National Gains for Single-Family Permits Led By the South

Nationwide, the number of issued single-family permits has surpassed 2019 levels, but some states reported significant declines. According to the National Association of Home Builders, total single-family permits issued year-to-date for the first 10 months of 2020 were 11.1% higher than 2019, reaching 808,301. Multifamily permits recorded declines in every region overall, but some states, such as Delaware and Mississippi, saw high year-over-year gains. The South issued the most single-family permits compared to 2019, experiencing a 13.3% increase. On the other end, the Northeast region recorded a yearly gain of 7% for single-family permits, the lowest increase.

Year-to-date ending in October, single-family permits across the four regions ranged from an increase of 13.3% in the South to an increase of 7.0% in the Northeast. In multifamily permits, all four regions reported declines; Northeast (-11.6%), West (-11.2%), South (-9.3%), and the Midwest (-2.0%).

Between October 2019 YTD and October 2020 YTD, 43 states saw growth in single-family permits issued while seven states and the District of Columbia registered a decline. Vermont recorded the highest growth rate during this time at 32.9% from 831 to 1,104 while single-family permits in the District of Columbia declined by 17.3%, from 139 in 2019 to 115 in 2020. The 10 states issuing the highest number of single-family permits combined accounted for 61.2% of the total single-family permits issued.

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