Cities in Minnesota by single-family housing units authorized by building permits
Rochester, MN had the highest single-family housing units authorized by building permits of 103 cities in 2014, at 352. New Hope, MN had the lowest, at 0. The median was 34. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.
Top 40 cities, 2014
Full ranking
| Rank | Cities | 2014 | Change on 2013 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rochester, MN Estimated | 352 | +9% |
| 2 | Lakeville, MN Estimated | 347 | -12.8% |
| 3 | Blaine, MN Estimated | 343 | +9.2% |
| 4 | Plymouth, MN Estimated | 312 | +16% |
| 5 | Maple Grove, MN Estimated | 306 | -3.2% |
| 6 | Woodbury, MN Estimated | 297 | -22.5% |
| 7 | Otsego, MN Estimated | 186 | -1.6% |
| 8 | Moorhead, MN Estimated | 185 | +41.2% |
| 9 | Eagan, MN Estimated | 156 | -16.1% |
| 10 | Chaska, MN Estimated | 139 | +3.7% |
| 11 | Minneapolis, MN Estimated | 138 | -5.5% |
| 12 | Chanhassen, MN Estimated | 129 | -18.9% |
| 13 | Prior Lake, MN Estimated | 125 | -33.9% |
| 14 | Edina, MN Estimated | 122 | +13% |
| 15 | Brooklyn Park, MN Estimated | 114 | -12.3% |
| 16 | Victoria, MN Estimated | 110 | -7.6% |
| 17 | Elk River, MN Estimated | 90 | +3.4% |
| 18 | Rosemount, MN Estimated | 86 | -10.4% |
| 19 | Waconia, MN Estimated | 84 | -21.5% |
| 20 | Farmington, MN Estimated | 83 | -32% |
| 21 | Savage, MN Estimated | 82 | -41.4% |
| 22 | Cottage Grove, MN Estimated | 77 | +51% |
| 22 | Mankato, MN Estimated | 77 | -48% |
| 24 | Sartell, MN Estimated | 72 | +1.4% |
| 25 | Apple Valley, MN Estimated | 71 | +12.7% |
| 26 | Shakopee, MN Estimated | 70 | -34.6% |
| 26 | St. Paul, MN Estimated | 70 | +55.6% |
| 28 | Bemidji, MN Estimated | 66 | +43.5% |
| 28 | Ramsey, MN Estimated | 66 | -59.5% |
| 30 | Monticello, MN Estimated | 65 | +66.7% |
| 31 | Eden Prairie, MN Estimated | 61 | -23.8% |
| 32 | Forest Lake, MN Estimated | 60 | -11.8% |
| 33 | Ham Lake, MN Estimated | 55 | -5.2% |
| 34 | Minnetonka, MN Estimated | 53 | -14.5% |
| 35 | Andover, MN Estimated | 52 | -46.9% |
| 35 | Inver Grove Heights, MN Estimated | 52 | -42.9% |
| 37 | Hugo, MN Estimated | 49 | -3.9% |
| 38 | Buffalo, MN Estimated | 47 | +42.4% |
| 39 | Duluth, MN Estimated | 46 | +31.4% |
| 40 | Stillwater, MN Estimated | 45 | +7.1% |
| 41 | Dayton, MN Estimated | 43 | +16.2% |
| 41 | Rogers, MN Estimated | 43 | -64.2% |
| 41 | St. Cloud, MN Estimated | 43 | 0% |
| 44 | Hastings, MN Estimated | 42 | +13.5% |
| 45 | Cambridge, MN Estimated | 39 | +95% |
| 46 | Hermantown, MN Estimated | 36 | +12.5% |
| 46 | Lake Elmo, MN Estimated | 36 | -12.2% |
| 46 | North Mankato, MN Estimated | 36 | -10% |
| 49 | Detroit Lakes, MN Estimated | 35 | +2.9% |
| 50 | Burnsville, MN Estimated | 34 | +112.5% |
| 50 | North Branch, MN Estimated | 34 | -12.8% |
| 50 | St. Michael, MN Estimated | 34 | -43.3% |
| 53 | Lino Lakes, MN Estimated | 33 | +10% |
| 54 | New Ulm, MN Estimated | 29 | +45% |
| 54 | Sauk Rapids, MN Estimated | 29 | -3.3% |
| 56 | Alexandria, MN Estimated | 28 | -37.8% |
| 56 | Shoreview, MN Estimated | 28 | +460% |
| 58 | Northfield, MN Estimated | 26 | +44.4% |
| 59 | Maplewood, MN Estimated | 25 | +8.7% |
| 60 | Anoka, MN Estimated | 24 | +118.2% |
| 61 | Hutchinson, MN Estimated | 23 | +91.7% |
| 62 | St. Peter, MN Estimated | 21 | +50% |
| 63 | Grand Rapids, MN Estimated | 18 | +63.6% |
| 63 | Red Wing, MN Estimated | 18 | +157.1% |
| 65 | Mendota Heights, MN Estimated | 17 | +112.5% |
| 65 | Owatonna, MN Estimated | 17 | -19% |
| 67 | East Bethel, MN Estimated | 15 | 0% |
| 67 | Faribault, MN Estimated | 15 | +15.4% |
| 69 | Golden Valley, MN Estimated | 13 | -40.9% |
| 69 | Hibbing, MN Estimated | 13 | +85.7% |
| 71 | Coon Rapids, MN Estimated | 12 | -20% |
| 71 | Roseville, MN Estimated | 12 | 0% |
| 73 | Austin, MN Estimated | 11 | -15.4% |
| 73 | Bloomington, MN Estimated | 11 | -50% |
| 73 | Columbia Heights, MN Estimated | 11 | +22.2% |
| 73 | Marshall, MN Estimated | 11 | -8.3% |
| 73 | St. Louis Park, MN Estimated | 11 | +10% |
| 73 | Willmar, MN Estimated | 11 | +22.2% |
| 79 | Champlin, MN Estimated | 10 | 0% |
| 79 | Winona, MN Estimated | 10 | 0% |
| 81 | Albert Lea, MN Estimated | 9 | -10% |
| 81 | Big Lake, MN Estimated | 9 | +12.5% |
| 83 | Cloquet, MN Estimated | 8 | -46.7% |
| 83 | Crystal, MN Estimated | 8 | -50% |
| 83 | White Bear Lake, MN Estimated | 8 | +100% |
| 86 | Fridley, MN Estimated | 7 | -22.2% |
| 86 | New Brighton, MN Estimated | 7 | +133.3% |
