Single-Family Permits Continue to Decline in August

Single-family construction activity remained weak in August. According to analysis of U.S. Census data by the National Association of Home Builders, the total number of single-family permits issued year-to-date  nationwide reached 637,096 over the first eight months of the year. Compared to the 685,923 permits issued in August 2024, the latest figure represents a 7.1% year-over-year decline.

The number of issued permits has declined year-to-date in every region of the U.S. except the Midwest, where permits increased by 1% in August. The West saw the largest decline in single-family permits, which fell by 11.5% year-to-date, followed by the South and the Northeast, with declines of 7.5% and 4.4%, respectively.

Between August 2025 YTD and August 2024 YTD, 12 states posted an increase in single-family permits. The range of increases spanned from 21.2% in Hawaii to 2.5% in Indiana. The remaining 38 states and the District of Columbia reported declines in single-family permits with New Mexico reporting the steepest decline of 35.1%.

The ten states issuing the highest number of single-family permits combined accounted for 62.5% of the total single-family permits issued. Texas, the state with the highest number of single-family permits, issued 101,850 permits over the first eight months of 2025; this is a decline of 8.2% compared to the same period last year. The second highest state, Florida, decreased by 11.7%, while the third highest, North Carolina, posted a decline of 3.9%.

Between August 2025 YTD and August 2024 YTD, 31 states and the District of Columbia recorded growth in multifamily permits, while 19 states recorded a decline. Mississippi (+113.2%) led the way with a sharp rise in multifamily permits from 250 to 533, while Maryland had the largest decline of 45.8% from 4,383 to 2,374.