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 2016, at 4,169. Robstown, TX had the lowest, at 0. The median was 93. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest4,169Houston, TX

Lowest0Robstown, TX

Median93252 cities

Top 40 cities, 2016

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	2016 count	Change on 2015
1	Houston, TX Estimated	4,169	-18.4%
2	Austin, TX Estimated	3,705	+30.2%
3	Fort Worth, TX Estimated	3,459	+1.3%
4	McKinney, TX Estimated	2,208	+5.6%
5	Frisco, TX Estimated	2,204	-3.3%
6	San Antonio, TX Estimated	2,152	-2.9%
7	El Paso, TX Estimated	2,014	-11.7%
8	Dallas, TX Estimated	1,640	+12.7%
9	Leander, TX Estimated	1,551	+31.7%
10	Pearland, TX Estimated	1,201	-13.3%
11	Lubbock, TX Estimated	1,193	+34.2%
12	Corpus Christi, TX Estimated	1,113	+3.3%
13	New Braunfels, TX Estimated	1,084	+16.7%
14	Little Elm, TX Estimated	1,081	-1.9%
15	League City, TX Estimated	955	-15.9%
16	Laredo, TX Estimated	945	-8.4%
17	Fulshear, TX Estimated	845	+7.9%
18	College Station, TX Estimated	735	-14.5%
19	Killeen, TX Estimated	692	-15%
20	Georgetown, TX Estimated	683	-46.1%
21	Prosper, TX Estimated	673	+2.1%
22	Midland, TX Estimated	632	-17%
23	Amarillo, TX Estimated	625	+24.5%
23	Irving, TX Estimated	625	+16%
25	Conroe, TX Estimated	618	-4.6%
26	Celina, TX Estimated	608	+350.4%
27	Kyle, TX Estimated	576	+10.1%
28	Denton, TX Estimated	569	-25.2%
29	Brownsville, TX Estimated	568	+9.4%
30	Temple, TX Estimated	553	+22.9%
31	Cedar Park, TX Estimated	535	+21.9%
32	Plano, TX Estimated	491	+6.7%
33	Midlothian, TX Estimated	474	+14.5%
34	Pflugerville, TX Estimated	466	+9.1%
35	Round Rock, TX Estimated	453	+24.1%
36	McAllen, TX Estimated	450	-12.6%
37	Odessa, TX Estimated	448	-4.3%
38	Allen, TX Estimated	447	-4.1%
39	Manvel, TX Estimated	427	+27.1%
40	Waxahachie, TX Estimated	424	+22.2%
41	Edinburg, TX Estimated	414	+14%
41	Wylie, TX Estimated	414	-20.8%
43	Waco, TX Estimated	408	+7.7%
44	Flower Mound, TX Estimated	397	-13.7%
45	Rosenberg, TX Estimated	394	+5.9%
46	Bryan, TX Estimated	392	+44.6%
46	Grand Prairie, TX Estimated	392	-17.1%
48	Lewisville, TX Estimated	390	+17.5%
49	Cibolo, TX Estimated	377	-8.5%
50	Manor, TX Estimated	370	+61.6%
50	Mansfield, TX Estimated	370	+15.6%
52	Hutto, TX Estimated	367	+18.8%
53	Katy, TX Estimated	362	+6.5%
54	Buda, TX Estimated	354	-11.1%
55	Fate, TX Estimated	353	+63.4%
56	San Marcos, TX Estimated	352	+27.1%
57	Burleson, TX Estimated	340	-15.2%
58	Missouri City, TX Estimated	329	+29.5%
59	Rockwall, TX Estimated	326	-16%
60	Carrollton, TX Estimated	308	-10.7%
61	Tyler, TX Estimated	305	+9.3%
62	Abilene, TX Estimated	294	-1.7%
63	Baytown, TX Estimated	293	+54.2%
64	Arlington, TX Estimated	283	-25.3%
65	Lakeway, TX Estimated	281	+5.2%
65	Mission, TX Estimated	281	-7%
67	Forney, TX Estimated	279	+190.6%
68	Sachse, TX Estimated	272	+4.6%
69	Rowlett, TX Estimated	269	+35.9%
70	Dripping Springs, TX Estimated	268	+243.6%
71	Schertz, TX Estimated	264	-54.1%
72	Garland, TX Estimated	254	+56.8%
73	Seguin, TX Estimated	252	+20.6%
74	Boerne, TX Estimated	245	+28.9%
75	DeSoto, TX Estimated	241	-12%
