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

Columbia, MO had the highest single-family housing units authorized by building permits of 77 cities in 2024, at 461. St. Ann, MO had the lowest, at 0. The median was 27. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest461Columbia, MO

Lowest0St. Ann, MO

Median2777 cities

Top 40 cities, 2024

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	2024 count	Change on 2023
1	Columbia, MO Estimated	461	+46.8%
2	Kansas City, MO Estimated	429	-44.7%
3	Wentzville, MO Estimated	319	+19.5%
4	O'Fallon, MO Estimated	306	+39.1%
5	Lee's Summit, MO Estimated	298	+91%
6	Republic, MO Estimated	280	+12.4%
7	St. Charles, MO Estimated	195	-25%
8	Blue Springs, MO Estimated	194	+57.7%
9	Nixa, MO Estimated	170	-17.1%
10	Ozark, MO Estimated	166	+11.4%
11	Joplin, MO Estimated	165	+71.9%
12	Washington, MO Estimated	162	+211.5%
13	Raymore, MO Estimated	153	-15%
14	Springfield, MO Estimated	113	+50.7%
15	Union, MO Estimated	109	+16%
16	Smithville, MO Estimated	92	+178.8%
17	Belton, MO Estimated	86	+186.7%
17	Eureka, MO Estimated	86	+59.3%
19	Bolivar, MO Estimated	84	+40%
20	Liberty, MO Estimated	75	+63%
21	Dardenne Prairie, MO Estimated	69	+1.5%
22	St. Louis, MO Estimated	56	+9.8%
23	Kirkwood, MO Estimated	54	+35%
24	Neosho, MO Estimated	51	-3.8%
25	Branson, MO Estimated	50	-3.8%
25	Troy, MO Estimated	50	+28.2%
27	Independence, MO Estimated	48	-11.1%
28	Cape Girardeau, MO Estimated	46	+17.9%
29	Kearney, MO Estimated	43	+87%
30	Festus, MO Estimated	42	-22.2%
31	Carthage, MO Estimated	41	0%
31	Lebanon, MO Estimated	41	-42.3%
33	Rolla, MO Estimated	35	-30%
34	Jackson, MO Estimated	30	-23.1%
34	St. Joseph, MO Estimated	30	-6.3%
36	Lake St. Louis, MO Estimated	29	-54.7%
37	Florissant, MO Estimated	28	n/a
37	Jennings, MO Estimated	28	-17.6%
39	Kennett, MO Estimated	27	+8%
40	Sedalia, MO Estimated	24	+50%
41	Farmington, MO Estimated	23	-14.8%
41	West Plains, MO Estimated	23	+15%
43	Mexico, MO Estimated	22	+4.8%
43	Webb City, MO Estimated	22	-46.3%
45	Moberly, MO Estimated	21	-52.3%
46	Arnold, MO Estimated	19	+18.8%
46	Excelsior Springs, MO Estimated	19	+58.3%
46	Jefferson City, MO Estimated	19	+18.8%
49	Kirksville, MO Estimated	18	0%
49	Town and Country, MO Estimated	18	+5.9%
51	Fulton, MO Estimated	15	0%
52	St. Peters, MO Estimated	14	-65.9%
53	Creve Coeur, MO Estimated	13	+225%
53	Webster Groves, MO Estimated	13	+44.4%
55	Harrisonville, MO Estimated	11	-50%
55	Monett, MO Estimated	11	+83.3%
57	Grain Valley, MO Estimated	9	-85%
58	Grandview, MO Estimated	8	0%
59	Clayton, MO Estimated	7	+40%
59	Poplar Bluff, MO Estimated	7	-12.5%
59	Sikeston, MO Estimated	7	-61.1%
59	Warrensburg, MO Estimated	7	-30%
63	Maryland Heights, MO Estimated	6	n/a
64	Maryville, MO Estimated	5	0%
65	Gladstone, MO Estimated	3	-25%
65	Marshall, MO Estimated	3	+50%
65	University City, MO Estimated	3	0%
68	Bridgeton, MO Estimated	2	n/a
68	Overland, MO Estimated	2	-66.7%
70	Ballwin, MO Estimated	1	-66.7%
70	Ellisville, MO Estimated	1	-91.7%
70	Hazelwood, MO Estimated	1	-88.9%
70	Raytown, MO Estimated	1	-75%
74	Bellefontaine Neighbors, MO Estimated	0	n/a
74	Ferguson, MO Estimated	0	n/a
74	Hannibal, MO Estimated	0	n/a
74	St. Ann, MO 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/mw2024a.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 Missouri by single-family housing units authorized by building permits, 2024) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/Midwest%20Region/mw2024a.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 Missouri by single-family housing units authorized by building permits, 2024. U.S. Census Bureau, 1 May 2025, https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/Midwest%20Region/mw2024a.txt. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/single-family-building-permits/missouri-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 Missouri by single-family housing units authorized by building permits, 2024. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/Midwest%20Region/mw2024a.txt. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/single-family-building-permits/missouri-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 Missouri by single-family housing units authorized by building permits, 2024 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/Midwest%20Region/mw2024a.txt, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/single-family-building-permits/missouri-cities?period=2024 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX

@misc{census_cities_in_missouri_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 Missouri by single-family housing units authorized by building permits, 2024}},
  year = {2025},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/Midwest%20Region/mw2024a.txt},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/single-family-building-permits/missouri-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/Midwest\%20Region/mw2024a.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 Missouri 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/Midwest%20Region/mw2024a.txt
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/single-family-building-permits/missouri-cities?period=2024
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/single-family-building-permits/missouri-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/Midwest%20Region/mw2024a.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -

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Questions

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

Columbia, MO, with 461 in 2024, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

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

St. Ann, MO, 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.