Building Permits per 1,000 Residents by U.S. State: 2025 Ranking
Where Residential Permitting Was Most Intense in 2025
Idaho authorized 8.84 new privately owned housing units per 1,000 residents in 2025, the highest rate among the 50 states and Washington, D.C. South Carolina (8.23) and North Carolina (7.69) followed. Alaska was lowest at 1.15.
This ranking covers 51 jurisdictions, sorted from highest to lowest per-capita authorization rate. The numerator is the U.S. Census Bureau's final 2025 Building Permits Survey count of housing units authorized; the denominator is the July 1, 2025 resident population from Census Vintage 2025. Rates are expressed as housing units authorized per 1,000 residents.
The table is a compiled research dataset based on one independent publishing organization (the U.S. Census Bureau), combining its 2025 and 2024 Building Permits Survey annual state files with Vintage 2025 population estimates. Row-level sources, years and calculation inputs are shown below. All 51 rates are calculated_value, calculated from observed inputs, not official forecasts or projections. The underlying permit and population counts are published official values. Both source series and methods were checked on October 29, 2026.
17,944 units / 2,029,733 residents × 1,000. First of 51 jurisdictions.
848 units / 737,270 residents × 1,000. Last of 51 jurisdictions.
51 calculated_value rates; 0 modeled projections; all permit counts refer to 2025.
1,431,616 authorized units / 341,784,857 residents × 1,000; computed, not the state-rate average.
Overview: permitting activity adjusted for population
Absolute totals and per-capita rates answer different questions. Texas authorized the most units in 2025 (210,217) but ranks 7th on the population-adjusted metric at 6.63 per 1,000. Idaho authorized 17,944 units, only 24th by total count, but leads the per-capita ranking. California was 3rd by absolute units (103,856) and 39th by rate (2.64).
Across 50 states and D.C., 24 jurisdictions increased their authorized-unit counts from 2024 while 27 declined. Nationally, authorizations fell from 1,478,000 in 2024 to 1,431,616 in 2025 (−3.1%). The state picture differed: Connecticut rose from 5,926 to 7,273 units (+22.7%), while New Jersey fell from 34,932 to 27,661 (−20.8%). Texas declined 6.9% (225,756 to 210,217), whereas Florida increased 2.9% (173,326 to 178,297). These are changes in annual authorized-unit counts, not changes in per-capita rates.
The 2025 totals and 5+ units were directly checked for each of the 51 jurisdictions against the Census BPS final annual state text file; their sums reconcile to the official U.S. series. The 2024 comparisons were independently checked against the 2024 BPS annual state text file. Housing permits are an early-stage authorization measure. A permit can cover multiple apartments, and a permitted unit has not necessarily started construction or been completed. The ranking therefore measures permitting intensity relative to population, not new homes delivered, housing availability or affordability.
Top 10 states by housing units authorized per 1,000 residents
Idaho and the Carolinas head the rate ranking. Florida and Texas appear here alongside much smaller states because rates divide annual authorized units by the corresponding population estimate. The values below are calculated rates, not counts of issued permit documents.
