Single-Family Permits Hold Steady in April
Over the first four months of 2024, the total number of single-family permits issued year to date (YTD) nationwide reached 336,124. This is an increase of 25.3% on a year-over-year basis over the April 2023 level of 268,205.
Single-family permits were up in all four regions YTD in April. The range of permit increase spanned 36.4% in the West to 12.6% in the Northeast. The Midwest was up by 27.2%, and the South was up by 22.7% in single-family permits during this time.
For multifamily permits, three out of the four regions posted declines. The Northeast — the only region to post an increase — was up by 51.2%, while the West posted a decline of 36.4%, the South declined by 27.9%, and the Midwest declined by 11.6%.
At the local level, below are the top 10 metro areas that issued the highest number of single-family permits.
| Top 10 Largest Single-Family Markets | April 2024 - # of Units YTD, NSA | YTD % Change (Compared to April 2023) |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | 18,828 | 22% |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 16,404 | 29% |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ | 11,056 | 68% |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 9,398 | 27% |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | 6,746 | 9% |
| Austin-Round Rock, TX | 6,322 | 31% |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | 5,369 | 27% |
| Nashville-Davidson-Murfreesboro-Franklin, TN | 4,873 | 9% |
| Jacksonville, FL | 4,519 | 29% |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | 4,488 | -16% |
For multifamily permits, below are the top 10 local areas that issued the highest number of permits.
| Top 10 Largest Multifamily Markets | April 2024 - # of Units YTD, NSA | YTD % Change (Compared to April 2023) |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City-NY-NJ-PA | 18,811 | 85% |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 9,161 | 16% |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ | 6,003 | -17% |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 5,237 | -10% |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 4,244 | -36% |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | 4,225 | -45% |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 4,134 | -24% |
| Austin-Round Rock, TX | 4,128 | -32% |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 3,875 | 3% |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria-DC-VA-MD-WV | 3,766 | 8% |
Danushka Nanayakkara-Skillington, NAHB’s assistant vice president for forecasting and analysis, provides more state-by-state analysis in this Eye on Housing post.
Latest from NAHBNow
Trends
Jul 15, 2026
One-Story Homes Becoming More Popular in New BuildsOver half of new single-family homes built in 2025 were two or more stories. But the share of homes started with two or more stories fell in 2025, reflecting increased building activity in regions that prefer single-story homes.
Business Management
Jul 14, 2026
Get Big Summer Discounts on NAHB BuilderBooks' Top TitlesLooking for the best residential construction books to read in 2026? NAHB BuilderBooks titles offer practical insights you can put to work immediately.
Latest Economic News
Economics
Jul 15, 2026
Building Material Prices Continue to Rise Despite Energy Price DeclinesResidential building material prices, excluding energy, rose 0.5% in June and were up 4.6% from a year ago. Lower energy prices were apparent in June, as energy input prices fell 10.3% over the month. Meanwhile, prices for services rose 5.2% over the year, and were up 1.0% from the previous month.
Economics
Jul 15, 2026
Single-Family Permitting Continued to Weaken Through MayState-level permitting activity continued to reflect a divided housing market through the first five months of 2026. Elevated mortgage rates and ongoing affordability challenges continued to weigh on single-family construction across much of the country, while multifamily permitting remained comparatively stronger, supported by gains in several regions despite continued weakness in parts of the South.
Economics
Jul 14, 2026
Inflation Cooled in June as Gas Prices EasedInflation slowed to 3.5% in June from a three-year high last month, driven by a mid-June ceasefire agreement that stabilized oil markets and lowered energy prices.