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

Huntsville, AL had the highest single-family housing units authorized by building permits of 66 cities in 2024, at 1,245. Sylacauga, AL had the lowest, at 0. The median was 75. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest1,245Huntsville, AL
Lowest0Sylacauga, AL
Median7566 cities

Top 40 cities, 2024

Huntsville, AL: 1,245 countHuntsville, AL1,245Foley, AL: 976 countFoley, AL976Auburn, AL: 863 countAuburn, AL863Madison, AL: 567 countMadison, AL567Opelika, AL: 543 countOpelika, AL543Athens, AL: 492 countAthens, AL492Hoover, AL: 425 countHoover, AL425Mobile, AL: 410 countMobile, AL410Daphne, AL: 342 countDaphne, AL342Tuscaloosa, AL: 312 countTuscaloosa, AL312Prattville, AL: 221 countPrattville, AL221Montgomery, AL: 212 countMontgomery, AL212Pike Road, AL: 200 countPike Road, AL200Calera, AL: 182 countCalera, AL182Dothan, AL: 175 countDothan, AL175Chelsea, AL: 163 countChelsea, AL163Fairhope, AL: 162 countFairhope, AL162Gulf Shores, AL: 148 countGulf Shores, AL148Cullman, AL: 146 countCullman, AL146Northport, AL: 139 countNorthport, AL139Pell City, AL: 134 countPell City, AL134Enterprise, AL: 127 countEnterprise, AL127Decatur, AL: 126 countDecatur, AL126Prichard, AL: 125 countPrichard, AL125Leeds, AL: 113 countLeeds, AL113Pelham, AL: 113 countPelham, AL113Trussville, AL: 112 countTrussville, AL112Alabaster, AL: 107 countAlabaster, AL107Vestavia Hills, AL: 102 countVestavia Hills, AL102Oxford, AL: 98 countOxford, AL98Birmingham, AL: 95 countBirmingham, AL95Spanish Fort, AL: 85 countSpanish Fort, AL85Alexander City, AL: 76 countAlexander City, AL76Homewood, AL: 73 countHomewood, AL73Phenix City, AL: 71 countPhenix City, AL71Millbrook, AL: 69 countMillbrook, AL69Hartselle, AL: 60 countHartselle, AL60Muscle Shoals, AL: 60 countMuscle Shoals, AL60Florence, AL: 59 countFlorence, AL59Albertville, AL: 58 countAlbertville, AL58Huntsville, AL: 1,245 countHuntsville, AL1,245Foley, AL: 976 countFoley, AL976Auburn, AL: 863 countAuburn, AL863Madison, AL: 567 countMadison, AL567Opelika, AL: 543 countOpelika, AL543Athens, AL: 492 countAthens, AL492Hoover, AL: 425 countHoover, AL425Mobile, AL: 410 countMobile, AL410Daphne, AL: 342 countDaphne, AL342Tuscaloosa, AL: 312 countTuscaloosa, AL312Prattville, AL: 221 countPrattville, AL221Montgomery, AL: 212 countMontgomery, AL212Pike Road, AL: 200 countPike Road, AL200Calera, AL: 182 countCalera, AL182Dothan, AL: 175 countDothan, AL175Chelsea, AL: 163 countChelsea, AL163Fairhope, AL: 162 countFairhope, AL162Gulf Shores, AL: 148 countGulf Shores, AL148Cullman, AL: 146 countCullman, AL146Northport, AL: 139 countNorthport, AL139Pell City, AL: 134 countPell City, AL134Enterprise, AL: 127 countEnterprise, AL127Decatur, AL: 126 countDecatur, AL126Prichard, AL: 125 countPrichard, AL125Leeds, AL: 113 countLeeds, AL113Pelham, AL: 113 countPelham, AL113Trussville, AL: 112 countTrussville, AL112Alabaster, AL: 107 countAlabaster, AL107Vestavia Hills, AL: 102 countVestavia Hills, AL102Oxford, AL: 98 countOxford, AL98Birmingham, AL: 95 countBirmingham, AL95Spanish Fort, AL: 85 countSpanish Fort, AL85Alexander City, AL: 76 countAlexander City, AL76Homewood, AL: 73 countHomewood, AL73Phenix City, AL: 71 countPhenix City, AL71Millbrook, AL: 69 countMillbrook, AL69Hartselle, AL: 60 countHartselle, AL60Muscle Shoals, AL: 60 countMuscle Shoals, AL60Florence, AL: 59 countFlorence, AL59Albertville, AL: 58 countAlbertville, AL58
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

