Cities in New Jersey by single-family housing units authorized by building permits

Jersey City, NJ had the highest single-family housing units authorized by building permits of 117 cities in 2021, at 245. Woodland Park, NJ had the lowest, at 0. The median was 9. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest245Jersey City, NJ

Lowest0Woodland Park, NJ

Median9117 cities

Top 40 cities, 2021

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	2021 count	Change on 2020
1	Jersey City, NJ Estimated	245	+88.5%
2	Wood-Ridge, NJ Estimated	165	+89.7%
3	Fair Lawn, NJ Estimated	162	+51.4%
4	West New York, NJ Estimated	147	+88.5%
5	Long Branch, NJ Estimated	138	-36.1%
6	Florham Park, NJ Estimated	132	+20%
7	Franklin Lakes, NJ Estimated	110	-17.3%
8	Ocean City, NJ Estimated	107	+62.1%
9	Tenafly, NJ Estimated	100	-13%
10	Point Pleasant, NJ Estimated	51	-3.8%
11	Asbury Park, NJ Estimated	50	+138.1%
12	Millville, NJ Estimated	49	+390%
13	Linden, NJ Estimated	47	+88%
14	Tinton Falls, NJ Estimated	46	-71.6%
15	Paramus, NJ Estimated	45	+9.8%
16	Montvale, NJ Estimated	40	+73.9%
17	Manville, NJ Estimated	29	+31.8%
17	Westfield, NJ Estimated	29	-25.6%
19	Glassboro, NJ Estimated	28	+833.3%
20	East Orange, NJ Estimated	27	+80%
20	Vineland, NJ Estimated	27	-62.5%
22	Summit, NJ Estimated	23	+35.3%
23	Beachwood, NJ Estimated	22	+175%
23	Passaic, NJ Estimated	22	+22.2%
23	Sayreville, NJ Estimated	22	-35.3%
23	Waldwick, NJ Estimated	22	-4.3%
27	South Plainfield, NJ Estimated	20	-35.5%
28	Ringwood, NJ Estimated	19	+46.2%
29	Haddonfield, NJ Estimated	18	+800%
29	Lindenwold, NJ Estimated	18	+38.5%
31	Fort Lee, NJ Estimated	17	-15%
32	New Milford, NJ Estimated	16	+45.5%
32	Palisades Park, NJ Estimated	16	+33.3%
32	Rutherford, NJ Estimated	16	+128.6%
35	Elmwood Park, NJ Estimated	15	-28.6%
35	Paterson, NJ Estimated	15	+36.4%
35	Rahway, NJ Estimated	15	0%
35	Somerville, NJ Estimated	15	+650%
39	Chatham, NJ Estimated	14	-48.1%
39	Cliffside Park, NJ Estimated	14	-36.4%
39	Hammonton, NJ Estimated	14	+27.3%
39	Ridgefield, NJ Estimated	14	+7.7%
39	Somers Point, NJ Estimated	14	+7.7%
44	Metuchen, NJ Estimated	13	-7.1%
44	River Edge, NJ Estimated	13	0%
46	Bound Brook, NJ Estimated	12	+33.3%
46	Camden, NJ Estimated	12	+9.1%
46	Clifton, NJ Estimated	12	-29.4%
46	Middlesex, NJ Estimated	12	+9.1%
46	Morristown, NJ Estimated	12	+9.1%
46	Ridgewood, NJ Estimated	12	-14.3%
46	Westwood, NJ Estimated	12	+33.3%
53	Kinnelon, NJ Estimated	11	+83.3%
53	Madison, NJ Estimated	11	-66.7%
55	Eatontown, NJ Estimated	9	+800%
55	Englewood, NJ Estimated	9	+125%
55	Hasbrouck Heights, NJ Estimated	9	+200%
55	Hillsdale, NJ Estimated	9	+50%
55	Hoboken, NJ Estimated	9	+200%
55	Ridgefield Park, NJ Estimated	9	+12.5%
61	Atlantic City, NJ Estimated	8	+14.3%
61	Pleasantville, NJ Estimated	8	+60%
63	Bergenfield, NJ Estimated	7	+16.7%
63	Glen Rock, NJ Estimated	7	-12.5%
63	Hawthorne, NJ Estimated	7	-22.2%
63	Hopatcong, NJ Estimated	7	+133.3%
63	South River, NJ Estimated	7	+250%
68	Bayonne, NJ Estimated	6	0%
68	Highland Park, NJ Estimated	6	+200%
68	New Providence, NJ Estimated	6	+20%
68	North Plainfield, NJ Estimated	6	+50%
72	Carteret, NJ Estimated	5	+25%
72	Dumont, NJ Estimated	5	+400%
72	Perth Amboy, NJ Estimated	5	+25%
75	Edgewater, NJ Estimated	4	+33.3%
75	Elizabeth, NJ Estimated	4	-84.6%
75	Maywood, NJ Estimated	4	n/a
75	Plainfield, NJ Estimated	4	+100%
75	Ramsey, NJ Estimated	4	n/a
75	Red Bank, NJ Estimated	4	-42.9%
75	South Amboy, NJ Estimated	4	-33.3%
82	Dover, NJ Estimated	3	0%
82	Little Ferry, NJ Estimated	3	-78.6%
82	New Brunswick, NJ Estimated	3	0%
82	Oakland, NJ Estimated	3	0%
82	Pine Hill, NJ Estimated	3	+50%
82	Roselle, NJ Estimated	3	-40%
82	Secaucus, NJ Estimated	3	-50%
82	Woodbury, NJ Estimated	3	+50%
90	Phillipsburg, NJ Estimated	2	-33.3%
90	Wanaque, NJ Estimated	2	n/a
92	Bellmawr, NJ Estimated	1	-50%
92	East Rutherford, NJ Estimated	1	0%
