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

Houston, TX had the highest single-family housing units authorized by building permits of 252 cities in 2015, at 5,112. Sweetwater, TX had the lowest, at 0. The median was 96. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest5,112Houston, TX

Lowest0Sweetwater, TX

Median96252 cities

Top 40 cities, 2015

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	2015 count	Change on 2014
1	Houston, TX Estimated	5,112	-5.3%
2	Fort Worth, TX Estimated	3,416	+9.5%
3	Austin, TX Estimated	2,846	+1.6%
4	El Paso, TX Estimated	2,282	+12.9%
5	Frisco, TX Estimated	2,280	+5.3%
6	San Antonio, TX Estimated	2,217	-2.3%
7	McKinney, TX Estimated	2,090	+22.4%
8	Dallas, TX Estimated	1,455	+23.2%
9	Pearland, TX Estimated	1,386	+29.8%
10	Georgetown, TX Estimated	1,267	+4.9%
11	Leander, TX Estimated	1,178	+9.2%
12	League City, TX Estimated	1,135	+14.6%
13	Little Elm, TX Estimated	1,102	+23.5%
14	Corpus Christi, TX Estimated	1,077	-8.9%
15	Laredo, TX Estimated	1,032	+8.2%
16	New Braunfels, TX Estimated	929	-11.9%
17	Lubbock, TX Estimated	889	+0.1%
18	College Station, TX Estimated	860	+19.1%
19	Killeen, TX Estimated	814	-1.8%
20	Fulshear, TX Estimated	783	+32.9%
21	Denton, TX Estimated	761	+16.2%
21	Midland, TX Estimated	761	-17%
23	Prosper, TX Estimated	659	+18.3%
24	Conroe, TX Estimated	648	-25.6%
25	Schertz, TX Estimated	575	+92.3%
26	Irving, TX Estimated	539	+10%
27	Kyle, TX Estimated	523	+3.6%
27	Wylie, TX Estimated	523	+108.4%
29	Brownsville, TX Estimated	519	-5.5%
30	McAllen, TX Estimated	515	+25%
31	Amarillo, TX Estimated	502	+7%
32	Grand Prairie, TX Estimated	473	+20.1%
33	Odessa, TX Estimated	468	+8.8%
34	Allen, TX Estimated	466	-7.4%
35	Flower Mound, TX Estimated	460	+29.6%
35	Plano, TX Estimated	460	-12.2%
37	Temple, TX Estimated	450	-27.3%
38	Cedar Park, TX Estimated	439	-26.3%
39	Pflugerville, TX Estimated	427	-28.5%
40	Midlothian, TX Estimated	414	+48.9%
41	Cibolo, TX Estimated	412	+8.7%
42	Burleson, TX Estimated	401	-2.9%
43	Buda, TX Estimated	398	-8.9%
44	Rockwall, TX Estimated	388	+45.9%
45	Arlington, TX Estimated	379	-19.4%
45	Waco, TX Estimated	379	-1.6%
47	Melissa, TX Estimated	375	+52.4%
48	Rosenberg, TX Estimated	372	+50%
49	Round Rock, TX Estimated	365	-12.9%
50	Edinburg, TX Estimated	363	+28.7%
51	Waxahachie, TX Estimated	347	+10.5%
52	Carrollton, TX Estimated	345	-5%
53	Katy, TX Estimated	340	+85.8%
54	Manvel, TX Estimated	336	+8.4%
55	Lewisville, TX Estimated	332	+83.4%
56	Mansfield, TX Estimated	320	+42.9%
57	Hutto, TX Estimated	309	-28%
58	Mission, TX Estimated	302	+1%
59	Abilene, TX Estimated	299	+7.6%
60	The Colony, TX Estimated	292	+279.2%
61	Tyler, TX Estimated	279	+4.1%
62	San Marcos, TX Estimated	277	+14%
63	DeSoto, TX Estimated	274	+67.1%
64	Southlake, TX Estimated	273	+35.1%
65	Bryan, TX Estimated	271	+16.3%
66	Lakeway, TX Estimated	267	+9.4%
67	Sachse, TX Estimated	260	-7.1%
68	Missouri City, TX Estimated	254	-43%
69	Princeton, TX Estimated	244	-3.2%
70	Anna, TX Estimated	242	-18.2%
71	San Angelo, TX Estimated	236	+3.1%
72	Manor, TX Estimated	229	+6%
73	Royse City, TX Estimated	227	-2.6%
74	Keller, TX Estimated	218	-35.7%
75	Fate, TX Estimated	216	-23.7%
76	La Marque, TX Estimated	213	+47.9%
