Data / Rankings / Single-family housing units authorized by building permits / Cities in Alabama

Cities in Alabama by single-family housing units authorized by building permits, 2025

Huntsville, AL had the highest single-family housing units authorized by building permits of 66 cities in 2025, at 1,002. Sylacauga, AL had the lowest, at 0. The median was 72. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest1,002Huntsville, AL
Lowest0Sylacauga, AL
Median7266 cities

Top 40 cities, 2025

Huntsville, AL: 1,002 countHuntsville, AL1,002Auburn, AL: 669 countAuburn, AL669Opelika, AL: 564 countOpelika, AL564Athens, AL: 447 countAthens, AL447Hoover, AL: 432 countHoover, AL432Madison, AL: 362 countMadison, AL362Tuscaloosa, AL: 312 countTuscaloosa, AL312Foley, AL: 302 countFoley, AL302Daphne, AL: 293 countDaphne, AL293Calera, AL: 244 countCalera, AL244Montgomery, AL: 239 countMontgomery, AL239Gulf Shores, AL: 232 countGulf Shores, AL232Fairhope, AL: 222 countFairhope, AL222Pike Road, AL: 209 countPike Road, AL209Prattville, AL: 200 countPrattville, AL200Mobile, AL: 199 countMobile, AL199Enterprise, AL: 191 countEnterprise, AL191Decatur, AL: 179 countDecatur, AL179Chelsea, AL: 155 countChelsea, AL155Gardendale, AL: 152 countGardendale, AL152Cullman, AL: 149 countCullman, AL149Leeds, AL: 144 countLeeds, AL144Pelham, AL: 136 countPelham, AL136Dothan, AL: 132 countDothan, AL132Trussville, AL: 101 countTrussville, AL101Oxford, AL: 97 countOxford, AL97Albertville, AL: 95 countAlbertville, AL95Birmingham, AL: 91 countBirmingham, AL91Alabaster, AL: 86 countAlabaster, AL86Northport, AL: 86 countNorthport, AL86Florence, AL: 84 countFlorence, AL84Vestavia Hills, AL: 79 countVestavia Hills, AL79Millbrook, AL: 78 countMillbrook, AL78Alexander City, AL: 66 countAlexander City, AL66Bessemer, AL: 66 countBessemer, AL66Phenix City, AL: 66 countPhenix City, AL66Pell City, AL: 63 countPell City, AL63Helena, AL: 59 countHelena, AL59Spanish Fort, AL: 57 countSpanish Fort, AL57Moody, AL: 50 countMoody, AL50Huntsville, AL: 1,002 countHuntsville, AL1,002Auburn, AL: 669 countAuburn, AL669Opelika, AL: 564 countOpelika, AL564Athens, AL: 447 countAthens, AL447Hoover, AL: 432 countHoover, AL432Madison, AL: 362 countMadison, AL362Tuscaloosa, AL: 312 countTuscaloosa, AL312Foley, AL: 302 countFoley, AL302Daphne, AL: 293 countDaphne, AL293Calera, AL: 244 countCalera, AL244Montgomery, AL: 239 countMontgomery, AL239Gulf Shores, AL: 232 countGulf Shores, AL232Fairhope, AL: 222 countFairhope, AL222Pike Road, AL: 209 countPike Road, AL209Prattville, AL: 200 countPrattville, AL200Mobile, AL: 199 countMobile, AL199Enterprise, AL: 191 countEnterprise, AL191Decatur, AL: 179 countDecatur, AL179Chelsea, AL: 155 countChelsea, AL155Gardendale, AL: 152 countGardendale, AL152Cullman, AL: 149 countCullman, AL149Leeds, AL: 144 countLeeds, AL144Pelham, AL: 136 countPelham, AL136Dothan, AL: 132 countDothan, AL132Trussville, AL: 101 countTrussville, AL101Oxford, AL: 97 countOxford, AL97Albertville, AL: 95 countAlbertville, AL95Birmingham, AL: 91 countBirmingham, AL91Alabaster, AL: 86 countAlabaster, AL86Northport, AL: 86 countNorthport, AL86Florence, AL: 84 countFlorence, AL84Vestavia Hills, AL: 79 countVestavia Hills, AL79Millbrook, AL: 78 countMillbrook, AL78Alexander City, AL: 66 countAlexander City, AL66Bessemer, AL: 66 countBessemer, AL66Phenix City, AL: 66 countPhenix City, AL66Pell City, AL: 63 countPell City, AL63Helena, AL: 59 countHelena, AL59Spanish Fort, AL: 57 countSpanish Fort, AL57Moody, AL: 50 countMoody, AL50
count. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey: final annual estimates of new privately owned housing units in 1-unit structures authorized by permit-issuing place, including imputation. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCities2025
count		Change on 2024
1Huntsville, AL Estimated1,002-19.5%
2Auburn, AL Estimated669-22.5%
3Opelika, AL Estimated564+3.9%
4Athens, AL Estimated447-9.1%
5Hoover, AL Estimated432+1.6%
6Madison, AL Estimated362-36.2%
7Tuscaloosa, AL Estimated3120%
8Foley, AL Estimated302-69.1%
9Daphne, AL Estimated293-14.3%
10Calera, AL Estimated244+34.1%
11Montgomery, AL Estimated239+12.7%
12Gulf Shores, AL Estimated232+56.8%
13Fairhope, AL Estimated222+37%
14Pike Road, AL Estimated209+4.5%
15Prattville, AL Estimated200-9.5%
16Mobile, AL Estimated199-51.5%
17Enterprise, AL Estimated191+50.4%
18Decatur, AL Estimated179+42.1%
19Chelsea, AL Estimated155-4.9%
20Gardendale, AL Estimated152+985.7%
21Cullman, AL Estimated149+2.1%
22Leeds, AL Estimated144+27.4%
23Pelham, AL Estimated136+20.4%
24Dothan, AL Estimated132-24.6%
25Trussville, AL Estimated101-9.8%
26Oxford, AL Estimated97-1%
27Albertville, AL Estimated95+63.8%
28Birmingham, AL Estimated91-4.2%
29Alabaster, AL Estimated86-19.6%
29Northport, AL Estimated86-38.1%
31Florence, AL Estimated84+42.4%
32Vestavia Hills, AL Estimated79-22.5%
33Millbrook, AL Estimated78+13%
34Alexander City, AL Estimated66-13.2%
34Bessemer, AL Estimated66+78.4%
34Phenix City, AL Estimated66-7%
37Pell City, AL Estimated63-53%
38Helena, AL Estimated59+37.2%
39Spanish Fort, AL Estimated57-32.9%
40Moody, AL Estimated50+354.5%
41Muscle Shoals, AL Estimated48-20%
42Saraland, AL Estimated43-25.9%
43Hartselle, AL Estimated42-30%
43Scottsboro, AL Estimated42-6.7%
45Valley, AL Estimated36+5.9%
46Boaz, AL Estimated31+47.6%
47Homewood, AL Estimated28-61.6%
48Hueytown, AL Estimated27+50%
49Troy, AL Estimated26-38.1%
50Fort Payne, AL Estimated23+4.5%
51Gadsden, AL Estimated21-25%
51Mountain Brook, AL Estimated21+90.9%
53Rainbow City, AL Estimated20+33.3%
54Jacksonville, AL Estimated17+88.9%
55Eufaula, AL Estimated140%
56Jasper, AL Estimated12-66.7%
56Ozark, AL Estimated12-25%
58Anniston, AL Estimated110%
59Irondale, AL Estimated10+42.9%
60Russellville, AL Estimated9-18.2%
61Clay, AL Estimated80%
62Prichard, AL Estimated4-96.8%
62Talladega, AL Estimated40%
64Center Point, AL Estimated2-66.7%
65Selma, AL Estimated0n/a
65Sylacauga, AL Estimated0n/a

