September Single-Family Permits Rise as Multifamily Falls

From the beginning of 2020 until September, total single-family permits increased 10.2% year over year. In 2019, the number of total permits hit 647,244 while total permits for the first nine months of 2020 reached 713,286. Multifamily permits took big hits this year in all regions, ranging from -2.7% declines in the Midwest to -9.4% in the West, according to the National Association of Home Builders. Single-family permits increased greatly in each region, from 12.4% advances in the South to 6.2% advances in the Northeast.

Between September 2019 YTD and September 2020 YTD, 42 states saw growth in single-family permits issued while eight states and the District of Columbia registered a decline. South Dakota recorded the highest growth rate during this time at 32.0% from 2,186 to 2,885 while single-family permits in the District of Columbia declined by 22.2%, from 126 in 2019 to 98 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.

Year-to-date, ending in September 2020, the total number of multifamily permits issued nationwide reached 346,617. This is 6.5% decline over the September 2019 level of 370,830.

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