US cities by single-family housing units authorized by building permits

Houston, TX had the highest single-family housing units authorized by building permits of 2994 cities in 2015, at 5,112. Zion, IL had the lowest, at 0. The median was 32. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest5,112Houston, TX

Lowest0Zion, IL

Median322994 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	Oklahoma City, OK Estimated	3,141	-5%
4	Austin, TX Estimated	2,846	+1.6%
5	Jacksonville, FL Estimated	2,350	+11.6%
6	El Paso, TX Estimated	2,282	+12.9%
7	Frisco, TX Estimated	2,280	+5.3%
8	Phoenix, AZ Estimated	2,265	+40.9%
9	San Antonio, TX Estimated	2,217	-2.3%
10	McKinney, TX Estimated	2,090	+22.4%
11	Denver, CO Estimated	1,847	+8%
12	Los Angeles, CA Estimated	1,834	+10%
13	Gilbert, AZ Estimated	1,819	+26.8%
14	Mesa, AZ Estimated	1,746	+73.6%
15	Henderson, NV Estimated	1,696	+34.2%
16	Las Vegas, NV Estimated	1,662	+14.4%
17	Peoria, AZ Estimated	1,589	+53.8%
18	Omaha, NE Estimated	1,498	+14.7%
19	Dallas, TX Estimated	1,455	+23.2%
20	Durham, NC Estimated	1,440	+24.8%
21	Bakersfield, CA Estimated	1,391	+8.9%
22	Pearland, TX Estimated	1,386	+29.8%
23	Irvine, CA Estimated	1,333	-14.8%
24	San Diego, CA Estimated	1,325	+86.1%
25	Georgetown, TX Estimated	1,267	+4.9%
26	Raleigh, NC Estimated	1,265	-4%
27	Goodyear, AZ Estimated	1,194	+50.8%
28	Leander, TX Estimated	1,178	+9.2%
29	Chandler, AZ Estimated	1,150	+76.1%
30	League City, TX Estimated	1,135	+14.6%
31	Buckeye, AZ Estimated	1,106	+47.7%
32	Little Elm, TX Estimated	1,102	+23.5%
33	Chesapeake, VA Estimated	1,097	+29.7%
34	Cape Coral, FL Estimated	1,090	+64.4%
35	Murfreesboro, TN Estimated	1,084	+32%
36	Corpus Christi, TX Estimated	1,077	-8.9%
37	Meridian, ID Estimated	1,056	+38.2%
37	Reno, NV Estimated	1,056	+23.1%
39	Cary, NC Estimated	1,046	-7.4%
39	Tampa, FL Estimated	1,046	+46.9%
41	Laredo, TX Estimated	1,032	+8.2%
42	Huntsville, AL Estimated	1,021	+13.8%
43	Queen Creek, AZ Estimated	987	+42.4%
44	Aurora, CO Estimated	986	+18.5%
45	Albuquerque, NM Estimated	973	-12.3%
46	Roseville, CA Estimated	967	+49.9%
47	Mount Pleasant, SC Estimated	940	+27.2%
48	New Braunfels, TX Estimated	929	-11.9%
49	Fort Myers, FL Estimated	905	+26.4%
50	Bend, OR Estimated	899	+13.7%
51	Lincoln, NE Estimated	895	+4.8%
52	Ankeny, IA Estimated	890	-8.6%
53	Lubbock, TX Estimated	889	+0.1%
54	Portland, OR Estimated	877	+10.7%
55	College Station, TX Estimated	860	+19.1%
56	Clovis, CA Estimated	852	+41.1%
57	North Port, FL Estimated	851	+52.8%
58	Orlando, FL Estimated	850	-7.1%
59	Fresno, CA Estimated	844	+31.7%
60	Herriman, UT Estimated	839	+59.8%
61	Philadelphia, PA Estimated	822	+8.7%
62	Largo, FL Estimated	820	+1,763.6%
63	Castle Rock, CO Estimated	818	-0.4%
64	Killeen, TX Estimated	814	-1.8%
65	Bluffton, SC Estimated	810	+38.5%
65	Seattle, WA Estimated	810	-9.8%
67	Fulshear, TX Estimated	783	+32.9%
67	Port St. Lucie, FL Estimated	783	+43.7%
69	Kansas City, MO Estimated	776	+18.3%
70	Denton, TX Estimated	761	+16.2%
70	Midland, TX Estimated	761	-17%
72	Atlanta, GA Estimated	760	+39.4%
73	South Jordan, UT Estimated	751	-6.8%
74	St. Cloud, FL Estimated	740	+33.6%
75	Sioux Falls, SD Estimated	738	-12.4%
76	St. George, UT Estimated	736	-2.3%
77	Arvada, CO Estimated	732	+22.6%
78	Columbus, OH Estimated	729	+0.7%
79	Fuquay-Varina, NC Estimated	728	+45.9%
80	Rio Rancho, NM Estimated	711	-4%
81	Franklin, TN Estimated	702	+47.2%
82	Virginia Beach, VA Estimated	696	+1.2%
83	Clarksville, TN Estimated	688	-19.1%
84	Apex, NC Estimated	683	+18.2%
85	Boise City, ID Estimated	675	+44.5%
86	Elk Grove, CA Estimated	665	+16.5%
87	Sparks, NV Estimated	662	+79.4%
88	Prosper, TX Estimated	659	+18.3%
89	Holly Springs, NC Estimated	657	+61.8%
90	Charleston, SC Estimated	651	+8.5%
91	Anchorage, AK Estimated	648	+13.3%