77	Harker Heights, TX Estimated	211	+3.9%
77	Pharr, TX Estimated	211	-15.6%
79	Seguin, TX Estimated	209	+140.2%
80	Coppell, TX Estimated	203	+72%
81	Weatherford, TX Estimated	199	+2.1%
82	Rowlett, TX Estimated	198	+73.7%
83	Colleyville, TX Estimated	196	+79.8%
84	Baytown, TX Estimated	190	0%
84	Boerne, TX Estimated	190	-21.5%
86	Beaumont, TX Estimated	185	-47.7%
87	Galveston, TX Estimated	179	-35.8%
87	Longview, TX Estimated	179	+6.5%
89	Roanoke, TX Estimated	178	+13.4%
90	Texas City, TX Estimated	177	-51.4%
91	Alvin, TX Estimated	175	+32.6%
92	Euless, TX Estimated	166	+59.6%
93	Selma, TX Estimated	164	+0.6%
94	Garland, TX Estimated	162	-10%
94	Red Oak, TX Estimated	162	+20%
96	Weslaco, TX Estimated	159	+11.2%
97	Trophy Club, TX Estimated	158	-7.1%
98	Lancaster, TX Estimated	155	+74.2%
99	Fair Oaks Ranch, TX Estimated	154	+8.5%
100	Port Arthur, TX Estimated	153	-37.8%
101	Friendswood, TX Estimated	152	-19.6%
101	North Richland Hills, TX Estimated	152	+60%
103	Converse, TX Estimated	151	-34.3%
104	Sugar Land, TX Estimated	143	-18.3%
105	Harlingen, TX Estimated	142	+15.4%
106	Mont Belvieu, TX Estimated	137	-6.2%
107	Victoria, TX Estimated	136	-16.6%
108	Celina, TX Estimated	135	-32.5%
109	Azle, TX Estimated	129	+200%
110	Sherman, TX Estimated	128	+7.6%
111	Socorro, TX Estimated	126	-18.7%
112	Granbury, TX Estimated	125	+20.2%
113	Copperas Cove, TX Estimated	124	+26.5%
113	Saginaw, TX Estimated	124	+61%
115	Glenn Heights, TX Estimated	119	+417.4%
115	Pasadena, TX Estimated	119	+56.6%
117	Seagoville, TX Estimated	117	+160%
118	Providence Village, TX Estimated	115	+0.9%
119	Richardson, TX Estimated	114	+20%
120	Grapevine, TX Estimated	109	-7.6%
121	Portland, TX Estimated	108	+13.7%
122	Benbrook, TX Estimated	106	+120.8%
123	University Park, TX Estimated	102	-4.7%
124	Cedar Hill, TX Estimated	99	-6.6%
125	Deer Park, TX Estimated	98	+66.1%
126	Forney, TX Estimated	96	-28.9%
126	Sanger, TX Estimated	96	+182.4%
128	Big Spring, TX Estimated	95	+227.6%
129	Liberty Hill, TX Estimated	93	-34%
130	Bellaire, TX Estimated	92	-23.3%
130	San Juan, TX Estimated	92	-16.4%
132	Northlake, TX Estimated	91	+2,933.3%
133	Rockport, TX Estimated	88	+1.1%
134	La Porte, TX Estimated	87	+40.3%
135	Alton, TX Estimated	84	+42.4%
136	Belton, TX Estimated	81	-8%
136	Heath, TX Estimated	81	+15.7%
138	Lumberton, TX Estimated	80	-10.1%
139	Eagle Pass, TX Estimated	79	+12.9%
139	Lavon, TX Estimated	79	-20.2%
141	Dripping Springs, TX Estimated	78	-4.9%
142	Elgin, TX Estimated	77	-8.3%
143	Josephine, TX Estimated	74	+640%
144	Clute, TX Estimated	71	+136.7%
145	Horizon City, TX Estimated	68	+106.1%
146	Universal City, TX Estimated	67	+857.1%
147	Lago Vista, TX Estimated	66	+50%
148	Kerrville, TX Estimated	63	-3.1%
149	Denison, TX Estimated	61	+454.5%
150	Hidalgo, TX Estimated	59	+5.4%
151	Greenville, TX Estimated	58	+31.8%
151	San Benito, TX Estimated	58	+20.8%
151	Wichita Falls, TX Estimated	58	-21.6%
154	West University Place, TX Estimated	57	-14.9%
155	Del Rio, TX Estimated	53	-3.6%
156	Cleburne, TX Estimated	52	+108%
156	Tomball, TX Estimated	52	-51.4%
158	Brenham, TX Estimated	51	-38.6%
158	Huntsville, TX Estimated	51	-36.3%
160	Hewitt, TX Estimated	50	+6.4%
161	Kennedale, TX Estimated	49	-50.5%
162	Terrell, TX Estimated	48	+41.2%
