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
Membership | Leadership Development | IBS
Feb 04, 2026
Explore Senior Leadership Opportunities at Nominations ForumThe Nominations Committee will host a Nominations Forum during the 2026 International Builders’ Show. Members who may be interested in becoming a future candidate for NAHB Third Vice Chair, as well as those who would like to work on a campaign, are encouraged to attend.
Advocacy
Feb 03, 2026
NAHB Scores Wins as Congress Reopens GovernmentCongress has approved legislation to end a three-day partial government shutdown that will provide funding for the Department of Housing and Urban Development and several other federal agencies through Sept. 30, 2026.
Latest Economic News
Economics
Feb 04, 2026
Mortgage Rates Declined Despite Higher Treasury YieldsLong-term mortgage rates continued to decline in January. According to Freddie Mac, the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.10% last month, 9 basis points (bps) lower than December. Meanwhile, the 15-year rate declined 4 bps to 5.44%. Compared to a year ago, the 30-year rate is lower by 86 bps. The 15-year rate is also lower by 72 bps.
Economics
Feb 03, 2026
Homeownership Rate Inches Up to 65.7%The latest homeownership rate rose to 65.7% in the last quarter of 2025, according to the Census’s Housing Vacancy Survey (HVS). While this was a modest quarterly increase, the broader picture continues to reflect significant affordability challenges. With mortgage interest rates remaining elevated, and housing supply still tight, housing affordability is at a multidecade low.
Economics
Feb 02, 2026
U.S. Population Growth Slows in 2025According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s latest estimates, the U.S. resident population grew by 1,781,060 to a total population of 341,784,857. The population grew at a rate of 0.5%, a sharp decline from the near 1.0% growth in 2024.