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

Fort Worth, TX had the highest single-family housing units authorized by building permits of 3010 cities in 2018, at 5,477. Yorktown, IN had the lowest, at 0. The median was 38. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest5,477Fort Worth, TX

Lowest0Yorktown, IN

Median383010 cities

Top 40 cities, 2018

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	2018 count	Change on 2017
1	Fort Worth, TX Estimated	5,477	+8.6%
2	Houston, TX Estimated	5,417	+1.7%
3	Austin, TX Estimated	4,433	-0.2%
4	Jacksonville, FL Estimated	3,780	+25.8%
5	Phoenix, AZ Estimated	3,732	+27.3%
6	Nashville, TN Estimated	3,560	n/a
7	San Antonio, TX Estimated	3,266	+31.2%
8	Oklahoma City, OK Estimated	2,955	+9.2%
9	Mesa, AZ Estimated	2,658	+18.1%
10	Los Angeles, CA Estimated	2,636	+11.7%
11	Denver, CO Estimated	2,428	+2.4%
12	Henderson, NV Estimated	2,373	-1%
13	McKinney, TX Estimated	2,282	-9.7%
14	Cape Coral, FL Estimated	2,245	+21.9%
15	Frisco, TX Estimated	2,205	+14%
16	Buckeye, AZ Estimated	2,194	-0%
17	Port St. Lucie, FL Estimated	2,102	+43.5%
18	Dallas, TX Estimated	2,009	-4.3%
19	Durham, NC Estimated	1,894	+6.2%
20	Irvine, CA Estimated	1,865	+8.7%
21	Meridian, ID Estimated	1,840	+15.4%
22	Las Vegas, NV Estimated	1,794	+11.8%
23	Apex, NC Estimated	1,673	+20.5%
24	Santa Rosa, CA Estimated	1,632	+603.4%
25	Sacramento, CA Estimated	1,610	-6.8%
26	El Paso, TX Estimated	1,588	-21.4%
27	North Las Vegas, NV Estimated	1,568	+71.2%
28	Leander, TX Estimated	1,540	-4.2%
29	Murfreesboro, TN Estimated	1,499	+24.9%
30	Gilbert, AZ Estimated	1,459	-8.8%
31	Aurora, CO Estimated	1,424	-14.2%
32	New Braunfels, TX Estimated	1,366	+4.7%
33	Reno, NV Estimated	1,351	+20.2%
34	Lehi, UT Estimated	1,341	+43.6%
35	Surprise, AZ Estimated	1,315	+61.2%
36	Herriman, UT Estimated	1,313	+1.4%
37	Lubbock, TX Estimated	1,304	-10.4%
37	Raleigh, NC Estimated	1,304	-4.5%
39	Queen Creek, AZ Estimated	1,296	+20.4%
40	North Port, FL Estimated	1,274	+19.7%
41	Winston-Salem, NC Estimated	1,251	+5.7%
42	Conroe, TX Estimated	1,249	+33.6%
43	Celina, TX Estimated	1,248	+40.1%
44	Goodyear, AZ Estimated	1,246	+13.8%
45	Peoria, AZ Estimated	1,245	-28.1%
46	Huntsville, AL Estimated	1,241	+8.5%
47	Omaha, NE Estimated	1,237	-19.3%
48	Midland, TX Estimated	1,222	+60.6%
49	Georgetown, TX Estimated	1,212	+42.3%
50	Atlanta, GA Estimated	1,184	+28.4%
51	Bluffton, SC Estimated	1,167	+12.6%
52	Little Elm, TX Estimated	1,162	+11%
53	Albuquerque, NM Estimated	1,115	+2.5%
54	Tampa, FL Estimated	1,109	+9.8%
55	Cary, NC Estimated	1,084	+1.4%
56	Sioux Falls, SD Estimated	1,083	-9.1%
57	Laredo, TX Estimated	1,078	+1.6%
58	Bakersfield, CA Estimated	1,061	-31.2%
59	Castle Rock, CO Estimated	1,057	+16.5%
60	Ontario, CA Estimated	1,056	+62.7%
61	Jersey City, NJ Estimated	1,026	+395.7%
62	Corpus Christi, TX Estimated	1,016	+43.9%
63	Denton, TX Estimated	1,005	+15.4%
64	Maricopa, AZ Estimated	988	+17.1%
65	St. George, UT Estimated	987	+4.7%
66	Menifee, CA Estimated	976	+36.1%
67	St. Cloud, FL Estimated	960	+29.9%
68	South Jordan, UT Estimated	955	+13.3%
69	Prosper, TX Estimated	924	+19.4%
70	Round Rock, TX Estimated	922	+29%