163	Canyon, TX Estimated	47	+113.6%
164	Kingsville, TX Estimated	44	+22.2%
165	Alamo, TX Estimated	43	-27.1%
165	Lockhart, TX Estimated	43	-46.3%
165	Nederland, TX Estimated	43	+4.9%
168	Bellmead, TX Estimated	42	+23.5%
168	Donna, TX Estimated	42	+27.3%
168	Santa Fe, TX Estimated	42	-17.6%
171	Corinth, TX Estimated	41	+78.3%
171	Fredericksburg, TX Estimated	41	+5.1%
173	Bay City, TX Estimated	36	-76%
173	White Settlement, TX Estimated	36	+2.9%
175	Angleton, TX Estimated	34	+36%
175	Crowley, TX Estimated	34	-46.9%
175	Dickinson, TX Estimated	34	-59.5%
178	Lufkin, TX Estimated	33	-31.3%
178	Murphy, TX Estimated	33	-64.9%
180	Taylor, TX Estimated	32	-3%
181	Mercedes, TX Estimated	31	+34.8%
181	Port Neches, TX Estimated	31	+63.2%
183	Orange, TX Estimated	30	+7.1%
183	Stephenville, TX Estimated	30	-28.6%
185	Bedford, TX Estimated	29	-3.3%
186	Seabrook, TX Estimated	28	+55.6%
187	Gainesville, TX Estimated	27	+50%
187	Mesquite, TX Estimated	27	+145.5%
189	Pleasanton, TX Estimated	26	-21.2%
190	Lake Jackson, TX Estimated	25	+212.5%
190	Robinson, TX Estimated	25	-39%
192	Bastrop, TX Estimated	24	-69.2%
192	Helotes, TX Estimated	24	-38.5%
194	Andrews, TX Estimated	22	-58.5%
194	Ennis, TX Estimated	22	-18.5%
194	Ingleside, TX Estimated	22	-24.1%
197	Palmview, TX Estimated	21	+16.7%
198	Fairview, TX Estimated	20	-39.4%
198	Mount Pleasant, TX Estimated	20	-9.1%
198	Uvalde, TX Estimated	20	+53.8%
201	Groves, TX Estimated	19	+72.7%
202	Gatesville, TX Estimated	18	+12.5%
202	Webster, TX Estimated	18	-18.2%
204	Balch Springs, TX Estimated	17	+54.5%
204	Corsicana, TX Estimated	17	+54.5%
204	Live Oak, TX Estimated	17	0%
204	Texarkana, TX Estimated	17	-79.3%
208	Dayton, TX Estimated	16	0%
208	Duncanville, TX Estimated	16	+14.3%
208	Farmers Branch, TX Estimated	16	-42.9%
211	Iowa Colony, TX Estimated	15	+25%
212	Kaufman, TX Estimated	14	+1,300%
212	Stafford, TX Estimated	14	-56.3%
214	Henderson, TX Estimated	13	+333.3%
214	Nacogdoches, TX Estimated	13	-59.4%
216	Alice, TX Estimated	12	-50%
216	Dumas, TX Estimated	12	-7.7%
216	Paris, TX Estimated	12	-14.3%
216	South Houston, TX Estimated	12	+33.3%
220	Burkburnett, TX Estimated	11	-8.3%
220	Freeport, TX Estimated	11	+83.3%
220	Humble, TX Estimated	11	-42.1%
220	Marshall, TX Estimated	11	-38.9%
224	Athens, TX Estimated	10	+150%
224	Leon Valley, TX Estimated	10	+11.1%
224	Sulphur Springs, TX Estimated	10	+25%
227	El Campo, TX Estimated	9	+50%
227	Forest Hill, TX Estimated	9	+200%
227	Raymondville, TX Estimated	9	-83.3%
230	Brownwood, TX Estimated	8	-20%
230	Haltom City, TX Estimated	8	+100%
232	Beeville, TX Estimated	7	-36.4%
232	Highland Village, TX Estimated	7	-61.1%
232	Mineral Wells, TX Estimated	7	+40%
235	Bonham, TX Estimated	6	-14.3%
235	Hurst, TX Estimated	6	-45.5%
235	Richmond, TX Estimated	6	-78.6%
235	Snyder, TX Estimated	6	-25%
239	Kilgore, TX Estimated	5	-77.3%
239	Plainview, TX Estimated	5	+66.7%
241	Jacksonville, TX Estimated	3	0%
241	Palestine, TX Estimated	3	+50%
243	Hereford, TX Estimated	2	0%
243	Levelland, TX Estimated	2	-84.6%
243	Pampa, TX Estimated	2	-33.3%
243	Watauga, TX Estimated	2	-66.7%
247	Galena Park, TX Estimated	1	-66.7%
247	Port Lavaca, TX Estimated	1	-91.7%
249	Addison, TX Estimated	0	-100%
249	Borger, TX Estimated	0	n/a