Top 10 of 51 · 2025 authorized housing units per 1,000 July 2025 residents
| Rank | State / DC | Units per 1,000 | Source / method note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Idaho | 8.84 | West; calculated_value. BPS 2025: 17,944 units / PEP July 2025: 2,029,733 people × 1,000; 5+ BPS units: 2,926 (16.3%); BPS 2024: 17,630 units (YoY +1.8%). |
| 2 | South Carolina | 8.23 | South; calculated_value. BPS 2025: 45,862 units / PEP July 2025: 5,570,274 people × 1,000; 5+ BPS units: 5,181 (11.3%); BPS 2024: 47,072 units (YoY -2.6%). |
| 3 | North Carolina | 7.69 | South; calculated_value. BPS 2025: 86,167 units / PEP July 2025: 11,197,968 people × 1,000; 5+ BPS units: 19,458 (22.6%); BPS 2024: 95,163 units (YoY -9.5%). |
| 4 | Florida | 7.60 | South; calculated_value. BPS 2025: 178,297 units / PEP July 2025: 23,462,518 people × 1,000; 5+ BPS units: 63,075 (35.4%); BPS 2024: 173,326 units (YoY +2.9%). |
| 5 | Utah | 7.57 | West; calculated_value. BPS 2025: 26,775 units / PEP July 2025: 3,538,904 people × 1,000; 5+ BPS units: 9,221 (34.4%); BPS 2024: 23,902 units (YoY +12.0%). |
| 6 | Arizona | 6.76 | West; calculated_value. BPS 2025: 51,532 units / PEP July 2025: 7,623,818 people × 1,000; 5+ BPS units: 16,691 (32.4%); BPS 2024: 59,616 units (YoY -13.6%). |
| 7 | Texas | 6.63 | South; calculated_value. BPS 2025: 210,217 units / PEP July 2025: 31,709,821 people × 1,000; 5+ BPS units: 60,505 (28.8%); BPS 2024: 225,756 units (YoY -6.9%). |
| 8 | Delaware | 6.10 | South; calculated_value. BPS 2025: 6,468 units / PEP July 2025: 1,059,952 people × 1,000; 5+ BPS units: 876 (13.5%); BPS 2024: 7,141 units (YoY -9.4%). |
| 9 | Tennessee | 5.93 | South; calculated_value. BPS 2025: 43,374 units / PEP July 2025: 7,315,076 people × 1,000; 5+ BPS units: 10,427 (24.0%); BPS 2024: 44,863 units (YoY -3.3%). |
| 10 | South Dakota | 5.67 | Midwest; calculated_value. BPS 2025: 5,305 units / PEP July 2025: 935,094 people × 1,000; 5+ BPS units: 1,802 (34.0%); BPS 2024: 6,017 units (YoY -11.8%). |
Source counts are Census BPS final 2025 and Census PEP Vintage 2025. Rates are calculated before rounding. 2024 unit comparisons appear for all 51 jurisdictions but are not used to establish ranks.
Chart: top 20 states by 2025 authorization rate
Bars are proportional to each jurisdiction's unrounded rate, using Idaho (8.8406 per 1,000) as 100%. This is a population-adjusted chart, not a chart of total permit counts.
Top 20 spans 8.84 (Idaho) to 4.22 (Iowa) units per 1,000; both figures come from the same inputs as the full table.
Methodology: Census inputs, formulas and limitations
Metric and direction
2025 new privately owned residential housing units authorized by building permits per 1,000 residents. Higher rates rank higher. Rankings use unrounded calculated values; displayed rates have two decimal places.
Dates and coverage
Permits: January–December 2025, final BPS annual data released May 14, 2026. Population: July 1, 2025 Census Vintage 2025. Includes 50 states and District of Columbia; excludes Puerto Rico and island areas. Sources checked October 29, 2026.
Source roles and hierarchy
Numeric: official Census BPS 2025 and 2024 annual state ASCII files for units and housing type; Census Population Estimates Program Vintage 2025 for the resident denominators. One originating organization publishes all three files. All 51 primary counts and 5+ counts were reconciled directly with the 2025 ASCII release; the 2024 series was checked against the 2024 ASCII release. Validation: Census annual highlights and FRED's Census-population republication. Methodology: Census BPS methodology notes; official observations outrank secondary transcriptions.
Statuses and missing values
All 51 ranking values are calculated_value from confirmed 2025 observed inputs. BPS/PEP input counts are source-published; the per-1,000 rates and 5+ shares are not source-published rates. No forecast, projection, mixed-year ranking value, imputed-by-StatRanker state value or stale row was added. Census may impute some underlying survey responses.
Rate per 1,000 = (2025 BPS authorized housing units ÷ July 1, 2025 PEP resident population) × 1,000. Example: Idaho = (17,944 ÷ 2,029,733) × 1,000 = 8.8406, displayed as 8.84. Source units and people are integers; the calculated rate is rounded only for display.
5+ unit share = BPS 2025 housing units authorized in buildings with five or more units ÷ all BPS 2025 authorized housing units × 100. These are units in buildings containing 5+ units, not counts of apartment buildings. Year-over-year change = (2025 BPS units ÷ 2024 BPS units − 1) × 100. The historical comparison covers all 51 jurisdictions using the official 2024 annual BPS state file. It compares annual counts, not per-capita rates.
