Cities in Minnesota by single-family housing units authorized by building permits

Lakeville, MN had the highest single-family housing units authorized by building permits of 103 cities in 2023, at 484. South St. Paul, MN had the lowest, at 0. The median was 21. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest484Lakeville, MN

Lowest0South St. Paul, MN

Median21103 cities

Top 40 cities, 2023

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

Rank	Cities	2023 count	Change on 2022
1	Lakeville, MN Estimated	484	-11.4%
2	Woodbury, MN Estimated	444	-14.6%
3	Rosemount, MN Estimated	351	+143.8%
4	Blaine, MN Estimated	304	-22.8%
5	Cottage Grove, MN Estimated	290	-17.6%
6	Maple Grove, MN Estimated	287	+14.8%
7	Rogers, MN Estimated	277	+147.3%
8	Rochester, MN Estimated	241	+3%
9	Victoria, MN Estimated	211	+52.9%
10	Chaska, MN Estimated	205	+16.5%
11	St. Michael, MN Estimated	204	-6.4%
12	Otsego, MN Estimated	185	-39.3%
13	Dayton, MN Estimated	182	-55.5%
14	Lake Elmo, MN Estimated	171	-8.6%
15	St. Cloud, MN Estimated	141	+45.4%
16	Plymouth, MN Estimated	137	+37%
17	Shakopee, MN Estimated	131	-34.5%
18	Farmington, MN Estimated	118	+21.6%
19	Ramsey, MN Estimated	114	+3.6%
20	Lino Lakes, MN Estimated	112	-18.2%
21	Moorhead, MN Estimated	111	+88.1%
22	Hugo, MN Estimated	107	-6.1%
23	North Branch, MN Estimated	98	+53.1%
24	Elk River, MN Estimated	89	+6%
24	Mankato, MN Estimated	89	+117.1%
26	Inver Grove Heights, MN Estimated	77	-58.8%
27	Waconia, MN Estimated	76	-47.2%
28	Minneapolis, MN Estimated	70	+27.3%
29	Buffalo, MN Estimated	68	+100%
29	Prior Lake, MN Estimated	68	-35.2%
31	Andover, MN Estimated	64	-37.9%
32	Edina, MN Estimated	61	-4.7%
33	Oakdale, MN Estimated	58	+65.7%
34	Little Canada, MN Estimated	56	+1,300%
35	St. Paul, MN Estimated	48	-50.5%
36	Duluth, MN Estimated	46	-31.3%
37	Coon Rapids, MN Estimated	43	0%
38	West St. Paul, MN Estimated	38	+153.3%
39	Ham Lake, MN Estimated	37	-42.2%
40	Alexandria, MN Estimated	35	-32.7%
40	Chanhassen, MN Estimated	35	-27.1%
42	Cambridge, MN Estimated	34	+161.5%
43	Big Lake, MN Estimated	30	+3.4%
43	Detroit Lakes, MN Estimated	30	0%
45	Hermantown, MN Estimated	28	+55.6%
46	Minnetonka, MN Estimated	27	-35.7%
47	Faribault, MN Estimated	26	+4%
48	Apple Valley, MN Estimated	25	-39%
48	Hastings, MN Estimated	25	-21.9%
50	Owatonna, MN Estimated	23	+43.8%
51	Northfield, MN Estimated	22	+29.4%
52	Fergus Falls, MN Estimated	21	+250%
53	Hutchinson, MN Estimated	20	-16.7%
53	Sartell, MN Estimated	20	-13%
55	Savage, MN Estimated	19	-45.7%
56	Forest Lake, MN Estimated	18	-33.3%
57	New Brighton, MN Estimated	17	-10.5%
58	Eden Prairie, MN Estimated	16	-42.9%
58	Sauk Rapids, MN Estimated	16	+14.3%
60	Brainerd, MN Estimated	15	-51.6%
60	Burnsville, MN Estimated	15	-25%
60	Champlin, MN Estimated	15	-67.4%
60	North Mankato, MN Estimated	15	-75.4%
64	East Bethel, MN Estimated	14	-30%
64	Red Wing, MN Estimated	14	-26.3%
66	Eagan, MN Estimated	13	-71.1%
66	Hibbing, MN Estimated	13	+116.7%
66	Monticello, MN Estimated	13	-55.2%
66	Stillwater, MN Estimated	13	-48%
66	Vadnais Heights, MN Estimated	13	-23.5%
71	Bemidji, MN Estimated	12	-25%
72	North St. Paul, MN Estimated	11	+37.5%
73	Austin, MN Estimated	10	+25%
73	Grand Rapids, MN Estimated	10	+100%
73	New Ulm, MN Estimated	10	-33.3%
76	White Bear Lake, MN Estimated	9	+28.6%
76	Willmar, MN Estimated	9	0%
78	Anoka, MN Estimated	8	-78.9%
78	Roseville, MN Estimated	8	-20%
80	St. Peter, MN Estimated	7	-30%
81	Mendota Heights, MN Estimated	6	-33.3%
81	Shoreview, MN Estimated	6	+20%
83	Albert Lea, MN Estimated	5	+25%
83	Golden Valley, MN Estimated	5	-50%
83	Marshall, MN Estimated	5	-64.3%
83	Winona, MN Estimated	5	+150%
87	Bloomington, MN Estimated	4	+100%
87	St. Louis Park, MN Estimated	4	-20%
89	Brooklyn Park, MN Estimated	3	-81.3%
89	Hopkins, MN Estimated	3	+50%
89	Maplewood, MN Estimated	3	-57.1%
92	Cloquet, MN Estimated	2	0%
93	Brooklyn Center, MN Estimated	1	-50%
93	Columbia Heights, MN Estimated	1	n/a
93	Crystal, MN Estimated	1	-66.7%
93	Mounds View, MN Estimated	1	n/a
93	Worthington, MN Estimated	1	-92.3%
98	Fairmont, MN Estimated	0	-100%
98	Fridley, MN Estimated	0	-100%
98	New Hope, MN Estimated	0	-100%
98	Richfield, MN Estimated	0	-100%
98	Robbinsdale, MN Estimated	0	-100%
98	South St. Paul, 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/mw2023a.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. (2024). 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, 2023) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/Midwest%20Region/mw2023a.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, 2023. U.S. Census Bureau, 24 Apr. 2024, https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/Midwest%20Region/mw2023a.txt. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/single-family-building-permits/minnesota-cities?period=2023. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Census Bureau. 2024. 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, 2023. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/Midwest%20Region/mw2023a.txt. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/single-family-building-permits/minnesota-cities?period=2023.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2024) 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, 2023 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/Midwest%20Region/mw2023a.txt, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/single-family-building-permits/minnesota-cities?period=2023 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX

@misc{census_cities_in_minnesota_by_2023,
  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, 2023}},
  year = {2024},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/Midwest%20Region/mw2023a.txt},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/single-family-building-permits/minnesota-cities?period=2023. 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/mw2023a.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, 2023
PY  - 2024
DA  - 2024/04/24
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/Midwest%20Region/mw2023a.txt
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/single-family-building-permits/minnesota-cities?period=2023
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/single-family-building-permits/minnesota-cities?period=2023.
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/mw2023a.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -

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Questions

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

Lakeville, MN, with 484 in 2023, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

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

South St. Paul, MN, with 0 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 estimates of new privately owned housing units in 1-unit structures authorized by permit-issuing place, including imputation. Retrieved 2026-10-12.