71	Chesapeake, VA Estimated	921	-14.5%
72	Crossville, TN Estimated	914	+220.7%
73	Westfield, IN Estimated	910	+14.3%
74	Clovis, CA Estimated	892	+16.4%
75	Princeton, TX Estimated	891	+52.3%
76	Spring Hill, TN Estimated	877	+7.9%
77	Anchorage, AK Estimated	869	+8.6%
78	Bend, OR Estimated	865	-8.6%
79	Eagle Mountain, UT Estimated	859	+21.7%
79	Lincoln, NE Estimated	859	-13.6%
81	Nampa, ID Estimated	857	+51.4%
82	Moreno Valley, CA Estimated	854	+89.4%
83	Fort Myers, FL Estimated	851	+11.8%
84	Boise City, ID Estimated	844	+4.2%
85	Marana, AZ Estimated	828	+5.1%
86	Thornton, CO Estimated	824	-1%
87	Fresno, CA Estimated	821	+20.7%
88	Pearland, TX Estimated	818	-13.3%
89	Kansas City, MO Estimated	813	-1.3%
90	Charleston, SC Estimated	810	+5.7%
91	Roseville, CA Estimated	808	-32.2%
92	Fort Mill, SC Estimated	797	+5.4%
93	Orlando, FL Estimated	790	-4.6%
94	Temple, TX Estimated	789	+26.6%
95	Fulshear, TX Estimated	785	+6.7%
96	Mount Pleasant, SC Estimated	781	+0.6%
97	Portland, OR Estimated	775	+10.2%
98	San Diego, CA Estimated	774	-32%
98	Winter Haven, FL Estimated	774	+9.8%
100	Wake Forest, NC Estimated	762	-6.7%
101	Palm Coast, FL Estimated	755	+19.7%
102	Lexington, KY Estimated	733	-1.3%
103	Commerce City, CO Estimated	719	+29.3%
104	Odessa, TX Estimated	716	+45.5%
104	Pflugerville, TX Estimated	716	+77.7%
106	Fayetteville, AR Estimated	701	+53.4%
107	Elk Grove, CA Estimated	693	+72.4%
108	Eagle, ID Estimated	691	+3%
109	Palm Bay, FL Estimated	689	+22.2%
110	Beaumont, CA Estimated	684	-7.7%
111	Philadelphia, PA Estimated	683	-12.8%
112	Tucson, AZ Estimated	680	-4.1%
113	League City, TX Estimated	679	-12.5%
114	Fishers, IN Estimated	678	+0.4%
115	Clarksville, TN Estimated	669	-17%
116	Brownsville, TX Estimated	665	+15.7%
117	Saratoga Springs, UT Estimated	653	+5.3%
117	Washington, UT Estimated	653	+5.5%
119	Tracy, CA Estimated	644	+152.5%
120	Killeen, TX Estimated	631	+2.6%
121	Arlington, TX Estimated	624	+31.4%
121	Clayton, NC Estimated	624	+10.6%
123	Scottsdale, AZ Estimated	620	+10.7%
124	Bonita Springs, FL Estimated	616	+25.7%
125	Dublin, CA Estimated	615	-36.3%
126	Groveland, FL Estimated	611	+52%
127	Katy, TX Estimated	607	+45.6%
128	Kyle, TX Estimated	599	+1.5%
129	Greensboro, NC Estimated	597	-18%
129	Noblesville, IN Estimated	597	+27.8%
131	Ankeny, IA Estimated	592	-20.2%
132	Broomfield, CO Estimated	587	+47.5%
133	Rocklin, CA Estimated	585	-19%
134	Auburn, AL Estimated	583	+1.7%
135	Erie, CO Estimated	579	+17.2%
136	Flower Mound, TX Estimated	575	+23.1%
137	Caldwell, ID Estimated	572	+19.7%
138	Carrollton, TX Estimated	571	+89.7%
138	Franklin, TN Estimated	571	-15.4%
140	Winter Garden, FL Estimated	569	+11.8%
141	Billings, MT Estimated	566	+31%
142	Mansfield, TX Estimated	558	+10.5%
143	San Marcos, TX Estimated	557	+32.9%
144	Columbus, OH Estimated	555	-14.6%
144	Waxahachie, TX Estimated	555	+1.6%
146	Rio Rancho, NM Estimated	554	+4.5%
147	Myrtle Beach, SC Estimated	550	+3.6%
147	Wylie, TX Estimated	550	-3.8%
149	Fuquay-Varina, NC Estimated	546	-11.8%
150	Amarillo, TX Estimated	543	+13.4%
151	Windsor, CO Estimated	541	+9.1%
152	Forney, TX Estimated	540	-17.6%
152	McAllen, TX Estimated	540	+23.3%
154	Gallatin, TN Estimated	537	+6.1%
