Permit Activity Declines for Fourth Consecutive Month
Housing permits continued a downhill trend for the fourth month in a row, pointing to a broader residential construction slowdown for 2025. Over the first four months of 2025, the total number of single-family permits issued year to date (YTD) nationwide reached 320,259 — a decline of 4.7% over April 2024. For multifamily, the total number of permits issued nationwide reached 154,668 — 1.5% below the April 2024 level of 157,076.
Single-family permits were down in three out of the four regions, with only the Northeast posting an increase (5.7%). For multifamily permits, three out of the four regions posted increases, with the Northeast declining steeply by 37.7%.
The top 10 metro areas that issued the highest number of single-family permits are:
| Largest Single-Family Markets by Permit | April 2025 (# of units YTD) |
YTD % Change (Compared with April 2024) |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 17,583 | -8% |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 15,072 | -8% |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 9,487 | -14% |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 8,154 | -14% |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | 6,302 | -7% |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | 5,733 | -9% |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | 5,592 | 25% |
| Nashville-Davidson-Murfreesboro-Franklin, TN | 4,698 | -4% |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | 4,519 | -16% |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | 4,381 | -2% |
The top 10 local areas that issued the highest number of multifamily permits are:
| Largest Multifamily Markets by Permit | April 2025 (# of units YTD) |
YTD % Change (Compared with April 2024) |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 9,367 | -50% |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 8,571 | -6% |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 6,559 | 55% |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | 6,478 | 126% |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Palm Beach, FL | 3,962 | -7% |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 3,950 | -25% |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 3,950 | -34% |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 3,819 | -8% |
| Columbus, OH | 3,296 | 50% |
| Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | 2,592 | 301% |
NAHB AVP for Forecasting and Analysis Danushka Nanayakkara-Skillington provides more regional data in this Eye on Housing post.