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 2017, at 5,326. Pampa, TX had the lowest, at 0. The median was 100. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest5,326Houston, TX

Lowest0Pampa, TX

Median100252 cities

Top 40 cities, 2017

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	2017 count	Change on 2016
1	Houston, TX Estimated	5,326	+27.8%
2	Fort Worth, TX Estimated	5,042	+45.8%
3	Austin, TX Estimated	4,440	+19.8%
4	McKinney, TX Estimated	2,526	+14.4%
5	San Antonio, TX Estimated	2,489	+15.7%
6	Dallas, TX Estimated	2,100	+28%
7	El Paso, TX Estimated	2,020	+0.3%
8	Frisco, TX Estimated	1,935	-12.2%
9	Leander, TX Estimated	1,608	+3.7%
10	Lubbock, TX Estimated	1,455	+22%
11	New Braunfels, TX Estimated	1,305	+20.4%
12	Laredo, TX Estimated	1,061	+12.3%
13	Little Elm, TX Estimated	1,047	-3.1%
14	Pearland, TX Estimated	943	-21.5%
15	Conroe, TX Estimated	935	+51.3%
16	Celina, TX Estimated	891	+46.5%
17	Denton, TX Estimated	871	+53.1%
18	Georgetown, TX Estimated	852	+24.7%
19	League City, TX Estimated	776	-18.7%
20	Prosper, TX Estimated	774	+15%
21	Midland, TX Estimated	761	+20.4%
22	Fulshear, TX Estimated	736	-12.9%
23	Round Rock, TX Estimated	715	+57.8%
24	Corpus Christi, TX Estimated	706	-36.6%
25	Midlothian, TX Estimated	676	+42.6%
26	Forney, TX Estimated	655	+134.8%
27	Fate, TX Estimated	651	+84.4%
28	Irving, TX Estimated	648	+3.7%
29	Manor, TX Estimated	633	+71.1%
30	Temple, TX Estimated	623	+12.7%
31	Killeen, TX Estimated	615	-11.1%
32	College Station, TX Estimated	594	-19.2%
33	Kyle, TX Estimated	590	+2.4%
34	Manvel, TX Estimated	588	+37.7%
35	Princeton, TX Estimated	585	+154.3%
36	Brownsville, TX Estimated	575	+1.2%
37	Wylie, TX Estimated	572	+38.2%
38	Waxahachie, TX Estimated	546	+28.8%
39	Waco, TX Estimated	514	+26%
40	Mansfield, TX Estimated	505	+36.5%
41	Anna, TX Estimated	501	+126.7%
42	Edinburg, TX Estimated	499	+20.5%
43	Odessa, TX Estimated	492	+9.8%
44	Amarillo, TX Estimated	479	-23.4%
45	Arlington, TX Estimated	475	+67.8%
46	Flower Mound, TX Estimated	467	+17.6%
47	Bryan, TX Estimated	465	+18.6%
48	McAllen, TX Estimated	438	-2.7%
49	Allen, TX Estimated	435	-2.7%
50	Schertz, TX Estimated	433	+64%
51	San Marcos, TX Estimated	419	+19%
52	Katy, TX Estimated	417	+15.2%
53	Pflugerville, TX Estimated	403	-13.5%
53	Rockwall, TX Estimated	403	+23.6%
55	Cedar Park, TX Estimated	399	-25.4%
56	The Colony, TX Estimated	397	+100.5%
57	Texas City, TX Estimated	379	+101.6%
58	Melissa, TX Estimated	337	+49.1%
59	Boerne, TX Estimated	327	+33.5%
60	Dripping Springs, TX Estimated	317	+18.3%
61	Plano, TX Estimated	315	-35.8%
62	Tyler, TX Estimated	313	+2.6%
63	Lakeway, TX Estimated	312	+11%
64	Cibolo, TX Estimated	308	-18.3%
65	Carrollton, TX Estimated	301	-2.3%
66	Hutto, TX Estimated	297	-19.1%
67	Mission, TX Estimated	287	+2.1%
68	Burleson, TX Estimated	279	-17.9%
69	Rosenberg, TX Estimated	276	-29.9%
70	Abilene, TX Estimated	273	-7.1%
71	Grand Prairie, TX Estimated	257	-34.4%
72	Lewisville, TX Estimated	242	-37.9%
73	Weatherford, TX Estimated	241	+18.1%
74	Seguin, TX Estimated	237	-6%
75	Baytown, TX Estimated	235	-19.8%
76	North Richland Hills, TX Estimated	226	-4.2%
77	Liberty Hill, TX Estimated	219	+90.4%
78	Saginaw, TX Estimated	209	+43.2%
79	Socorro, TX Estimated	208	+184.9%
80	Converse, TX Estimated	207	+20.3%
81	Galveston, TX Estimated	206	+33.8%
82	Lago Vista, TX Estimated	202	+75.7%
83	Northlake, TX Estimated	197	+20.9%
84	San Angelo, TX Estimated	193	+12.2%
85	Royse City, TX Estimated	192	+9.1%
86	Weslaco, TX Estimated	191	+2.1%
87	Missouri City, TX Estimated	188	-42.9%
88	Friendswood, TX Estimated	180	+4%
89	Iowa Colony, TX Estimated	177	+941.2%
90	Garland, TX Estimated	171	-32.7%
91	Sherman, TX Estimated	170	+68.3%
92	Harlingen, TX Estimated	164	0%
93	Pharr, TX Estimated	163	-10.9%
94	Greenville, TX Estimated	162	+14.1%
95	Euless, TX Estimated	161	-13%
96	Rowlett, TX Estimated	160	-40.5%
97	Lancaster, TX Estimated	159	+18.7%
98	Sugar Land, TX Estimated	158	-2.5%
99	Southlake, TX Estimated	157	-21.1%