National weighted benchmark = 1,431,616 ÷ 341,784,857 × 1,000 = 4.19. Median across 51 jurisdictions = 3.64; unweighted arithmetic mean = 4.07. The national value is not calculated by averaging state/DC rates. Sum checks: 51 jurisdictions total 1,431,616 units and 463,972 units in 5+ buildings, equal to the official 2025 national series.
The four geographic filters use Census regions (Northeast, Midwest, South and West); the District of Columbia is assigned to South. A permit-issuing place can authorize multiple units on one document. The BPS universe covers permit-issuing jurisdictions, not places without permit requirements. Annual totals include Census reporting adjustments and imputation, which can change over time. Census also revised its monthly imputation methodology starting in January 2025; therefore, year-over-year changes should not automatically be interpreted as purely market-driven. The denominator is a midyear resident-population estimate, not a count of households, existing homes or people seeking housing.
Conflict check: the Census 2025 Annual Highlights PDF lists 2024 New York and Tennessee values in its Top 10 table opposite to those in its change table. Direct checks against the official Census 2024 annual state ASCII file confirm New York: 46,549 and Tennessee: 44,863. The conflicting numbers were not averaged. All 51 totals and all 51 5+ counts reconcile to the published official 2025 state ASCII file; their sum also matches the U.S. series.
Interpretation limits: higher authorization intensity is not proof of completed construction, net addition to housing stock, housing affordability, housing quality, demand, lower prices or a particular policy's effect. Rates are year-specific snapshots, not forecasts.
Full ranking: all 50 states and Washington, D.C.
Use the controls to search, filter by Census region or calculation status, sort by rate or multifamily share, and show the original Top 10, Top 20 or all 51. Each row provides the numerator, population denominator, derived rate formula, 5+ unit share and the official 2024 annual count with a calculated year-over-year change.
Showing 51 of 51 jurisdictions.
Full 2025 ranking · units per 1,000 resident population · calculated_value
| Rank | State / DC | Units per 1,000 | Source / method note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Idaho | 8.84 | West; calculated_value. BPS 2025: 17,944 units / PEP July 2025: 2,029,733 people × 1,000; 5+ BPS units: 2,926 (16.3%); BPS 2024: 17,630 units (YoY +1.8%). |
| 2 | South Carolina | 8.23 | South; calculated_value. BPS 2025: 45,862 units / PEP July 2025: 5,570,274 people × 1,000; 5+ BPS units: 5,181 (11.3%); BPS 2024: 47,072 units (YoY -2.6%). |
| 3 | North Carolina | 7.69 | South; calculated_value. BPS 2025: 86,167 units / PEP July 2025: 11,197,968 people × 1,000; 5+ BPS units: 19,458 (22.6%); BPS 2024: 95,163 units (YoY -9.5%). |
| 4 | Florida | 7.60 | South; calculated_value. BPS 2025: 178,297 units / PEP July 2025: 23,462,518 people × 1,000; 5+ BPS units: 63,075 (35.4%); BPS 2024: 173,326 units (YoY +2.9%). |
| 5 | Utah | 7.57 | West; calculated_value. BPS 2025: 26,775 units / PEP July 2025: 3,538,904 people × 1,000; 5+ BPS units: 9,221 (34.4%); BPS 2024: 23,902 units (YoY +12.0%). |
| 6 | Arizona | 6.76 | West; calculated_value. BPS 2025: 51,532 units / PEP July 2025: 7,623,818 people × 1,000; 5+ BPS units: 16,691 (32.4%); BPS 2024: 59,616 units (YoY -13.6%). |
