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

Counties in Washington by housing units authorized by building permits

King County had the highest housing units authorized by building permits of 39 counties in 2023, at 10,601. Columbia County had the lowest, at 2. The median was 275. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest10,601King County
Lowest2Columbia County
Median27539 counties

All counties, 2023

CSVChart (SVG)

King CountyKing County: 10,601 count10,601Spokane CountySpokane County: 3,621 count3,621Clark CountyClark County: 3,500 count3,500Snohomish CountySnohomish County: 3,487 count3,487Pierce CountyPierce County: 3,135 count3,135Kitsap CountyKitsap County: 2,258 count2,258Thurston CountyThurston County: 1,512 count1,512Benton CountyBenton County: 1,136 count1,136Franklin CountyFranklin County: 923 count923Whatcom CountyWhatcom County: 894 count894Yakima CountyYakima County: 650 count650Skagit CountySkagit County: 486 count486Grant CountyGrant County: 439 count439Kittitas CountyKittitas County: 414 count414Lewis CountyLewis County: 323 count323Chelan CountyChelan County: 315 count315Cowlitz CountyCowlitz County: 308 count308Stevens CountyStevens County: 282 count282Grays Harbor CountyGrays Harbor County: 280 count280Walla Walla CountyWalla Walla County: 275 count275Douglas CountyDouglas County: 271 count271Mason CountyMason County: 265 count265Whitman CountyWhitman County: 258 count258Okanogan CountyOkanogan County: 229 count229Island CountyIsland County: 224 count224Clallam CountyClallam County: 211 count211Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 158 count158Klickitat CountyKlickitat County: 100 count100San Juan CountySan Juan County: 99 count99Lincoln CountyLincoln County: 83 count83Pacific CountyPacific County: 81 count81Pend Oreille CountyPend Oreille County: 62 count62Skamania CountySkamania County: 61 count61Adams CountyAdams County: 57 count57Asotin CountyAsotin County: 43 count43Wahkiakum CountyWahkiakum County: 27 count27Ferry CountyFerry County: 22 count22Garfield CountyGarfield County: 5 count5Columbia CountyColumbia County: 2 count2
count. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-10.

Full ranking

RankCounties2023
count
1King County Estimated10,601
2Spokane County Estimated3,621
3Clark County Estimated3,500
4Snohomish County Estimated3,487
5Pierce County Estimated3,135
6Kitsap County Estimated2,258
7Thurston County Estimated1,512
8Benton County Estimated1,136
9Franklin County Estimated923
10Whatcom County Estimated894
11Yakima County Estimated650
12Skagit County Estimated486
13Grant County Estimated439
14Kittitas County Estimated414
15Lewis County Estimated323
16Chelan County Estimated315
17Cowlitz County Estimated308
18Stevens County Estimated282
19Grays Harbor County Estimated280
20Walla Walla County Estimated275
21Douglas County Estimated271
22Mason County Estimated265
23Whitman County Estimated258
24Okanogan County Estimated229
25Island County Estimated224
26Clallam County Estimated211
27Jefferson County Estimated158
28Klickitat County Estimated100
29San Juan County Estimated99
30Lincoln County Estimated83
31Pacific County Estimated81
32Pend Oreille County Estimated62
33Skamania County Estimated61
34Adams County Estimated57
35Asotin County Estimated43
36Wahkiakum County Estimated27
37Ferry County Estimated22
38Garfield County Estimated5
39Columbia County Estimated2

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 Washington 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?

King County, with 10,601 in 2023, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

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

Columbia County, with 2 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 Washington: more rankings