| 86 | Robbinsdale, MN Estimated | 7 | -46.2% |
| 89 | Little Canada, MN Estimated | 6 | -50% |
| 89 | Richfield, MN Estimated | 6 | -45.5% |
| 89 | South St. Paul, MN Estimated | 6 | +20% |
| 92 | Vadnais Heights, MN Estimated | 5 | -61.5% |
| 93 | Brooklyn Center, MN Estimated | 4 | |
| 94 | Fairmont, MN Estimated | 3 | 0% |
| 94 | Hopkins, MN Estimated | 3 | -78.6% |
| 96 | Brainerd, MN Estimated | 2 | -60% |
| 96 | Oakdale, MN Estimated | 2 | -33.3% |
| 96 | West St. Paul, MN Estimated | 2 | -50% |
| 96 | Worthington, MN Estimated | 2 | -50% |
| 100 | Mounds View, MN Estimated | 1 | -80% |
| 100 | North St. Paul, MN Estimated | 1 | 0% |
| 102 | Fergus Falls, MN Estimated | 0 | -100% |
| 102 | New Hope, MN Estimated | 0 | -100% |
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/Midwest%20Region/mw2014a.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-12.Citation styles
APA 7
U.S. Census Bureau. (2016). 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 Minnesota by single-family housing units authorized by building permits, 2014) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/Midwest%20Region/mw2014a.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 Minnesota by single-family housing units authorized by building permits, 2014. U.S. Census Bureau, 30 Sept. 2016, https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/Midwest%20Region/mw2014a.txt. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/single-family-building-permits/minnesota-cities?period=2014. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.
Chicago (author-date)
U.S. Census Bureau. 2016. 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 Minnesota by single-family housing units authorized by building permits, 2014. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/Midwest%20Region/mw2014a.txt. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/single-family-building-permits/minnesota-cities?period=2014.
Harvard
U.S. Census Bureau (2016) 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 Minnesota by single-family housing units authorized by building permits, 2014 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/Midwest%20Region/mw2014a.txt, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/single-family-building-permits/minnesota-cities?period=2014 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).
BibTeX
@misc{census_cities_in_minnesota_by_2014,
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 Minnesota by single-family housing units authorized by building permits, 2014}},
year = {2016},
howpublished = {Data set},
url = {https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/Midwest%20Region/mw2014a.txt},
urldate = {2026-10-12},
note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/single-family-building-permits/minnesota-cities?period=2014. 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/Midwest\%20Region/mw2014a.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 Minnesota by single-family housing units authorized by building permits, 2014
PY - 2016
DA - 2016/09/30
PB - U.S. Census Bureau
DB - Invokely
UR - https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/Midwest%20Region/mw2014a.txt
L2 - https://invokely.ai/rankings/single-family-building-permits/minnesota-cities?period=2014
Y2 - 2026/10/12
N1 - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/single-family-building-permits/minnesota-cities?period=2014.
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/Midwest%20Region/mw2014a.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER -
Use this data in your AI agent
Invokely serves this figure to AI assistants through MCP and to code through a REST API, with the source and citation attached. Ask your assistant:
Rank Cities in Minnesota by single-family housing units authorized by building permits using official data, and cite the source.
rank_places {"indicator":"building_permit_single_family_units","level":"municipality","within":"Minnesota","limit":10}
GET https://invokely.ai/api/v1/rank?indicator=building_permit_single_family_units&level=municipality&within=Minnesota&limit=10Questions
Which city has the highest single-family housing units authorized by building permits?
Rochester, MN, with 352 in 2014, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Which city has the lowest single-family housing units authorized by building permits?
New Hope, MN, with 0 in 2014.
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.