76	North Richland Hills, TX Estimated	236	+55.3%
77	Princeton, TX Estimated	230	-5.7%
78	Melissa, TX Estimated	226	-39.7%
79	Anna, TX Estimated	221	-8.7%
80	Glenn Heights, TX Estimated	205	+72.3%
81	Weatherford, TX Estimated	204	+2.5%
82	Southlake, TX Estimated	199	-27.1%
83	The Colony, TX Estimated	198	-32.2%
84	Texas City, TX Estimated	188	+6.2%
85	Weslaco, TX Estimated	187	+17.6%
86	Euless, TX Estimated	185	+11.4%
87	Pharr, TX Estimated	183	-13.3%
88	Azle, TX Estimated	182	+41.1%
89	Royse City, TX Estimated	176	-22.5%
90	Friendswood, TX Estimated	173	+13.8%
91	Converse, TX Estimated	172	+13.9%
91	San Angelo, TX Estimated	172	-27.1%
93	Harlingen, TX Estimated	164	+15.5%
94	Northlake, TX Estimated	163	+79.1%
95	Sugar Land, TX Estimated	162	+13.3%
96	Colleyville, TX Estimated	157	-19.9%
97	Beaumont, TX Estimated	156	-15.7%
98	Fair Oaks Ranch, TX Estimated	155	+0.6%
98	La Marque, TX Estimated	155	-27.2%
100	Galveston, TX Estimated	154	-14%
101	Selma, TX Estimated	148	-9.8%
102	Harker Heights, TX Estimated	147	-30.3%
103	Saginaw, TX Estimated	146	+17.7%
104	Greenville, TX Estimated	142	+144.8%
105	Coppell, TX Estimated	141	-30.5%
106	Copperas Cove, TX Estimated	139	+12.1%
106	Seagoville, TX Estimated	139	+18.8%
108	Keller, TX Estimated	138	-36.7%
109	Benbrook, TX Estimated	134	+26.4%
109	Lancaster, TX Estimated	134	-13.5%
111	Heath, TX Estimated	132	+63%
112	Longview, TX Estimated	128	-28.5%
113	Mont Belvieu, TX Estimated	126	-8%
114	Josephine, TX Estimated	125	+68.9%
115	Denison, TX Estimated	115	+88.5%
115	Lago Vista, TX Estimated	115	+74.2%
115	Liberty Hill, TX Estimated	115	+23.7%
118	Helotes, TX Estimated	108	+350%
119	Lockhart, TX Estimated	105	+144.2%
120	Roanoke, TX Estimated	103	-42.1%
121	Horizon City, TX Estimated	101	+48.5%
121	Sherman, TX Estimated	101	-21.1%
123	Pasadena, TX Estimated	100	-16%
123	Portland, TX Estimated	100	-7.4%
125	Granbury, TX Estimated	98	-21.6%
126	Crowley, TX Estimated	93	+173.5%
126	University Park, TX Estimated	93	-8.8%
128	Sanger, TX Estimated	90	-6.3%
129	Rockport, TX Estimated	89	+1.1%
129	San Juan, TX Estimated	89	-3.3%
131	Alton, TX Estimated	87	+3.6%
131	Grapevine, TX Estimated	87	-20.2%
131	Trophy Club, TX Estimated	87	-44.9%
134	Belton, TX Estimated	81	0%
135	Balch Springs, TX Estimated	80	+370.6%
135	Red Oak, TX Estimated	80	-50.6%
137	Alvin, TX Estimated	79	-54.9%
138	Port Arthur, TX Estimated	78	-49%
138	Richardson, TX Estimated	78	-31.6%
140	Lumberton, TX Estimated	77	-3.8%
141	Mercedes, TX Estimated	76	+145.2%
142	Dickinson, TX Estimated	75	+120.6%
143	Canyon, TX Estimated	74	+57.4%
144	Socorro, TX Estimated	73	-42.1%
145	Brenham, TX Estimated	72	+41.2%
145	Lake Jackson, TX Estimated	72	+188%
145	Murphy, TX Estimated	72	+118.2%
148	Wichita Falls, TX Estimated	71	+22.4%
149	Bastrop, TX Estimated	68	+183.3%
150	Cedar Hill, TX Estimated	67	-32.3%
151	Eagle Pass, TX Estimated	64	-19%
151	Hidalgo, TX Estimated	64	+8.5%
151	La Porte, TX Estimated	64	-26.4%
154	Del Rio, TX Estimated	63	+18.9%
154	San Benito, TX Estimated	63	+8.6%
156	Victoria, TX Estimated	62	-54.4%
157	Alamo, TX Estimated	61	+41.9%
