In September 2018, the total number of single-family permits issued year-to-date at the national level hit 664,665, a 5.7 percent annual increase.
The data from the National Association of Home Builders runs similar to the September New Residential Construction Survey data, showing 663,800 permits issued in the same period. Yet, NAHB reports a "notable slowdown" in new construction: single-family permits increased in the South and West, 6.5 percent and 11.5 percent, respectively, while permits decreased in the Northeast and Midwest, -6.4 percent and -0.9 percent, respectively. By state, Colorado had the highest rate of growth, 22 percent, while Washington, D.C.'s growth rate was -67.9 percent, annually.
In the multifamily sector, Texas issued the highest number of multifamily permits year-to-date in September 2018 at 47,079, with California and Florida issuing the second and third most multifamily permits year-to-date, 40,995 and 34,332 respectively. Meanwhile Wyoming issued the lowest number of multifamily permits at 137. The 10 states issuing the highest number of multifamily permits combined accounted for 64.3 percent of the multifamily permits issued.