Home Building per Capita Increases Away From Cities and Burbs

Outlying areas of both large and smaller metropolitan areas rank above their closer-in metro counterparts in per-capita single-family housing construction, according to the National Association of Home Builders’ Home Building Geography Index.

The index slices and dices construction permit data into several regions based on population densities. Compiling the figures this way is representative of the different types of housing products being built in these regions. For example, apartment construction increased during the second quarter in more affordable market further away from core counties with large and small metro markets.

These outlying areas have smaller population and a greater intensity of home building. For example, in the second quarter of 2019, the region with largest per capita level of single-family construction was outlying areas of large metros (exurbs), with 14 single-family permits per 10,000 people measured on a quarterly not an annual basis.

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