| 7 | Texas | 6.63 | South; calculated_value. BPS 2025: 210,217 units / PEP July 2025: 31,709,821 people × 1,000; 5+ BPS units: 60,505 (28.8%); BPS 2024: 225,756 units (YoY -6.9%). |
| 8 | Delaware | 6.10 | South; calculated_value. BPS 2025: 6,468 units / PEP July 2025: 1,059,952 people × 1,000; 5+ BPS units: 876 (13.5%); BPS 2024: 7,141 units (YoY -9.4%). |
| 9 | Tennessee | 5.93 | South; calculated_value. BPS 2025: 43,374 units / PEP July 2025: 7,315,076 people × 1,000; 5+ BPS units: 10,427 (24.0%); BPS 2024: 44,863 units (YoY -3.3%). |
| 10 | South Dakota | 5.67 | Midwest; calculated_value. BPS 2025: 5,305 units / PEP July 2025: 935,094 people × 1,000; 5+ BPS units: 1,802 (34.0%); BPS 2024: 6,017 units (YoY -11.8%). |
| 11 | Nevada | 5.65 | West; calculated_value. BPS 2025: 18,540 units / PEP July 2025: 3,282,188 people × 1,000; 5+ BPS units: 5,754 (31.0%); BPS 2024: 19,994 units (YoY -7.3%). |
| 12 | Colorado | 5.61 | West; calculated_value. BPS 2025: 33,754 units / PEP July 2025: 6,012,561 people × 1,000; 5+ BPS units: 15,646 (46.4%); BPS 2024: 32,185 units (YoY +4.9%). |
| 13 | Georgia | 5.41 | South; calculated_value. BPS 2025: 61,196 units / PEP July 2025: 11,302,748 people × 1,000; 5+ BPS units: 15,496 (25.3%); BPS 2024: 68,367 units (YoY -10.5%). |
| 14 | Nebraska | 5.25 | Midwest; calculated_value. BPS 2025: 10,596 units / PEP July 2025: 2,018,006 people × 1,000; 5+ BPS units: 4,484 (42.3%); BPS 2024: 10,479 units (YoY +1.1%). |
| 15 | Arkansas | 4.97 | South; calculated_value. BPS 2025: 15,492 units / PEP July 2025: 3,114,791 people × 1,000; 5+ BPS units: 3,914 (25.3%); BPS 2024: 13,684 units (YoY +13.2%). |
| 16 | Maine | 4.93 | Northeast; calculated_value. BPS 2025: 6,979 units / PEP July 2025: 1,414,874 people × 1,000; 5+ BPS units: 1,874 (26.9%); BPS 2024: 6,034 units (YoY +15.7%). |
| 17 | Montana | 4.59 | West; calculated_value. BPS 2025: 5,258 units / PEP July 2025: 1,144,694 people × 1,000; 5+ BPS units: 1,883 (35.8%); BPS 2024: 5,367 units (YoY -2.0%). |
| 18 | Washington | 4.36 | West; calculated_value. BPS 2025: 34,913 units / PEP July 2025: 8,001,020 people × 1,000; 5+ BPS units: 15,001 (43.0%); BPS 2024: 37,778 units (YoY -7.6%). |
| 19 | Wisconsin | 4.28 | Midwest; calculated_value. BPS 2025: 25,569 units / PEP July 2025: 5,972,787 people × 1,000; 5+ BPS units: 10,536 (41.2%); BPS 2024: 23,826 units (YoY +7.3%). |
| 20 | Iowa | 4.22 | Midwest; calculated_value. BPS 2025: 13,664 units / PEP July 2025: 3,238,387 people × 1,000; 5+ BPS units: 5,584 (40.9%); BPS 2024: 12,544 units (YoY +8.9%). |
| 21 | Indiana | 4.17 | Midwest; calculated_value. BPS 2025: 29,076 units / PEP July 2025: 6,973,333 people × 1,000; 5+ BPS units: 8,529 (29.3%); BPS 2024: 26,633 units (YoY +9.2%). |
| 22 | Wyoming | 3.80 | West; calculated_value. BPS 2025: 2,238 units / PEP July 2025: 588,753 people × 1,000; 5+ BPS units: 388 (17.3%); BPS 2024: 2,135 units (YoY +4.8%). |
| 23 | Oklahoma | 3.76 | South; calculated_value. BPS 2025: 15,513 units / PEP July 2025: 4,123,288 people × 1,000; 5+ BPS units: 2,816 (18.2%); BPS 2024: 13,669 units (YoY +13.5%). |
| 24 | Virginia | 3.73 | South; calculated_value. BPS 2025: 33,094 units / PEP July 2025: 8,880,107 people × 1,000; 5+ BPS units: 12,042 (36.4%); BPS 2024: 34,059 units (YoY -2.8%). |