Showing the top 250 of 252. The Excel download has every row.

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. 1 cities with data in other periods have no value for 2015 and are left out rather than filled from another source. 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/so2015a.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. (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 Texas by single-family housing units authorized by building permits, 2015) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/South%20Region/so2015a.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 Texas by single-family housing units authorized by building permits, 2015. U.S. Census Bureau, 30 Sept. 2016, https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/South%20Region/so2015a.txt. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/single-family-building-permits/texas-cities?period=2015. 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 Texas by single-family housing units authorized by building permits, 2015. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/South%20Region/so2015a.txt. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/single-family-building-permits/texas-cities?period=2015.

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 Texas by single-family housing units authorized by building permits, 2015 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/South%20Region/so2015a.txt, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/single-family-building-permits/texas-cities?period=2015 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX

@misc{census_cities_in_texas_by_2015,
  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 Texas by single-family housing units authorized by building permits, 2015}},
  year = {2016},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/South%20Region/so2015a.txt},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/single-family-building-permits/texas-cities?period=2015. 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/so2015a.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 Texas by single-family housing units authorized by building permits, 2015
PY  - 2016
DA  - 2016/09/30
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/South%20Region/so2015a.txt
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/single-family-building-permits/texas-cities?period=2015
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/single-family-building-permits/texas-cities?period=2015.
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/so2015a.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -

Embed this chart

Paste this code into a web page or a blog post. The chart shows the latest figures as they are published, with the source and a link back to this page.

Embed code

<iframe src="https://invokely.ai/embed/rankings/single-family-building-permits/texas-cities?period=2015" width="760" height="500" title="Cities in Texas by single-family housing units authorized by building permits, 2015, chart from Invokely" loading="lazy" style="border:0;width:100%;max-width:760px" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin"></iframe>

Sites that read oEmbed links, such as WordPress, can show the chart when you paste the link to this page.

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 Texas 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":"Texas","limit":10}
GET https://invokely.ai/api/v1/rank?indicator=building_permit_single_family_units&level=municipality&within=Texas&limit=10

Connect Claude, ChatGPT or Cursor in one step. The trial answers 25 calls a day without an account.

Questions

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

Houston, TX, with 5,112 in 2015, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

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

Sweetwater, TX, with 0 in 2015.

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. 1 cities have no value for 2015 and are not ranked.