154	Manor, TX Estimated	537	-15.2%
156	Virginia Beach, VA Estimated	534	-17.3%
156	Waco, TX Estimated	534	+3.9%
158	Post Falls, ID Estimated	533	+52.7%
159	Wichita, KS Estimated	532	-36.9%
160	Bluffdale, UT Estimated	531	+14.7%
161	Greer, SC Estimated	527	+22.8%
161	Las Cruces, NM Estimated	527	+10.3%
163	New Orleans, LA Estimated	524	+17.2%
164	Seattle, WA Estimated	523	-11.8%
165	Melissa, TX Estimated	522	+54.9%
166	Visalia, CA Estimated	521	+0.8%
167	Manvel, TX Estimated	519	-11.7%
168	Irving, TX Estimated	517	-20.2%
168	Kuna, ID Estimated	517	+1.8%
170	Berthoud, CO Estimated	516	+18.9%
170	Manteca, CA Estimated	516	-21.8%
172	Chula Vista, CA Estimated	515	-3.4%
173	Severance, CO Estimated	513	+98.8%
174	Holly Springs, NC Estimated	512	-19.1%
175	Texas City, TX Estimated	510	+34.6%
176	Bentonville, AR Estimated	509	+10.9%
176	Fate, TX Estimated	509	-21.8%
176	Iowa Colony, TX Estimated	509	+187.6%
179	Lakeville, MN Estimated	507	-1.4%
180	Arvada, CO Estimated	502	-16.1%
181	Suffolk, VA Estimated	501	-2.5%
182	Longmont, CO Estimated	499	+39.4%
183	Prescott Valley, AZ Estimated	496	-0.2%
184	Leland, NC Estimated	493	-14.9%
185	Chandler, AZ Estimated	492	-20.1%
186	Salem, OR Estimated	489	+53.3%
187	Mount Juliet, TN Estimated	485	-3.6%
187	Pasco, WA Estimated	485	+3.6%
187	Yuma, AZ Estimated	485	-7.1%
190	Edinburg, TX Estimated	482	-3.4%
191	Sandy Springs, GA Estimated	481	+29.3%
192	Doral, FL Estimated	476	+277.8%
193	Alpharetta, GA Estimated	475	+33.1%
194	Bryan, TX Estimated	474	+1.9%
195	Midlothian, TX Estimated	472	-30.2%
196	Holly Springs, GA Estimated	471	+29.4%
196	Tulsa, OK Estimated	471	+21.1%
198	Royse City, TX Estimated	468	+143.8%
199	Carmel, IN Estimated	466	+3.1%
200	DeLand, FL Estimated	461	+13.5%
201	Columbia, TN Estimated	460	+16.5%
202	College Station, TX Estimated	459	-22.7%
203	Allen, TX Estimated	457	+5.1%
204	Broken Arrow, OK Estimated	455	-8.8%
204	Edmond, OK Estimated	455	-13.5%
206	Columbia, SC Estimated	449	+31.7%
207	North Charleston, SC Estimated	448	-28.8%
208	Chattanooga, TN Estimated	441	-14.4%
208	Rogers, AR Estimated	441	+8.6%
210	Chicago, IL Estimated	439	-16.4%
211	Chino, CA Estimated	437	-25.9%
212	McDonough, GA Estimated	436	+5.6%
213	Lakeland, FL Estimated	435	+0.5%
214	Hutto, TX Estimated	428	+44.1%
214	Ocoee, FL Estimated	428	+23%
216	Layton, UT Estimated	427	+94.1%
217	Olathe, KS Estimated	425	-26.6%
218	Folsom, CA Estimated	424	+205%
218	Vineyard, UT Estimated	424	-44.8%
218	West Jordan, UT Estimated	424	-6.2%
221	Redmond, OR Estimated	422	+35.7%
221	Spanish Fork, UT Estimated	422	+51.8%
223	Lebanon, TN Estimated	418	-11.8%
224	New York, NY Estimated	417	-13.7%
224	Valdosta, GA Estimated	417	+2.5%
226	Milpitas, CA Estimated	415	+8.4%
227	Fontana, CA Estimated	413	-26.5%
227	Woodbury, MN Estimated	413	+20.4%
229	New Smyrna Beach, FL Estimated	410	+14.5%
230	Lake Elsinore, CA Estimated	408	-27.7%
230	Madison, AL Estimated	408	-26.9%
230	Parker, CO Estimated	408	-1.4%
233	Jonesboro, AR Estimated	403	+17.5%
234	West Fargo, ND Estimated	402	+17.9%
235	Overland Park, KS Estimated	400	-21.9%
236	Savannah, GA Estimated	399	+3.9%
237	Fort Collins, CO Estimated	398	-39.4%
