Atlanta and Phoenix Stay Atop New Residential Markets

(Preliminary Full-Year Data for 1999)1999 RankNo. of Units Permitted Year-to-Date% Change Compared to Year AgoAtlanta GA60,4775.2%Phoenix-Mesa AZ47,9940.2Chicago IL38,61614.6Washington DC37,8660.2Dallas TX35,950-9.1Houston TX32,573-23.9Orlando FL29,50214.6Las Vegas NV28,800-10.5Charlotte NC24,00119.6Tampa-St. Petersburg FL23,21822.9Minneapolis MN23,01011.5Denver CO22,9574.1Raleigh-Durham NC21,55414.8Riverside-San Bernardino CA20,12912.3Seattle WA19,694-10.3Detroit MI19,370-7.4Philadelphia PA16,7992.4Austin TX16,67724.3Kansas City MO-KS16,44518.5San Diego CA16,23436.5Columbus OH16,04745.0Indianapolis IN15,919-1.2New York NY 15,34113.1Portland, OR15,013-16.5Los Angeles, CA13,89623.9Source: U.S. Department of Commerce; Professional Builder Nineteen-ninety-nine’s top two areas in terms of sheer volume of new residential construction were Atlanta and Phoenix - the same as during 1998. However, 1998’s solid number three metro area, Houston, ended up as only the sixth-largest market for new home construction during 1999, as the total number of permits issued during the year fell almost 24%.

Chicago emerged as the third-largest area for new home construction last year, by virtue of a better-than-14% increase in permit volume from the 1998 total. Chicago had been the sixth-largest metro market for new home construction during 1998. Washington and Dallas rounded out the Top 5 for residential activity last year, although neither achieved any forward momentum during the year. Permit volume was flat (but at a very healthy level) between 1998 and 1999 in the Washington, D.C. area, but fell by more than 9% in the formerly hot Dallas market.

Jumping into the Top 10 last year was the Charlotte metropolitan area, on the strength of a nearly 20% increase in residential permit activity. The Tampa-St. Petersburg area also cracked the Top 10 barrier for the first time ever, as permit volume rose almost 23% between 1998 and 1999.

On the strength of solid double-digit gains in residential permit volume, cities that burst into 1999’s Top 25 included San Diego, Columbus, Kansas City, Los Angeles, and New York City. Among the areas falling just short of the Top 25 - but in most cases with solid growth in permit totals - were San Antonio, Nashville, Sacramento, and St. Louis.