| 25 | Alabama | 3.67 | South; calculated_value. BPS 2025: 19,061 units / PEP July 2025: 5,193,088 people × 1,000; 5+ BPS units: 3,299 (17.3%); BPS 2024: 20,725 units (YoY -8.0%). |
| 26 | New Mexico | 3.64 | West; calculated_value. BPS 2025: 7,747 units / PEP July 2025: 2,125,498 people × 1,000; 5+ BPS units: 1,264 (16.3%); BPS 2024: 7,572 units (YoY +2.3%). |
| 27 | Minnesota | 3.59 | Midwest; calculated_value. BPS 2025: 20,947 units / PEP July 2025: 5,830,405 people × 1,000; 5+ BPS units: 7,472 (35.7%); BPS 2024: 20,913 units (YoY +0.2%). |
| 28 | Vermont | 3.56 | Northeast; calculated_value. BPS 2025: 2,294 units / PEP July 2025: 644,663 people × 1,000; 5+ BPS units: 876 (38.2%); BPS 2024: 2,654 units (YoY -13.6%). |
| 29 | New Hampshire | 3.55 | Northeast; calculated_value. BPS 2025: 5,030 units / PEP July 2025: 1,415,342 people × 1,000; 5+ BPS units: 1,428 (28.4%); BPS 2024: 4,965 units (YoY +1.3%). |
| 30 | Oregon | 3.47 | West; calculated_value. BPS 2025: 14,839 units / PEP July 2025: 4,273,586 people × 1,000; 5+ BPS units: 4,925 (33.2%); BPS 2024: 14,621 units (YoY +1.5%). |
| 31 | Kansas | 3.46 | Midwest; calculated_value. BPS 2025: 10,299 units / PEP July 2025: 2,977,220 people × 1,000; 5+ BPS units: 2,395 (23.3%); BPS 2024: 9,063 units (YoY +13.6%). |
| 32 | Kentucky | 3.24 | South; calculated_value. BPS 2025: 14,940 units / PEP July 2025: 4,606,864 people × 1,000; 5+ BPS units: 5,106 (34.2%); BPS 2024: 16,264 units (YoY -8.1%). |
| 33 | Louisiana | 3.08 | South; calculated_value. BPS 2025: 14,203 units / PEP July 2025: 4,618,189 people × 1,000; 5+ BPS units: 2,415 (17.0%); BPS 2024: 14,310 units (YoY -0.7%). |
| 34 | North Dakota | 3.05 | Midwest; calculated_value. BPS 2025: 2,440 units / PEP July 2025: 799,358 people × 1,000; 5+ BPS units: 613 (25.1%); BPS 2024: 2,319 units (YoY +5.2%). |
| 35 | New Jersey | 2.90 | Northeast; calculated_value. BPS 2025: 27,661 units / PEP July 2025: 9,548,215 people × 1,000; 5+ BPS units: 13,290 (48.0%); BPS 2024: 34,932 units (YoY -20.8%). |
| 36 | Mississippi | 2.85 | South; calculated_value. BPS 2025: 8,405 units / PEP July 2025: 2,954,160 people × 1,000; 5+ BPS units: 888 (10.6%); BPS 2024: 7,883 units (YoY +6.6%). |
| 37 | Ohio | 2.83 | Midwest; calculated_value. BPS 2025: 33,640 units / PEP July 2025: 11,900,510 people × 1,000; 5+ BPS units: 14,557 (43.3%); BPS 2024: 31,411 units (YoY +7.1%). |
| 38 | Missouri | 2.79 | Midwest; calculated_value. BPS 2025: 17,474 units / PEP July 2025: 6,270,541 people × 1,000; 5+ BPS units: 4,766 (27.3%); BPS 2024: 18,464 units (YoY -5.4%). |
| 39 | California | 2.64 | West; calculated_value. BPS 2025: 103,856 units / PEP July 2025: 39,355,309 people × 1,000; 5+ BPS units: 41,484 (39.9%); BPS 2024: 101,545 units (YoY +2.3%). |
| 40 | Hawaii | 2.59 | West; calculated_value. BPS 2025: 3,708 units / PEP July 2025: 1,432,820 people × 1,000; 5+ BPS units: 1,070 (28.9%); BPS 2024: 3,879 units (YoY -4.4%). |
| 41 | District of Columbia | 2.29 | South; calculated_value. BPS 2025: 1,591 units / PEP July 2025: 693,645 people × 1,000; 5+ BPS units: 1,372 (86.2%); BPS 2024: 1,737 units (YoY -8.4%). |
| 42 | Michigan | 2.28 | Midwest; calculated_value. BPS 2025: 23,075 units / PEP July 2025: 10,127,884 people × 1,000; 5+ BPS units: 6,266 (27.2%); BPS 2024: 21,750 units (YoY +6.1%). |