100	Alvin, TX Estimated	156	+97.5%
101	DeSoto, TX Estimated	154	-36.1%
102	Denison, TX Estimated	153	+33%
102	Mont Belvieu, TX Estimated	153	+21.4%
104	Buda, TX Estimated	152	-57.1%
105	San Juan, TX Estimated	147	+65.2%
106	Fair Oaks Ranch, TX Estimated	144	-7.1%
107	Lavon, TX Estimated	143	+521.7%
107	Sanger, TX Estimated	143	+58.9%
109	Colleyville, TX Estimated	137	-12.7%
110	Richardson, TX Estimated	134	+71.8%
111	Red Oak, TX Estimated	130	+62.5%
111	Sachse, TX Estimated	130	-52.2%
113	Harker Heights, TX Estimated	129	-12.2%
113	Heath, TX Estimated	129	-2.3%
115	Beaumont, TX Estimated	127	-18.6%
115	Belton, TX Estimated	127	+56.8%
115	Horizon City, TX Estimated	127	+25.7%
118	Longview, TX Estimated	126	-1.6%
119	Copperas Cove, TX Estimated	124	-10.8%
120	Azle, TX Estimated	121	-33.5%
121	Lumberton, TX Estimated	116	+50.6%
122	Granbury, TX Estimated	114	+16.3%
122	Helotes, TX Estimated	114	+5.6%
124	Roanoke, TX Estimated	109	+5.8%
125	Keller, TX Estimated	105	-23.9%
126	Rockport, TX Estimated	101	+13.5%
127	Bastrop, TX Estimated	99	+45.6%
128	Portland, TX Estimated	98	-2%
129	Alton, TX Estimated	97	+11.5%
130	Cleburne, TX Estimated	94	+118.6%
130	Crowley, TX Estimated	94	+1.1%
132	Coppell, TX Estimated	91	-35.5%
132	Selma, TX Estimated	91	-38.5%
134	Seagoville, TX Estimated	89	-36%
135	Duncanville, TX Estimated	84	+546.2%
136	Brenham, TX Estimated	83	+15.3%
136	Wichita Falls, TX Estimated	83	+16.9%
138	Bellaire, TX Estimated	82	+34.4%
139	Hidalgo, TX Estimated	81	+26.6%
140	Benbrook, TX Estimated	80	-40.3%
141	Dayton, TX Estimated	76	+33.3%
142	Lake Jackson, TX Estimated	75	+4.2%
143	Kennedale, TX Estimated	73	+247.6%
144	University Park, TX Estimated	72	-22.6%
145	Del Rio, TX Estimated	70	+11.1%
146	Glenn Heights, TX Estimated	69	-66.3%
147	Fairview, TX Estimated	68	+13.3%
148	Alamo, TX Estimated	67	+9.8%
148	Mesquite, TX Estimated	67	+97.1%
150	Balch Springs, TX Estimated	66	-17.5%
150	Universal City, TX Estimated	66	+83.3%
152	Eagle Pass, TX Estimated	63	-1.6%
152	Nederland, TX Estimated	63	+37%
154	Canyon, TX Estimated	62	-16.2%
155	Corinth, TX Estimated	61	+56.4%
155	Providence Village, TX Estimated	61	+7%
157	Huntsville, TX Estimated	58	+34.9%
157	La Marque, TX Estimated	58	-62.6%
159	Dickinson, TX Estimated	57	-24%
159	Victoria, TX Estimated	57	-8.1%
161	Webster, TX Estimated	56	+51.4%
162	Bellmead, TX Estimated	54	+17.4%
162	Ennis, TX Estimated	54	-5.3%
162	Fredericksburg, TX Estimated	54	+10.2%
162	Taylor, TX Estimated	54	+58.8%
162	Tomball, TX Estimated	54	+80%
167	Hewitt, TX Estimated	53	+1.9%
167	Pasadena, TX Estimated	53	-47%
169	Cedar Hill, TX Estimated	52	-22.4%
170	Deer Park, TX Estimated	51	-7.3%
170	Mercedes, TX Estimated	51	-32.9%
170	Port Arthur, TX Estimated	51	-34.6%
173	Trophy Club, TX Estimated	49	-43.7%
174	La Porte, TX Estimated	48	-25%
175	Grapevine, TX Estimated	47	-46%
176	West University Place, TX Estimated	46	+21.1%
177	Elgin, TX Estimated	44	-26.7%
178	Robinson, TX Estimated	42	-14.3%
178	Santa Fe, TX Estimated	42	+5%
178	White Settlement, TX Estimated	42	+200%
181	Gainesville, TX Estimated	39	+21.9%
182	Clute, TX Estimated	38	-17.4%
182	Kerrville, TX Estimated	38	-35.6%
184	Donna, TX Estimated	37	+19.4%
185	Angleton, TX Estimated	35	-28.6%
186	Terrell, TX Estimated	34	-8.1%
187	Bedford, TX Estimated	33	+153.8%
187	Freeport, TX Estimated	33	+10%
187	Lufkin, TX Estimated	33	-28.3%
187	Seabrook, TX Estimated	33	+94.1%
187	Stephenville, TX Estimated	33	-8.3%
192	Gatesville, TX Estimated	32	+88.2%
192	Texarkana, TX Estimated	32	0%
194	Lockhart, TX Estimated	31	-70.5%
195	Bay City, TX Estimated	30	0%
196	Brownwood, TX Estimated	29	+26.1%
197	Athens, TX Estimated	27	n/a
198	Groves, TX Estimated	26	-21.2%
198	Mount Pleasant, TX Estimated	26	+36.8%
200	Kaufman, TX Estimated	25	0%
200	Orange, TX Estimated	25	+31.6%
202	Palmview, TX Estimated	24	+41.2%
202	Port Neches, TX Estimated	24	-11.1%
204	Big Spring, TX Estimated	22	+4.8%
204	Highland Village, TX Estimated	22	0%