157	Bellaire, TX Estimated	61	-33.7%
159	Elgin, TX Estimated	60	-22.1%
159	Fairview, TX Estimated	60	+200%
161	Kerrville, TX Estimated	59	-6.3%
162	Dayton, TX Estimated	57	+256.3%
162	Ennis, TX Estimated	57	+159.1%
162	Providence Village, TX Estimated	57	-50.4%
165	Deer Park, TX Estimated	55	-43.9%
166	Hewitt, TX Estimated	52	+4%
167	Angleton, TX Estimated	49	+44.1%
167	Fredericksburg, TX Estimated	49	+19.5%
167	Robinson, TX Estimated	49	+96%
170	Bellmead, TX Estimated	46	+9.5%
170	Clute, TX Estimated	46	-35.2%
170	Lufkin, TX Estimated	46	+39.4%
170	Nederland, TX Estimated	46	+7%
174	Cleburne, TX Estimated	43	-17.3%
174	Huntsville, TX Estimated	43	-15.7%
176	Santa Fe, TX Estimated	40	-4.8%
177	Corinth, TX Estimated	39	-4.9%
178	Stafford, TX Estimated	38	+171.4%
178	West University Place, TX Estimated	38	-33.3%
180	Terrell, TX Estimated	37	-22.9%
180	Webster, TX Estimated	37	+105.6%
182	Stephenville, TX Estimated	36	+20%
182	Universal City, TX Estimated	36	-46.3%
184	Mesquite, TX Estimated	34	+25.9%
184	Taylor, TX Estimated	34	+6.3%
186	Groves, TX Estimated	33	+73.7%
187	Gainesville, TX Estimated	32	+18.5%
187	Texarkana, TX Estimated	32	+88.2%
189	Donna, TX Estimated	31	-26.2%
190	Bay City, TX Estimated	30	-16.7%
190	Freeport, TX Estimated	30	+172.7%
190	Tomball, TX Estimated	30	-42.3%
193	Ingleside, TX Estimated	29	+31.8%
194	Port Neches, TX Estimated	27	-12.9%
195	Farmers Branch, TX Estimated	25	+56.3%
195	Kaufman, TX Estimated	25	+78.6%
197	Nacogdoches, TX Estimated	24	+84.6%
198	Brownwood, TX Estimated	23	+187.5%
198	Lavon, TX Estimated	23	-70.9%
200	Highland Village, TX Estimated	22	+214.3%
201	Big Spring, TX Estimated	21	-77.9%
201	Bonham, TX Estimated	21	+250%
201	Kennedale, TX Estimated	21	-57.1%
204	Marshall, TX Estimated	19	+72.7%
204	Mount Pleasant, TX Estimated	19	-5%
204	Orange, TX Estimated	19	-36.7%
204	Uvalde, TX Estimated	19	-5%
208	Kilgore, TX Estimated	18	+260%
209	Gatesville, TX Estimated	17	-5.6%
209	Iowa Colony, TX Estimated	17	+13.3%
209	Palmview, TX Estimated	17	-19%
209	Pleasanton, TX Estimated	17	-34.6%
209	Seabrook, TX Estimated	17	-39.3%
214	Haltom City, TX Estimated	16	+100%
215	Paris, TX Estimated	14	+16.7%
215	White Settlement, TX Estimated	14	-61.1%
217	Bedford, TX Estimated	13	-55.2%
217	Duncanville, TX Estimated	13	-18.8%
219	El Campo, TX Estimated	12	+33.3%
219	South Houston, TX Estimated	12	0%
221	Corsicana, TX Estimated	11	-35.3%
222	Alice, TX Estimated	10	-16.7%
222	Forest Hill, TX Estimated	10	+11.1%
222	Sulphur Springs, TX Estimated	10	0%
225	Burkburnett, TX Estimated	9	-18.2%
225	Dumas, TX Estimated	9	-25%
225	Kingsville, TX Estimated	9	-79.5%
225	Mineral Wells, TX Estimated	9	+28.6%
225	Palestine, TX Estimated	9	+200%
225	Port Lavaca, TX Estimated	9	+800%
231	Andrews, TX Estimated	8	-63.6%
231	Humble, TX Estimated	8	-27.3%
231	Snyder, TX Estimated	8	+33.3%
234	Beeville, TX Estimated	7	0%
234	Hurst, TX Estimated	7	+16.7%
236	Levelland, TX Estimated	6	+200%
237	Leon Valley, TX Estimated	5	-50%
238	Jacksonville, TX Estimated	4	+33.3%
238	Plainview, TX Estimated	4	-20%
