Cities in Washington by single-family housing units authorized by building permits

Seattle, WA had the highest single-family housing units authorized by building permits of 91 cities in 2015, at 810. Aberdeen, WA had the lowest, at 1. The median was 64. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest810Seattle, WA

Lowest1Aberdeen, WA

Median6491 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	Seattle, WA Estimated	810	-9.8%
2	Vancouver, WA Estimated	366	+93.7%
3	Spokane, WA Estimated	338	+51.6%
4	Kirkland, WA Estimated	313	+29.9%
5	Lacey, WA Estimated	308	-1.9%
6	Pasco, WA Estimated	305	+39.3%
7	Kennewick, WA Estimated	277	-8.3%
8	Bellevue, WA Estimated	252	+7.2%
9	Richland, WA Estimated	235	+1.7%
10	Auburn, WA Estimated	226	-37.6%
10	Issaquah, WA Estimated	226	+19.6%
12	Camas, WA Estimated	224	+25.8%
13	Renton, WA Estimated	218	+1.4%
14	Ridgefield, WA Estimated	211	+102.9%
15	Tacoma, WA Estimated	209	-19.9%
16	Redmond, WA Estimated	200	-7.4%
17	Lake Stevens, WA Estimated	192	+31.5%
17	Sammamish, WA Estimated	192	-30.9%
19	Kent, WA Estimated	189	+5%
20	Puyallup, WA Estimated	165	+42.2%
21	Spokane Valley, WA Estimated	164	+10.1%
22	Everett, WA Estimated	162	+15.7%
23	Bellingham, WA Estimated	140	+3.7%
24	Yakima, WA Estimated	137	+12.3%
25	Mount Vernon, WA Estimated	132	+15.8%
26	West Richland, WA Estimated	128	+20.8%
27	Bainbridge Island, WA Estimated	125	+155.1%
27	Poulsbo, WA Estimated	125	+66.7%
29	Olympia, WA Estimated	124	-15.6%
30	Liberty Lake, WA Estimated	117	+7.3%
31	Marysville, WA Estimated	116	+20.8%
32	Bothell, WA Estimated	111	+6.7%
33	Gig Harbor, WA Estimated	108	-25.5%
34	Kenmore, WA Estimated	105	+105.9%
35	Port Orchard, WA Estimated	104	+112.2%
36	Washougal, WA Estimated	95	+15.9%
37	Newcastle, WA Estimated	92	+84%
38	Bremerton, WA Estimated	89	+36.9%
39	Ferndale, WA Estimated	85	+37.1%
40	Mercer Island, WA Estimated	76	+20.6%
41	Anacortes, WA Estimated	75	+33.9%
42	Snohomish, WA Estimated	74	+131.3%
43	Wenatchee, WA Estimated	70	+89.2%
44	Walla Walla, WA Estimated	69	-17.9%
45	Moses Lake, WA Estimated	66	-23.3%
46	Battle Ground, WA Estimated	64	-22.9%
46	Burien, WA Estimated	64	+12.3%
48	Yelm, WA Estimated	61	+35.6%
49	Bonney Lake, WA Estimated	60	-69.5%
49	Tumwater, WA Estimated	60	-50%
51	Lynden, WA Estimated	59	+25.5%
52	Edmonds, WA Estimated	53	+15.2%
53	Monroe, WA Estimated	52	+136.4%
54	Pullman, WA Estimated	50	+2%
55	Shoreline, WA Estimated	47	-7.8%
56	Lakewood, WA Estimated	46	+64.3%
57	Enumclaw, WA Estimated	41	+215.4%
58	Federal Way, WA Estimated	40	-48.1%
58	Sedro-Woolley, WA Estimated	40	+263.6%
60	Oak Harbor, WA Estimated	39	-36.1%
60	Port Angeles, WA Estimated	39	+21.9%
62	Tukwila, WA Estimated	38	+123.5%
63	Sunnyside, WA Estimated	35	+20.7%
64	Edgewood, WA Estimated	34	+47.8%
65	Maple Valley, WA Estimated	33	-79.2%
65	Port Townsend, WA Estimated	33	-10.8%
67	Cheney, WA Estimated	26	+225%
67	Snoqualmie, WA Estimated	26	-85%
69	Ellensburg, WA Estimated	23	-63.5%
70	Airway Heights, WA Estimated	20	-42.9%
71	Woodinville, WA Estimated	19	-17.4%
72	Lynnwood, WA Estimated	18	-47.1%
73	Covington, WA Estimated	17	n/a
73	Mukilteo, WA Estimated	17	-51.4%
75	Des Moines, WA Estimated	16	-51.5%
76	Sumner, WA Estimated	14	+250%
77	Longview, WA Estimated	12	-7.7%
77	University Place, WA Estimated	12	-76%
79	Centralia, WA Estimated	11	0%
80	Lake Forest Park, WA Estimated	10	+11.1%
80	SeaTac, WA Estimated	10	+900%
82	Mountlake Terrace, WA Estimated	9	-50%
83	East Wenatchee, WA Estimated	8	+700%
84	Burlington, WA Estimated	6	+100%
85	Arlington, WA Estimated	4	+33.3%
86	Fife, WA Estimated	2	-91.3%
86	Grandview, WA Estimated	2	-81.8%
86	Kelso, WA Estimated	2	0%
86	Mill Creek, WA Estimated	2	-95.2%
86	Shelton, WA Estimated	2	n/a
91	Aberdeen, WA Estimated	1	0%

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. 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/West%20Region/we2015a.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 (Cities in Washington by single-family housing units authorized by building permits, 2015) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/West%20Region/we2015a.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 Washington by single-family housing units authorized by building permits, 2015. U.S. Census Bureau, 30 Sept. 2016, https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/West%20Region/we2015a.txt. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/single-family-building-permits/washington-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. Cities in Washington by single-family housing units authorized by building permits, 2015. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/West%20Region/we2015a.txt. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/single-family-building-permits/washington-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, Cities in Washington by single-family housing units authorized by building permits, 2015 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/West%20Region/we2015a.txt, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/single-family-building-permits/washington-cities?period=2015 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX

@misc{census_cities_in_washington_by_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: Cities in Washington by single-family housing units authorized by building permits, 2015}},
  year = {2016},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/West%20Region/we2015a.txt},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/single-family-building-permits/washington-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/West\%20Region/we2015a.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 Washington 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/West%20Region/we2015a.txt
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/single-family-building-permits/washington-cities?period=2015
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/single-family-building-permits/washington-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/West%20Region/we2015a.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -

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Questions

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

Seattle, WA, with 810 in 2015, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

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

Aberdeen, WA, with 1 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.