Higher single-family permits in August 2024

The total number of single-family permits issued year-to-date (YTD) nationwide reached 685,923 during the first eight months of 2024.

This represents an 11.5% increase from the level of 615,453 in August 2023 on a year-over-year (YoY) basis.

Single-family permits were up in all four regions year-to-date as of August. The permit increases varied from 16.2% in the West to 9.7% in the South.

During this period, single-family permits increased by 12.3% in the Midwest and 10.3% in the Northeast. Three of the four regions experienced declines in multifamily permits.

The Northeast, which was primarily influenced by New York, was the sole region to experience an increase, with a 28.9% rise.

In the interim, the West experienced a 32.2% decline, the South a 21.8% decline, and the Midwest a 9.0% decline.

47 states experienced an increase in single-family permits between August 2024 YTD and August 2023 YTD. The range of increases was 44.5% in New Mexico and 1.5% in Maryland.

Alaska (-21.4%), Hawaii (-7.9%), the District of Columbia (-3.2%), and New Hampshire (-1.2%) all reported decreases in single-family permits. 63.5% of the total single-family permits issued were issued by the ten states with the highest number of single-family permits combined.

In the first eight months of 2024, Texas, the state with the highest number of single-family permits, issued 110,907 permits, a 12.4% increase from the same period in the previous year.

North Carolina, the third highest state, experienced a 10.6% increase, while Florida, the state that succeeded it, experienced a 5.0% increase.

The aggregate number of multifamily permits issued nationwide during the year ending in August was 326,080. This is 17.3% lower than the level of 394,257 that was recorded in August 2023.

Multifamily permits experienced growth in 18 states between August 2024 YTD and August 2023 YTD, while 32 states and the District of Columbia experienced a decline.

The District of Columbia experienced the largest decline of 68.1%, from 2,072 to 661, while Wyoming (+104.8%) lead the way with a significant increase in multifamily permits from 125 to 256.

The ten states that issued the most multifamily permits collectively accounted for 64.1% of the total number of multifamily permits issued. Texas, the state with the highest number of multifamily permits issued, experienced a 27.8% decline during the first eight months of 2024.

Following closely, Florida, the second-highest state in multifamily permits, experienced a 25.1% decrease.

The third largest multifamily issuing state, California, experienced a 31.5% decline.

The following are the top ten metro areas that issued the greatest number of single-family permits at the local level.

The ten local areas that issued the most multifamily permits are listed below.

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