| 43 | West Virginia | 2.24 | South; calculated_value. BPS 2025: 3,962 units / PEP July 2025: 1,766,147 people × 1,000; 5+ BPS units: 146 (3.7%); BPS 2024: 4,192 units (YoY -5.5%). |
| 44 | Maryland | 2.13 | South; calculated_value. BPS 2025: 13,358 units / PEP July 2025: 6,265,347 people × 1,000; 5+ BPS units: 3,570 (26.7%); BPS 2024: 16,823 units (YoY -20.6%). |
| 45 | Connecticut | 1.97 | Northeast; calculated_value. BPS 2025: 7,273 units / PEP July 2025: 3,688,496 people × 1,000; 5+ BPS units: 4,837 (66.5%); BPS 2024: 5,926 units (YoY +22.7%). |
| 46 | Pennsylvania | 1.97 | Northeast; calculated_value. BPS 2025: 25,709 units / PEP July 2025: 13,059,432 people × 1,000; 5+ BPS units: 8,675 (33.7%); BPS 2024: 24,810 units (YoY +3.6%). |
| 47 | New York | 1.93 | Northeast; calculated_value. BPS 2025: 38,667 units / PEP July 2025: 20,002,427 people × 1,000; 5+ BPS units: 25,389 (65.7%); BPS 2024: 46,549 units (YoY -16.9%). |
| 48 | Massachusetts | 1.74 | Northeast; calculated_value. BPS 2025: 12,477 units / PEP July 2025: 7,154,084 people × 1,000; 5+ BPS units: 6,824 (54.7%); BPS 2024: 14,338 units (YoY -13.0%). |
| 49 | Rhode Island | 1.56 | Northeast; calculated_value. BPS 2025: 1,738 units / PEP July 2025: 1,114,521 people × 1,000; 5+ BPS units: 510 (29.3%); BPS 2024: 1,757 units (YoY -1.1%). |
| 50 | Illinois | 1.46 | Midwest; calculated_value. BPS 2025: 18,551 units / PEP July 2025: 12,719,141 people × 1,000; 5+ BPS units: 6,267 (33.8%); BPS 2024: 20,326 units (YoY -8.7%). |
| 51 | Alaska | 1.15 | West; calculated_value. BPS 2025: 848 units / PEP July 2025: 737,270 people × 1,000; 5+ BPS units: 159 (18.8%); BPS 2024: 1,032 units (YoY -17.8%). |
2025 permit units are Census BPS official published values; 2025 population figures are Census PEP official published values. All displayed rates, 5+ shares and year-over-year changes are calculations from observed Census inputs. 2024 comparisons cover all 51 rows.
Four findings from the 2025 state ranking
Key Insight
Idaho's 8.84 authorizations per 1,000 residents are 7.69 per 1,000 above Alaska's 1.15. At unrounded precision, Idaho's rate is 7.69 times Alaska's rate.
Notable Pattern
California ranks 3rd by raw volume (103,856 units) but 39th per capita (2.64). New York is 9th by volume (38,667) but 47th per capita (1.93). The two lenses change the comparison substantially.
Regional / Source Concentration
15 of the Top 20 rate positions (75%) are in the South (8) or West (7); the Midwest has 4 and Northeast 1. The entire ranking uses the same Census definitions, with a separate prior-year BPS file for historical comparisons.
Outlier
Washington, D.C., ranks 41st by rate (2.29) but 86.2% of its authorized units were in buildings with 5+ units (1,372 of 1,591). Idaho's corresponding share was 16.3% (2,926 of 17,944).
What these permit rates mean and do not mean
Use the per-capita rate to compare the intensity of authorizations in differently sized states. Use the absolute unit count when assessing the total scale of the permitting pipeline. They are different denominators and can produce very different rankings. The table's 5+ shares show structural composition: a high multifamily proportion is not necessarily a high overall rate.
For comparison, see StatRanker's separate rolling annual growth ranking through August 2025; that analysis uses a different period and growth metric, so the rankings are not interchangeable.