RankCities2024
count		Change on 2023
1Huntsville, AL Estimated1,245-11.3%
2Foley, AL Estimated976-2.9%
3Auburn, AL Estimated863+65.6%
4Madison, AL Estimated567+56.2%
5Opelika, AL Estimated543-5.6%
6Athens, AL Estimated492+1%
7Hoover, AL Estimated425+24.3%
8Mobile, AL Estimated410+147%
9Daphne, AL Estimated342+47.4%
10Tuscaloosa, AL Estimated312-7.4%
11Prattville, AL Estimated221-15%
12Montgomery, AL Estimated212-6.6%
13Pike Road, AL Estimated200+29%
14Calera, AL Estimated182+54.2%
15Dothan, AL Estimated175-22.9%
16Chelsea, AL Estimated163-7.9%
17Fairhope, AL Estimated162-45.3%
18Gulf Shores, AL Estimated148-64.4%
19Cullman, AL Estimated146-2%
20Northport, AL Estimated139-4.1%
21Pell City, AL Estimated134+41.1%
22Enterprise, AL Estimated1270%
23Decatur, AL Estimated126-24.1%
24Prichard, AL Estimated125+733.3%
25Leeds, AL Estimated113+48.7%
25Pelham, AL Estimated113+4.6%
27Trussville, AL Estimated112-26.8%
28Alabaster, AL Estimated107-3.6%
29Vestavia Hills, AL Estimated102-5.6%
30Oxford, AL Estimated98+237.9%
31Birmingham, AL Estimated95+2.2%
32Spanish Fort, AL Estimated85-19.8%
33Alexander City, AL Estimated76+40.7%
34Homewood, AL Estimated73+170.4%
35Phenix City, AL Estimated71-27.6%
36Millbrook, AL Estimated69+46.8%
37Hartselle, AL Estimated60-34.8%
37Muscle Shoals, AL Estimated60+17.6%
39Florence, AL Estimated59-7.8%
40Albertville, AL Estimated58+26.1%
40Saraland, AL Estimated58+61.1%
42Scottsboro, AL Estimated45+7.1%
43Helena, AL Estimated43+87%
44Troy, AL Estimated42-23.6%
45Bessemer, AL Estimated37-63.7%
46Jasper, AL Estimated36-40%
47Valley, AL Estimated34+54.5%
48Gadsden, AL Estimated28+3.7%
49Fort Payne, AL Estimated22-15.4%
50Boaz, AL Estimated21+40%
51Hueytown, AL Estimated18+200%
52Ozark, AL Estimated16-23.8%
53Rainbow City, AL Estimated15+25%
54Eufaula, AL Estimated14-41.7%
54Gardendale, AL Estimated14+100%
56Anniston, AL Estimated110%
56Moody, AL Estimated11-26.7%
56Mountain Brook, AL Estimated11-54.2%
56Russellville, AL Estimated110%
60Jacksonville, AL Estimated9-50%
61Clay, AL Estimated8-60%
62Irondale, AL Estimated7-85.7%
63Center Point, AL Estimated6n/a
64Talladega, AL Estimated40%
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/so2024a.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 in 1-unit structures authorized by permit-issuing place, including imputation (Cities in Alabama by single-family housing units authorized by building permits, 2024) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/South%20Region/so2024a.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, 2024. U.S. Census Bureau, 1 May 2025, https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/South%20Region/so2024a.txt. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/single-family-building-permits/alabama-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 in 1-unit structures authorized by permit-issuing place, including imputation. Cities in Alabama by single-family housing units authorized by building permits, 2024. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/South%20Region/so2024a.txt. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/single-family-building-permits/alabama-cities?period=2024.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2025) 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, 2024 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/South%20Region/so2024a.txt, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/single-family-building-permits/alabama-cities?period=2024 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_cities_in_alabama_by_2024,
  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, 2024}},
  year = {2025},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/South%20Region/so2024a.txt},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/single-family-building-permits/alabama-cities?period=2024. 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/so2024a.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, 2024
PY  - 2025
DA  - 2025/05/01
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/South%20Region/so2024a.txt
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/single-family-building-permits/alabama-cities?period=2024
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/single-family-building-permits/alabama-cities?period=2024.
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/so2024a.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -
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Rank Cities in Alabama by single-family housing units authorized by building permits using official data, and cite the source.
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Questions

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

Huntsville, AL, with 1,245 in 2024, 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 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 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