238	Richmond, TX Estimated	4	-33.3%
241	Henderson, TX Estimated	2	-84.6%
241	Hereford, TX Estimated	2	0%
241	Raymondville, TX Estimated	2	-77.8%
244	Borger, TX Estimated	1	n/a
244	Galena Park, TX Estimated	1	0%
244	Live Oak, TX Estimated	1	-94.1%
244	Sweetwater, TX Estimated	1	n/a
244	Watauga, TX Estimated	1	-50%
249	Addison, TX Estimated	0	n/a
249	Athens, TX Estimated	0	-100%

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 2016 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/so2016a.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. (2017). 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, 2016) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/South%20Region/so2016a.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, 2016. U.S. Census Bureau, 1 May 2017, https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/South%20Region/so2016a.txt. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/single-family-building-permits/texas-cities?period=2016. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Census Bureau. 2017. 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, 2016. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/South%20Region/so2016a.txt. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/single-family-building-permits/texas-cities?period=2016.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2017) 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, 2016 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/South%20Region/so2016a.txt, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/single-family-building-permits/texas-cities?period=2016 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX

@misc{census_cities_in_texas_by_2016,
  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, 2016}},
  year = {2017},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/South%20Region/so2016a.txt},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/single-family-building-permits/texas-cities?period=2016. 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/so2016a.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, 2016
PY  - 2017
DA  - 2017/05/01
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/South%20Region/so2016a.txt
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/single-family-building-permits/texas-cities?period=2016
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/single-family-building-permits/texas-cities?period=2016.
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/so2016a.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -

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rank_places {"indicator":"building_permit_single_family_units","level":"municipality","within":"Texas","limit":10}
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Questions

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

Houston, TX, with 4,169 in 2016, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

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

Robstown, TX, with 0 in 2016.

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 2016 and are not ranked.