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 3006 cities in 2017, at 5,326. Ypsilanti, MI had the lowest, at 0. The median was 37. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest5,326Houston, TX

Lowest0Ypsilanti, MI

Median373006 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	Jacksonville, FL Estimated	3,005	+12.2%
5	Phoenix, AZ Estimated	2,932	+18.3%
6	Oklahoma City, OK Estimated	2,707	-6.6%
7	McKinney, TX Estimated	2,526	+14.4%
8	San Antonio, TX Estimated	2,489	+15.7%
9	Henderson, NV Estimated	2,398	+7.9%
10	Denver, CO Estimated	2,370	+25.6%
11	Los Angeles, CA Estimated	2,360	+31.4%
12	Mesa, AZ Estimated	2,251	+6.5%
13	Buckeye, AZ Estimated	2,195	+44.3%
14	Dallas, TX Estimated	2,100	+28%
15	El Paso, TX Estimated	2,020	+0.3%
16	Frisco, TX Estimated	1,935	-12.2%
17	Cape Coral, FL Estimated	1,842	+27.7%
18	Durham, NC Estimated	1,783	+8.3%
19	Peoria, AZ Estimated	1,731	+5.8%
20	Sacramento, CA Estimated	1,728	+69.9%
21	Irvine, CA Estimated	1,715	+17.4%
22	Aurora, CO Estimated	1,660	+23.5%
23	Leander, TX Estimated	1,608	+3.7%
24	Las Vegas, NV Estimated	1,605	+10.4%
25	Gilbert, AZ Estimated	1,599	-0.1%
26	Meridian, ID Estimated	1,594	+7.6%
27	Bakersfield, CA Estimated	1,542	+15.2%
28	Omaha, NE Estimated	1,533	+7.4%
29	Port St. Lucie, FL Estimated	1,465	+31.5%
30	Lubbock, TX Estimated	1,455	+22%
31	Apex, NC Estimated	1,388	+44.7%
32	Raleigh, NC Estimated	1,365	-3.3%
33	New Braunfels, TX Estimated	1,305	+20.4%
34	Herriman, UT Estimated	1,295	+40.3%
35	Murfreesboro, TN Estimated	1,200	-5.1%
36	Sioux Falls, SD Estimated	1,192	+12.6%
37	Roseville, CA Estimated	1,191	+38.2%
38	Winston-Salem, NC Estimated	1,183	+161.1%
39	Huntsville, AL Estimated	1,144	+4.9%
40	San Diego, CA Estimated	1,138	+38.3%
41	Reno, NV Estimated	1,124	+6.1%
42	Goodyear, AZ Estimated	1,095	+10.2%
43	Albuquerque, NM Estimated	1,088	+19.2%
44	Chesapeake, VA Estimated	1,077	+10.2%
45	Queen Creek, AZ Estimated	1,076	-1.8%
46	Cary, NC Estimated	1,069	+2.6%
47	North Port, FL Estimated	1,064	+19.6%
48	Laredo, TX Estimated	1,061	+12.3%
49	Little Elm, TX Estimated	1,047	-3.1%
50	Bluffton, SC Estimated	1,036	+16.3%
51	Tampa, FL Estimated	1,010	+8.1%
52	Lincoln, NE Estimated	994	+7.1%
53	Dublin, CA Estimated	966	+59.4%
54	Bend, OR Estimated	946	-6.7%
55	Pearland, TX Estimated	943	-21.5%
55	St. George, UT Estimated	943	+18.5%
57	Conroe, TX Estimated	935	+51.3%
58	Lehi, UT Estimated	934	+51.6%
59	Atlanta, GA Estimated	922	+7.8%
60	North Las Vegas, NV Estimated	916	+15.4%
61	Castle Rock, CO Estimated	907	+17%
62	Celina, TX Estimated	891	+46.5%
63	Denton, TX Estimated	871	+53.1%
64	Georgetown, TX Estimated	852	+24.7%
65	Maricopa, AZ Estimated	844	+61.1%
66	South Jordan, UT Estimated	843	-1.4%
66	Wichita, KS Estimated	843	+35.1%
68	Thornton, CO Estimated	832	0%
69	Orlando, FL Estimated	828	+13.4%
70	Kansas City, MO Estimated	824	-0.1%
71	Wake Forest, NC Estimated	817	+60.2%
72	Surprise, AZ Estimated	816	+56%
73	Spring Hill, TN Estimated	813	+14.8%
74	Boise City, ID Estimated	810	+18.8%
75	Clarksville, TN Estimated	806	+2.3%
76	Anchorage, AK Estimated	800	+11.3%
77	Westfield, IN Estimated	796	+13.9%
78	Marana, AZ Estimated	788	+32.2%
79	Philadelphia, PA Estimated	783	-13.4%
80	League City, TX Estimated	776	-18.7%
80	Mount Pleasant, SC Estimated	776	-19.1%
82	Prosper, TX Estimated	774	+15%
83	Vineyard, UT Estimated	768	+33.1%
84	Charleston, SC Estimated	766	+10.7%
84	Clovis, CA Estimated	766	-29.5%
86	Lake Forest, CA Estimated	763	+48.7%
87	Fort Myers, FL Estimated	761	-15.2%
87	Midland, TX Estimated	761	+20.4%
89	Fort Mill, SC Estimated	756	+11.2%
90	Lexington, KY Estimated	743	+10.9%
91	Ankeny, IA Estimated	742	-26.7%