For planners, builders and housing researchers, the metric is a standardized starting point, not a verdict on whether a state is building enough housing. Evaluating potential supply requires additional evidence about starts, completions, existing inventory, household formation, vacancy, local markets and permitting-to-completion delays. The annual BPS series does not by itself identify the causal reason for a change from 2024. Census also changed its monthly imputation factors beginning in January 2025, which is a comparability caveat when interpreting year-over-year differences.
Frequently asked questions
Which state had the highest permits-per-1,000 rate in 2025?
Idaho was first with 8.84 authorized housing units per 1,000 residents: 17,944 units divided by 2,029,733 residents and multiplied by 1,000. South Carolina was second at 8.23; North Carolina was third at 7.69.
Does the figure count permit documents or housing units?
Housing units, not permit documents. A single permit for a 100-unit apartment building can authorize 100 housing units. The ranking includes all BPS structure categories: one unit, two units, three-to-four units and five or more units.
Why is this a 2025 ranking published in 2026?
All 51 states/DC use final annual January–December 2025 Census BPS figures, released May 14, 2026, paired with July 1, 2025 resident population estimates from Census Vintage 2025. No partial 2026 figures are mixed in.
Are the per-1,000 rates official Census values?
No. Census published the authorized-unit counts and population denominators. StatRanker calculated each rate with (2025 BPS units ÷ 2025 PEP residents) × 1,000. All 51 rate statuses are calculated_value, not official_value or official_forecast.
Did nationwide residential authorizations grow compared with 2024?
No. Census reports 1,431,616 authorized units in 2025 versus 1,478,000 in 2024, a 3.1% decline. Individual states differed: Connecticut grew 22.7%, while New Jersey declined 20.8% in counts.
What does the 5+ units share mean?
It is the percentage of authorized housing units located in structures containing five or more units, divided by all authorized units in that state. For example, D.C. had 1,372 such units out of 1,591, or 86.2%. The share does not count buildings or guarantee those apartments were completed.
Why are Texas and California ranked differently by the two measures?
Texas authorized the most units, 210,217, and ranks seventh by the per-capita rate at 6.63. California was third by total count, 103,856, but 39th on a per-capita basis at 2.64 because the population denominator is much larger.
Does a high rate prove housing is affordable or that projects will be completed?
No. BPS covers new privately owned residential units authorized in permit-issuing areas and includes Census estimation for nonresponse. It does not measure permits converted to starts, completed homes, housing prices, rents, affordability or unmet demand.
Sources and data provenance
The three underlying numerical files are published by the U.S. Census Bureau (one originating organization). The other links provide validation and methodology, not additional independent numerical forecasts. All links below are absolute source addresses.
U.S. Census Bureau — Building Permits Survey, 2025 Annual State Data
Primary directly checked file for all 51 annual housing-unit totals and 5+ unit counts. State counts include BPS estimation where applicable. Final 2025 release.
https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/State/st2025a.txtU.S. Census Bureau — Building Permits Survey, 2024 Annual State Data
Directly checked 2024 unit counts for all 51 jurisdictions; historical baseline for observed year-over-year calculations. The New York / Tennessee conflict in a secondary Census summary was resolved using this file.
https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/State/st2024a.txtU.S. Census Bureau — Population Estimates Vintage 2025
Official resident population estimates for July 1, 2025, for all 50 states and D.C.; denominators for the per-1,000 rate.
https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/datasets/2020-2025/state/totals/NST-EST2025-ALLDATA.csvU.S. Census Bureau — 2025 Annual Highlights
Confirms U.S. final authorization counts, top state totals, notable 5+ shares, and published 2024–2025 comparisons; the 2024 Top 10 state table conflicts with the annual state ASCII file on New York / Tennessee.
https://www.census.gov/construction/bps/pdf/annual_highlights.pdfFederal Reserve Bank of St. Louis — FRED Population Table
Independent presentation of official Census 2025 population denominators; not an independently collected population series.
https://fred.stlouisfed.org/release/tables?eid=259194&rid=118U.S. Census Bureau — Building Permits Survey Methodology
Defines authorized units, structure categories, permit-issuing-area coverage, annual estimates, and the January 2025 changes to the monthly imputation method.
https://www.census.gov/construction/bps/methodology.html