Other periods

About this ranking

Annual number of new privately owned housing units in 1-unit structures (detached and attached single-family homes) authorized by building permits, from the US Census Bureau Building Permits Survey.

Part of building_permit_units, which also counts units in buildings with two or more units. Counts housing units, not starts, completions or sales.

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 in 1-unit structures authorized by permit-issuing place, including imputation. https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/South%20Region/so2025a.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. (2026). Building Permits Survey: final annual estimates of new privately owned housing units in 1-unit structures authorized by permit-issuing place, including imputation (Cities in Alabama by single-family housing units authorized by building permits, 2025) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/South%20Region/so2025a.txt

MLA 9

Building Permits Survey: final annual estimates of new privately owned housing units in 1-unit structures authorized by permit-issuing place, including imputation, Cities in Alabama by single-family housing units authorized by building permits, 2025. U.S. Census Bureau, 14 May 2026, https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/South%20Region/so2025a.txt. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/single-family-building-permits/alabama-cities. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Census Bureau. 2026. Building Permits Survey: final annual estimates of new privately owned housing units in 1-unit structures authorized by permit-issuing place, including imputation. Cities in Alabama by single-family housing units authorized by building permits, 2025. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/South%20Region/so2025a.txt. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/single-family-building-permits/alabama-cities.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2026) Building Permits Survey: final annual estimates of new privately owned housing units in 1-unit structures authorized by permit-issuing place, including imputation, Cities in Alabama by single-family housing units authorized by building permits, 2025 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/South%20Region/so2025a.txt, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/single-family-building-permits/alabama-cities (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_cities_in_alabama_by_2025,
  author = {{U.S. Census Bureau}},
  title = {{Building Permits Survey: final annual estimates of new privately owned housing units in 1-unit structures authorized by permit-issuing place, including imputation: Cities in Alabama by single-family housing units authorized by building permits, 2025}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/South%20Region/so2025a.txt},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/single-family-building-permits/alabama-cities. Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. Building Permits Survey: final annual estimates of new privately owned housing units in 1-unit structures authorized by permit-issuing place, including imputation. https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/South\%20Region/so2025a.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 in 1-unit structures authorized by permit-issuing place, including imputation: Cities in Alabama by single-family housing units authorized by building permits, 2025
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/05/14
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/South%20Region/so2025a.txt
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/single-family-building-permits/alabama-cities
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/single-family-building-permits/alabama-cities.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. Building Permits Survey: final annual estimates of new privately owned housing units in 1-unit structures authorized by permit-issuing place, including imputation. https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/South%20Region/so2025a.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -
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Questions

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

Huntsville, AL, with 1,002 in 2025, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

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

Sylacauga, AL, with 0 in 2025.

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 in 1-unit structures authorized by permit-issuing place, including imputation. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Single-family housing units authorized by building permits: other rankings

Cities in Alabama: more rankings