238	Canton, GA Estimated	397	+4.7%
238	Murrieta, CA Estimated	397	+98.5%
238	Norman, OK Estimated	397	+13.4%
238	Wentzville, MO Estimated	397	-30.7%
242	Tallahassee, FL Estimated	396	+4.5%
243	Locust Grove, GA Estimated	393	+117.1%
244	Schertz, TX Estimated	388	-10.4%
245	Conway, SC Estimated	386	+41.9%
245	Missouri City, TX Estimated	386	+105.3%
247	Eugene, OR Estimated	382	+4.9%
248	Cibolo, TX Estimated	380	+23.4%
248	Spokane, WA Estimated	380	+14.1%
250	Parkland, FL Estimated	379	-13.1%

Showing the top 250 of 3010. 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. 77 cities with data in other periods have no value for 2018 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/so2018a.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. (2019). 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, 2018) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/South%20Region/so2018a.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, 2018. U.S. Census Bureau, 20 June 2019, https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/South%20Region/so2018a.txt. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/single-family-building-permits/us-cities?period=2018. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Census Bureau. 2019. 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, 2018. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/South%20Region/so2018a.txt. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/single-family-building-permits/us-cities?period=2018.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2019) 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, 2018 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/South%20Region/so2018a.txt, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/single-family-building-permits/us-cities?period=2018 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX

@misc{census_us_cities_by_single_2018,
  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, 2018}},
  year = {2019},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/South%20Region/so2018a.txt},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/single-family-building-permits/us-cities?period=2018. 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/so2018a.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, 2018
PY  - 2019
DA  - 2019/06/20
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/South%20Region/so2018a.txt
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/single-family-building-permits/us-cities?period=2018
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/single-family-building-permits/us-cities?period=2018.
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/so2018a.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -

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Questions

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

Fort Worth, TX, with 5,477 in 2018, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

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

Yorktown, IN, with 0 in 2018.

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. 77 cities have no value for 2018 and are not ranked.