92	Freehold, NJ Estimated	1	n/a
92	Garfield, NJ Estimated	1	-92.9%
92	Hackettstown, NJ Estimated	1	0%
92	Newark, NJ Estimated	1	-50%
92	Roselle Park, NJ Estimated	1	n/a
92	Trenton, NJ Estimated	1	n/a
100	Bridgeton, NJ Estimated	0	-100%
100	Burlington, NJ Estimated	0	n/a
100	Collingswood, NJ Estimated	0	n/a
100	Fairview, NJ Estimated	0	n/a
100	Gloucester City, NJ Estimated	0	n/a
100	Guttenberg, NJ Estimated	0	n/a
100	Hackensack, NJ Estimated	0	n/a
100	Harrison, NJ Estimated	0	-100%
100	Kearny, NJ Estimated	0	-100%
100	Lincoln Park, NJ Estimated	0	n/a
100	Lodi, NJ Estimated	0	n/a
100	North Arlington, NJ Estimated	0	n/a
100	Pompton Lakes, NJ Estimated	0	-100%
100	Princeton, NJ Estimated	0	-100%
100	Totowa, NJ Estimated	0	-100%
100	Union City, NJ Estimated	0	-100%
100	Wallington, NJ Estimated	0	-100%
100	Woodland Park, NJ 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/Northeast%20Region/ne2021a.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. (2022). 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 New Jersey by single-family housing units authorized by building permits, 2021) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/Northeast%20Region/ne2021a.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 New Jersey by single-family housing units authorized by building permits, 2021. U.S. Census Bureau, 27 Apr. 2022, https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/Northeast%20Region/ne2021a.txt. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/single-family-building-permits/new-jersey-cities?period=2021. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Census Bureau. 2022. 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 New Jersey by single-family housing units authorized by building permits, 2021. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/Northeast%20Region/ne2021a.txt. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/single-family-building-permits/new-jersey-cities?period=2021.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2022) 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 New Jersey by single-family housing units authorized by building permits, 2021 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/Northeast%20Region/ne2021a.txt, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/single-family-building-permits/new-jersey-cities?period=2021 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX

@misc{census_cities_in_new_jersey_2021,
  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 New Jersey by single-family housing units authorized by building permits, 2021}},
  year = {2022},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/Northeast%20Region/ne2021a.txt},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/single-family-building-permits/new-jersey-cities?period=2021. 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/Northeast\%20Region/ne2021a.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 New Jersey by single-family housing units authorized by building permits, 2021
PY  - 2022
DA  - 2022/04/27
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/Northeast%20Region/ne2021a.txt
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/single-family-building-permits/new-jersey-cities?period=2021
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/single-family-building-permits/new-jersey-cities?period=2021.
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/Northeast%20Region/ne2021a.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -

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Questions

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

Jersey City, NJ, with 245 in 2021, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

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

Woodland Park, NJ, with 0 in 2021.

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.