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
Economics
May 06, 2026
Mortgage Rates, Inflation and Yields All Rise in AprilMortgage rates continued to increase in April as ceasefire negotiations remain inconclusive. According to Freddie Mac, the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.34% in April, 16 basis points (bps) higher than March.
Workforce Development
May 05, 2026
Philadelphia BIA Member Shifts How Local Community Views the TradesFor Jordan Parisse-Ferrarini, a member of the Building Industry Association of Philadelphia, a career that began with his family’s small business and tools from a pawn shop has flourished into multiple companies, numerous advisory roles and a passion for developing the next generation of skilled trades professionals.
Latest Economic News
Economics
May 04, 2026
Mortgage Rates Climb as Inflation Rebounds and Yields RiseMortgage rates continued to increase in April as ceasefire negotiations remain inconclusive. According to Freddie Mac, the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.34% in April, 16 basis points (bps) higher than March. The average 15-year rate also increased by 13 bps to 5.69%. Despite the recent increase, both rates remain lower than a year ago by 39 bps and 21 bps, respectively.
Economics
May 01, 2026
Student Housing Construction Investment Holds Steady in the First Quarter of 2026Private fixed investment in student dormitories edged up 0.1% in the first quarter of 2026, holding at a seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) of $3.9 billion. This modest gain marked a third consecutive quarterly increase, despite continued pressures from elevated interest rates. However, on a year-over-year basis, investments in dorms remained almost unchanged.
Economics
Apr 30, 2026
Housing’s Share of GDP Dips Below 16% for First Time Since 2019Housing’s share of the economy was 15.9% in the first quarter of 2026, according to the latest estimates of GDP produced by the Bureau of Economic Analysis. This share is down from 16.0% in the fourth quarter and is lower than 16.5% registered just one year ago.