92	Beaumont, CA Estimated	741	+64.7%
93	St. Cloud, FL Estimated	739	-16.6%
94	Fulshear, TX Estimated	736	-12.9%
95	Greensboro, NC Estimated	728	+32.6%
96	Rocklin, CA Estimated	722	+28.7%
97	Menifee, CA Estimated	717	+26.9%
98	Round Rock, TX Estimated	715	+57.8%
99	Tucson, AZ Estimated	709	-0.6%
100	Corpus Christi, TX Estimated	706	-36.6%
100	Eagle Mountain, UT Estimated	706	+0.7%
102	Winter Haven, FL Estimated	705	+62.8%
103	Portland, OR Estimated	703	-15.4%
104	Fresno, CA Estimated	680	-32.3%
105	Midlothian, TX Estimated	676	+42.6%
106	Fishers, IN Estimated	675	+28.1%
106	Franklin, TN Estimated	675	-23.1%
108	Eagle, ID Estimated	671	+36.1%
109	Manteca, CA Estimated	660	+11.3%
110	Fort Collins, CO Estimated	657	+34.6%
111	Forney, TX Estimated	655	+134.8%
112	Fate, TX Estimated	651	+84.4%
113	Columbus, OH Estimated	650	+0.2%
114	Ontario, CA Estimated	649	+44.9%
115	Irving, TX Estimated	648	+3.7%
116	Virginia Beach, VA Estimated	646	-15.9%
117	Holly Springs, NC Estimated	633	-8.3%
117	Manor, TX Estimated	633	+71.1%
119	Palm Coast, FL Estimated	631	+17.3%
120	North Charleston, SC Estimated	629	+22.1%
121	Temple, TX Estimated	623	+12.7%
122	Saratoga Springs, UT Estimated	620	-17.6%
123	Fuquay-Varina, NC Estimated	619	+1.1%
123	Washington, UT Estimated	619	+58.7%
125	Chandler, AZ Estimated	616	-48.8%
126	Killeen, TX Estimated	615	-11.1%
127	Jurupa Valley, CA Estimated	614	+19.9%
128	Sparks, NV Estimated	602	+22.9%
129	Arvada, CO Estimated	598	-30.1%
130	College Station, TX Estimated	594	-19.2%
131	Seattle, WA Estimated	593	-25.6%
132	Little Rock, AR Estimated	592	+79.4%
133	Chino, CA Estimated	590	+59.5%
133	Kyle, TX Estimated	590	+2.4%
135	Manvel, TX Estimated	588	+37.7%
136	Princeton, TX Estimated	585	+154.3%
137	Leland, NC Estimated	579	+20.6%
137	Olathe, KS Estimated	579	+3%
139	Brownsville, TX Estimated	575	+1.2%
140	Auburn, AL Estimated	573	+15.3%
140	Wentzville, MO Estimated	573	-14.1%
142	Wylie, TX Estimated	572	+38.2%
143	Nampa, ID Estimated	566	+15%
144	Clayton, NC Estimated	564	+9.7%
144	Lake Elsinore, CA Estimated	564	-3.6%
144	Palm Bay, FL Estimated	564	+31.5%
147	Fontana, CA Estimated	562	+22.7%
148	Scottsdale, AZ Estimated	560	+4.9%
149	Madison, AL Estimated	558	+13.9%
150	Commerce City, CO Estimated	556	+25.8%
151	Waxahachie, TX Estimated	546	+28.8%
152	Chula Vista, CA Estimated	533	+519.8%
153	Myrtle Beach, SC Estimated	531	+34.4%
154	Rio Rancho, NM Estimated	530	-24.1%
155	Edmond, OK Estimated	526	+33.5%
156	Chicago, IL Estimated	525	-14.4%
157	Yuma, AZ Estimated	522	+16.3%
158	Hollister, CA Estimated	519	+56.8%
159	Visalia, CA Estimated	517	-15.7%
160	Chattanooga, TN Estimated	515	-10.7%
161	Lakeville, MN Estimated	514	+13.2%
161	Suffolk, VA Estimated	514	+30.1%
161	Waco, TX Estimated	514	+26%
164	Overland Park, KS Estimated	512	+19.3%
165	Winter Garden, FL Estimated	509	+24.1%
166	Kuna, ID Estimated	508	+36.6%
167	Brentwood, CA Estimated	506	-9.5%
167	Gallatin, TN Estimated	506	-8.2%
169	Mansfield, TX Estimated	505	+36.5%
170	Mount Juliet, TN Estimated	503	+17.5%
171	Anna, TX Estimated	501	+126.7%
172	Broken Arrow, OK Estimated	499	+11.4%
172	Edinburg, TX Estimated	499	+20.5%
174	Prescott Valley, AZ Estimated	497	+5.3%
175	Windsor, CO Estimated	496	+67.6%
176	Erie, CO Estimated	494	+13.8%
177	Odessa, TX Estimated	492	+9.8%
178	Bonita Springs, FL Estimated	490	+28.3%
179	New York, NY Estimated	483	-13.9%
180	Amarillo, TX Estimated	479	-23.4%
181	Caldwell, ID Estimated	478	-11%
181	Las Cruces, NM Estimated	478	+14.4%
183	Kissimmee, FL Estimated	477	+26.2%
184	Arlington, TX Estimated	475	+67.8%
185	Lebanon, TN Estimated	474	+49.1%
186	Pasco, WA Estimated	468	+20.9%
187	Flower Mound, TX Estimated	467	+17.6%