91	Conroe, TX Estimated	648	-25.6%
93	Billings, MT Estimated	641	+35.5%
94	Marana, AZ Estimated	633	-0.9%
95	North Las Vegas, NV Estimated	630	+33.8%
96	Lexington, KY Estimated	629	-8.4%
97	Wentzville, MO Estimated	616	+9.2%
98	Greensboro, NC Estimated	580	+39.8%
99	Schertz, TX Estimated	575	+92.3%
100	Westfield, IN Estimated	569	+37.1%
101	Doral, FL Estimated	568	+38.5%
101	Wichita, KS Estimated	568	+3.3%
103	Visalia, CA Estimated	552	+29.3%
104	Fort Mill, SC Estimated	549	+117%
105	Winston-Salem, NC Estimated	547	+6.4%
106	Scottsdale, AZ Estimated	540	+8.2%
106	Wake Forest, NC Estimated	540	+16.4%
108	Irving, TX Estimated	539	+10%
109	Spring Hill, TN Estimated	537	-6%
109	Surprise, AZ Estimated	537	+67.8%
109	Winter Garden, FL Estimated	537	+17.8%
112	Lehi, UT Estimated	533	+17.7%
113	Edmond, OK Estimated	530	-5.5%
114	Dublin, CA Estimated	529	-35.2%
115	Fargo, ND Estimated	526	+39.5%
116	Kyle, TX Estimated	523	+3.6%
116	Wylie, TX Estimated	523	+108.4%
118	Brownsville, TX Estimated	519	-5.5%
119	Columbia, MO Estimated	516	+16.2%
120	McAllen, TX Estimated	515	+25%
121	Greeley, CO Estimated	513	+42.1%
122	Fort Collins, CO Estimated	512	-31%
123	Bonita Springs, FL Estimated	511	-15.5%
124	Noblesville, IN Estimated	508	+14.7%
125	Thornton, CO Estimated	505	+36.5%
126	Chicago, IL Estimated	503	-6.2%
126	Fishers, IN Estimated	503	-10.8%
128	Amarillo, TX Estimated	502	+7%
129	Olathe, KS Estimated	498	+0.8%
130	Manteca, CA Estimated	494	+15.7%
131	Brentwood, CA Estimated	486	+2.1%
131	Morrisville, NC Estimated	486	+7.8%
133	Beaumont, CA Estimated	485	+6.8%
134	Bentonville, AR Estimated	484	+7.8%
135	North Charleston, SC Estimated	483	+25.1%
136	Auburn, AL Estimated	482	+12.9%
137	Norman, OK Estimated	477	-11.5%
138	West Fargo, ND Estimated	476	-12%
139	Grand Prairie, TX Estimated	473	+20.1%
140	Eagle Mountain, UT Estimated	471	+32.7%
141	New York, NY Estimated	469	-13.3%
142	Odessa, TX Estimated	468	+8.8%
143	Allen, TX Estimated	466	-7.4%
143	Madison, AL Estimated	466	+37.9%
145	Loveland, CO Estimated	464	+49.2%
146	Flower Mound, TX Estimated	460	+29.6%
146	Plano, TX Estimated	460	-12.2%
148	Chattanooga, TN Estimated	456	+30.7%
148	Fontana, CA Estimated	456	+35.7%
150	Lake Elsinore, CA Estimated	452	-7.9%
151	Temple, TX Estimated	450	-27.3%
152	Caldwell, ID Estimated	444	+8%
153	Cedar Park, TX Estimated	439	-26.3%
153	Eagle, ID Estimated	439	+10.6%
155	Sacramento, CA Estimated	438	+71.1%
156	Parkland, FL Estimated	430	-21.4%
157	Erie, CO Estimated	429	+49.5%
157	Leland, NC Estimated	429	+3.4%
159	Pflugerville, TX Estimated	427	-28.5%
160	Broken Arrow, OK Estimated	422	-13.2%
161	Gallatin, TN Estimated	418	+13.6%
161	Homestead, FL Estimated	418	+69.9%
163	Gilroy, CA Estimated	417	+71.6%
163	Prescott Valley, AZ Estimated	417	+26.7%
165	Lakeville, MN Estimated	414	+19.3%
165	Midlothian, TX Estimated	414	+48.9%
165	Scranton, PA Estimated	414	-76.1%
168	Cibolo, TX Estimated	412	+8.7%
169	Rancho Cucamonga, CA Estimated	410	+60.8%
170	Gainesville, GA Estimated	408	+61.3%
170	Menifee, CA Estimated	408	-16.7%
172	Norfolk, VA Estimated	405	+3.1%
173	Broomfield, CO Estimated	403	-8.2%
173	Rancho Cordova, CA Estimated	403	+142.8%
175	Burleson, TX Estimated	401	-2.9%
176	Buda, TX Estimated	398	-8.9%
176	Myrtle Beach, SC Estimated	398	-10.2%
178	Chino, CA Estimated	396	+33.3%
179	Rogers, AR Estimated	395	+20.4%
180	Rockwall, TX Estimated	388	+45.9%
181	Overland Park, KS Estimated	387	+0.8%
182	Fairfield, CA Estimated	383	+21.2%
182	Yuma, AZ Estimated	383	+27.7%
184	Rocklin, CA Estimated	380	+27.9%
185	Arlington, TX Estimated	379	-19.4%
185	Waco, TX Estimated	379	-1.6%
187	Fayetteville, AR Estimated	378	-31.1%
187	O'Fallon, MO Estimated	378	+9.9%
187	Woodstock, GA Estimated	378	+35%
190	Melissa, TX Estimated	375	+52.4%
191	Washington, UT Estimated	373	-5.1%
