2024a.txt

MLA 9

Building Permits Survey: final annual estimates of new privately owned housing units authorized by permit-issuing place, including imputation, Cities in Washington by housing units authorized by building permits, 2024. U.S. Census Bureau, 1 May 2025, https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/West%20Region/we2024a.txt. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/building-permit-housing-units/washington-cities?period=2024. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Census Bureau. 2025. Building Permits Survey: final annual estimates of new privately owned housing units authorized by permit-issuing place, including imputation. Cities in Washington by housing units authorized by building permits, 2024. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/West%20Region/we2024a.txt. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/building-permit-housing-units/washington-cities?period=2024.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2025) Building Permits Survey: final annual estimates of new privately owned housing units authorized by permit-issuing place, including imputation, Cities in Washington by housing units authorized by building permits, 2024 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/West%20Region/we2024a.txt, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/building-permit-housing-units/washington-cities?period=2024 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_cities_in_washington_by_2024,
  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 Washington by housing units authorized by building permits, 2024}},
  year = {2025},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/West%20Region/we2024a.txt},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/building-permit-housing-units/washington-cities?period=2024. 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/West\%20Region/we2024a.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 Washington by housing units authorized by building permits, 2024
PY  - 2025
DA  - 2025/05/01
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/West%20Region/we2024a.txt
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/building-permit-housing-units/washington-cities?period=2024
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/building-permit-housing-units/washington-cities?period=2024.
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/West%20Region/we2024a.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -
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Questions

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

Seattle, WA, with 5,895 in 2024, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

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

Fife, WA, 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 estimates of new privately owned housing units authorized by permit-issuing place, including imputation. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Housing units authorized by building permits: other rankings

Cities in Washington: more rankings