187	Noblesville, IN Estimated	467	-2.7%
189	Bryan, TX Estimated	465	+18.6%
190	Bluffdale, UT Estimated	463	-9%
191	Bentonville, AR Estimated	459	-22.7%
192	Fayetteville, AR Estimated	457	-5%
193	Carmel, IN Estimated	452	+6.9%
193	West Jordan, UT Estimated	452	+17.4%
195	Moreno Valley, CA Estimated	451	+351%
196	New Orleans, LA Estimated	447	+59.6%
197	Fargo, ND Estimated	444	-6.3%
198	Santa Clarita, CA Estimated	440	+2.6%
199	McAllen, TX Estimated	438	-2.7%
200	Rochester, MN Estimated	437	+8.4%
201	Parkland, FL Estimated	436	-1.8%
202	Allen, TX Estimated	435	-2.7%
203	Berthoud, CO Estimated	434	+247.2%
204	Lakeland, FL Estimated	433	+45.8%
204	Schertz, TX Estimated	433	+64%
206	Billings, MT Estimated	432	-17.7%
207	Greer, SC Estimated	429	-17.7%
207	Norfolk, VA Estimated	429	+13.5%
209	Tigard, OR Estimated	426	+19.7%
210	Clermont, FL Estimated	420	-13.2%
211	San Marcos, TX Estimated	419	+19%
212	Katy, TX Estimated	417	+15.2%
213	Sunnyvale, CA Estimated	416	+77.8%
214	Hayward, CA Estimated	414	-12.7%
214	Parker, CO Estimated	414	+34%
216	McDonough, GA Estimated	413	+31.9%
217	Gainesville, GA Estimated	408	-7.5%
218	Valdosta, GA Estimated	407	-4%
219	DeLand, FL Estimated	406	+11.8%
219	Rogers, AR Estimated	406	-1.2%
221	St. Petersburg, FL Estimated	404	0%
222	Bozeman, MT Estimated	403	+8%
222	Columbia, MO Estimated	403	-29%
222	Pflugerville, TX Estimated	403	-13.5%
222	Rockwall, TX Estimated	403	+23.6%
226	Elk Grove, CA Estimated	402	-11.6%
226	Groveland, FL Estimated	402	+6.3%
228	Cedar Park, TX Estimated	399	-25.4%
228	Plymouth, MN Estimated	399	+31.7%
230	Broomfield, CO Estimated	398	-23.9%
231	Lake Charles, LA Estimated	397	+10.9%
231	The Colony, TX Estimated	397	+100.5%
233	Lee's Summit, MO Estimated	396	+18.9%
234	Columbia, TN Estimated	395	+37.6%
234	San Marcos, CA Estimated	395	+393.8%
236	Tulsa, OK Estimated	389	-10.8%
237	Savannah, GA Estimated	384	+28%
238	Milpitas, CA Estimated	383	+268.3%
239	Canton, GA Estimated	379	+21.9%
239	Madison, WI Estimated	379	+11.5%
239	Tallahassee, FL Estimated	379	+14.8%
239	Texas City, TX Estimated	379	+101.6%
243	Chino Hills, CA Estimated	377	+216.8%
244	Apopka, FL Estimated	374	+0.3%
244	Hurricane, UT Estimated	374	+2.2%
246	Bellevue, WA Estimated	373	+56.7%
247	Sandy Springs, GA Estimated	372	+82.4%
248	Southaven, MS Estimated	371	+9.1%
249	Hendersonville, TN Estimated	370	+32.6%
250	Fairhope, AL Estimated	367	+5.5%

Showing the top 250 of 3006. 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. 81 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 (US cities 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, US cities 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/us-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. US cities 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/us-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, US cities 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/us-cities?period=2017 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX

@misc{census_us_cities_by_single_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: US cities 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/us-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: US cities 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/us-cities?period=2017
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/single-family-building-permits/us-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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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?

Ypsilanti, MI, 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. 81 cities have no value for 2017 and are not ranked.