192	Las Cruces, NM Estimated	372	+29.6%
192	Rosenberg, TX Estimated	372	+50%
194	Bismarck, ND Estimated	371	-35.4%
195	West Jordan, UT Estimated	370	+31.7%
196	Vacaville, CA Estimated	369	+167.4%
196	Waukee, IA Estimated	369	+25.5%
198	Youngsville, LA Estimated	368	+4.2%
199	Vancouver, WA Estimated	366	+93.7%
200	Round Rock, TX Estimated	365	-12.9%
201	Edinburg, TX Estimated	363	+28.7%
201	Gastonia, NC Estimated	363	+54.5%
203	Suffolk, VA Estimated	362	+21.9%
204	Rochester, MN Estimated	359	+2%
205	Hoover, AL Estimated	358	-13.3%
205	Tucson, AZ Estimated	358	-30.8%
207	Nampa, ID Estimated	357	+16.7%
208	Palm Coast, FL Estimated	355	+4.7%
209	Winter Haven, FL Estimated	354	-1.4%
210	Baton Rouge, LA Estimated	352	+51.7%
210	Wilsonville, OR Estimated	352	+45.5%
212	DeLand, FL Estimated	347	+3.6%
212	Waxahachie, TX Estimated	347	+10.5%
214	Clayton, NC Estimated	346	+26.7%
215	Carrollton, TX Estimated	345	-5%
216	Tulsa, OK Estimated	344	-14.4%
217	Lathrop, CA Estimated	343	+98.3%
218	Kissimmee, FL Estimated	341	+25.8%
218	Saratoga Springs, UT Estimated	341	+47%
220	Katy, TX Estimated	340	+85.8%
221	Jersey City, NJ Estimated	338	+71.6%
221	Spokane, WA Estimated	338	+51.6%
223	Manvel, TX Estimated	336	+8.4%
223	Newnan, GA Estimated	336	+6.3%
225	Livermore, CA Estimated	334	+370.4%
226	Lewisville, TX Estimated	332	+83.4%
226	Little Rock, AR Estimated	332	-1.8%
228	Naperville, IL Estimated	328	-12.5%
228	Savannah, GA Estimated	328	-3.8%
230	Parker, CO Estimated	325	-6.6%
231	Palm Bay, FL Estimated	323	+99.4%
232	Clermont, FL Estimated	322	+22.4%
232	Maricopa, AZ Estimated	322	+13.4%
232	Santa Clarita, CA Estimated	322	+6.3%
235	Mansfield, TX Estimated	320	+42.9%
236	Lawrence, KS Estimated	319	+143.5%
237	Apopka, FL Estimated	318	+8.9%
238	Happy Valley, OR Estimated	317	-10.5%
238	Milton, GA Estimated	317	-7.8%
240	Lebanon, TN Estimated	314	+15.4%
241	Kirkland, WA Estimated	313	+29.9%
241	Lee's Summit, MO Estimated	313	-2.5%
243	Springdale, AR Estimated	312	+39.3%
244	Hutto, TX Estimated	309	-28%
245	Lacey, WA Estimated	308	-1.9%
246	Longmont, CO Estimated	307	+46.9%
247	Jurupa Valley, CA Estimated	305	+22%
247	Pasco, WA Estimated	305	+39.3%
249	Groveland, FL Estimated	304	-9.8%
250	Fairhope, AL Estimated	303	+13.9%

Showing the top 250 of 2994. 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. 93 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 (US cities 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, US cities 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/us-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. US cities 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/us-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, US cities 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/us-cities?period=2015 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX

@misc{census_us_cities_by_single_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: US cities 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/us-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: US cities 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/us-cities?period=2015
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/single-family-building-permits/us-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/us-cities?period=2015" width="760" height="500" title="US cities 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 US cities 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":"United States","limit":10}
GET https://invokely.ai/api/v1/rank?indicator=building_permit_single_family_units&level=municipality&within=United%20States&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?

Zion, IL, 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. 93 cities have no value for 2015 and are not ranked.