206	Kilgore, TX Estimated	21	+16.7%
206	Murphy, TX Estimated	21	-70.8%
206	Sulphur Springs, TX Estimated	21	+110%
209	Josephine, TX Estimated	20	-84%
209	Uvalde, TX Estimated	20	+5.3%
211	Ingleside, TX Estimated	19	-34.5%
211	Pleasanton, TX Estimated	19	+11.8%
213	Andrews, TX Estimated	18	+125%
213	Paris, TX Estimated	18	+28.6%
215	Bonham, TX Estimated	17	-19%
215	Farmers Branch, TX Estimated	17	-32%
217	Port Lavaca, TX Estimated	16	+77.8%
218	Corsicana, TX Estimated	15	+36.4%
218	San Benito, TX Estimated	15	-76.2%
220	Marshall, TX Estimated	14	-26.3%
221	Humble, TX Estimated	13	+62.5%
222	Alice, TX Estimated	11	+10%
222	Forest Hill, TX Estimated	11	+10%
224	Hurst, TX Estimated	10	+42.9%
224	Palestine, TX Estimated	10	+11.1%
224	South Houston, TX Estimated	10	-16.7%
227	Burkburnett, TX Estimated	9	0%
228	Beeville, TX Estimated	8	+14.3%
228	El Campo, TX Estimated	8	-33.3%
228	Haltom City, TX Estimated	8	-50%
228	Leon Valley, TX Estimated	8	+60%
228	Snyder, TX Estimated	8	0%
233	Levelland, TX Estimated	6	0%
234	Kingsville, TX Estimated	5	-44.4%
235	Jacksonville, TX Estimated	4	0%
235	Mineral Wells, TX Estimated	4	-55.6%
235	Stafford, TX Estimated	4	-89.5%
238	Dumas, TX Estimated	3	-66.7%
238	Plainview, TX Estimated	3	-25%
238	Sweetwater, TX Estimated	3	+200%
241	Henderson, TX Estimated	2	0%
241	Live Oak, TX Estimated	2	+100%
241	Nacogdoches, TX Estimated	2	-91.7%
241	Raymondville, TX Estimated	2	0%
241	Robstown, TX Estimated	2	n/a
246	Addison, TX Estimated	1	n/a
246	Hereford, TX Estimated	1	-50%
246	Richmond, TX Estimated	1	-75%
246	Watauga, TX Estimated	1	0%
250	Borger, 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 2017 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/so2017a.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. (2018). 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, 2017) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/South%20Region/so2017a.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, 2017. U.S. Census Bureau, 1 May 2018, https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/South%20Region/so2017a.txt. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/single-family-building-permits/texas-cities?period=2017. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Census Bureau. 2018. 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, 2017. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/South%20Region/so2017a.txt. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/single-family-building-permits/texas-cities?period=2017.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2018) 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, 2017 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/South%20Region/so2017a.txt, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/single-family-building-permits/texas-cities?period=2017 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX

@misc{census_cities_in_texas_by_2017,
  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, 2017}},
  year = {2018},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/South%20Region/so2017a.txt},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/single-family-building-permits/texas-cities?period=2017. 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/so2017a.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, 2017
PY  - 2018
DA  - 2018/05/01
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/South%20Region/so2017a.txt
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/single-family-building-permits/texas-cities?period=2017
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/single-family-building-permits/texas-cities?period=2017.
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/so2017a.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 5,326 in 2017, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

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

Pampa, TX, with 0 in 2017.

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 2017 and are not ranked.