HousingPermits

Metro area in North Carolina, South Carolina · part of the Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC combined area

Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC

The Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia metro area authorized an average of 26,985 new housing units a year in 2021–2025, the ninth-largest total of the 387 US metro areas. Per 1,000 residents it authorized 9.6 units a year in 2021–2025, 2.1 times the national rate of 4.7. Its busiest year since 2004 was 2021, with 30,126 units; 2025 came to 74% of that.

08,00016k24k32k2004: 25,864 units (21,383 single-family, 376 in 2–4 unit, 4,105 in 5+ unit buildings)2005: 26,661 units (23,152 single-family, 221 in 2–4 unit, 3,288 in 5+ unit buildings)2006: 29,415 units (24,040 single-family, 264 in 2–4 unit, 5,111 in 5+ unit buildings)2007: 26,369 units (20,576 single-family, 158 in 2–4 unit, 5,635 in 5+ unit buildings)2008: 15,052 units (10,056 single-family, 217 in 2–4 unit, 4,779 in 5+ unit buildings)2009: 8,184 units (5,507 single-family, 84 in 2–4 unit, 2,593 in 5+ unit buildings)2010: 6,133 units (5,181 single-family, 254 in 2–4 unit, 698 in 5+ unit buildings)2011: 7,143 units (5,591 single-family, 190 in 2–4 unit, 1,362 in 5+ unit buildings)2012: 13,256 units (7,611 single-family, 236 in 2–4 unit, 5,409 in 5+ unit buildings)2013: 16,878 units (11,105 single-family, 203 in 2–4 unit, 5,570 in 5+ unit buildings)2014: 18,570 units (11,336 single-family, 134 in 2–4 unit, 7,100 in 5+ unit buildings)2015: 19,579 units (12,422 single-family, 281 in 2–4 unit, 6,876 in 5+ unit buildings)2016: 20,615 units (14,082 single-family, 105 in 2–4 unit, 6,428 in 5+ unit buildings)2017: 22,912 units (15,290 single-family, 114 in 2–4 unit, 7,508 in 5+ unit buildings)2018: 26,254 units (16,452 single-family, 162 in 2–4 unit, 9,640 in 5+ unit buildings)2019: 24,637 units (16,253 single-family, 146 in 2–4 unit, 8,238 in 5+ unit buildings)2020: 26,548 units (19,690 single-family, 134 in 2–4 unit, 6,724 in 5+ unit buildings)2021: 30,126 units (20,830 single-family, 110 in 2–4 unit, 9,186 in 5+ unit buildings)2022: 27,212 units (19,029 single-family, 189 in 2–4 unit, 7,994 in 5+ unit buildings)2023: 29,419 units (19,146 single-family, 146 in 2–4 unit, 10,127 in 5+ unit buildings)2024: 25,935 units (18,954 single-family, 154 in 2–4 unit, 6,827 in 5+ unit buildings)2025: 22,233 units (16,242 single-family, 171 in 2–4 unit, 5,820 in 5+ unit buildings)200420072010201320162019202220252021 high · 30,1262010 low · 6,133015k30k45k2004: 25,864 units (21,383 single-family, 376 in 2–4 unit, 4,105 in 5+ unit buildings)2005: 26,661 units (23,152 single-family, 221 in 2–4 unit, 3,288 in 5+ unit buildings)2006: 29,415 units (24,040 single-family, 264 in 2–4 unit, 5,111 in 5+ unit buildings)2007: 26,369 units (20,576 single-family, 158 in 2–4 unit, 5,635 in 5+ unit buildings)2008: 15,052 units (10,056 single-family, 217 in 2–4 unit, 4,779 in 5+ unit buildings)2009: 8,184 units (5,507 single-family, 84 in 2–4 unit, 2,593 in 5+ unit buildings)2010: 6,133 units (5,181 single-family, 254 in 2–4 unit, 698 in 5+ unit buildings)2011: 7,143 units (5,591 single-family, 190 in 2–4 unit, 1,362 in 5+ unit buildings)2012: 13,256 units (7,611 single-family, 236 in 2–4 unit, 5,409 in 5+ unit buildings)2013: 16,878 units (11,105 single-family, 203 in 2–4 unit, 5,570 in 5+ unit buildings)2014: 18,570 units (11,336 single-family, 134 in 2–4 unit, 7,100 in 5+ unit buildings)2015: 19,579 units (12,422 single-family, 281 in 2–4 unit, 6,876 in 5+ unit buildings)2016: 20,615 units (14,082 single-family, 105 in 2–4 unit, 6,428 in 5+ unit buildings)2017: 22,912 units (15,290 single-family, 114 in 2–4 unit, 7,508 in 5+ unit buildings)2018: 26,254 units (16,452 single-family, 162 in 2–4 unit, 9,640 in 5+ unit buildings)2019: 24,637 units (16,253 single-family, 146 in 2–4 unit, 8,238 in 5+ unit buildings)2020: 26,548 units (19,690 single-family, 134 in 2–4 unit, 6,724 in 5+ unit buildings)2021: 30,126 units (20,830 single-family, 110 in 2–4 unit, 9,186 in 5+ unit buildings)2022: 27,212 units (19,029 single-family, 189 in 2–4 unit, 7,994 in 5+ unit buildings)2023: 29,419 units (19,146 single-family, 146 in 2–4 unit, 10,127 in 5+ unit buildings)2024: 25,935 units (18,954 single-family, 154 in 2–4 unit, 6,827 in 5+ unit buildings)2025: 22,233 units (16,242 single-family, 171 in 2–4 unit, 5,820 in 5+ unit buildings)2004200820122016202020252021 high · 30,126

Single-family2–4 units5+ units

Busiest permit offices

Across the metro area, 22 permit offices authorized new housing in 2021–2025. The busiest was Mecklenburg County, with 61,382 units or 46% of the total, followed by Iredell County (unincorporated) with 12,094. Among the three largest, Mecklenburg County put 50% of its units in five-plus buildings, Iredell County (unincorporated) 21%.

  • Mecklenburg County46% (61,382 units)
  • Iredell County (unincorporated)9% (12,094 units)
  • Cabarrus County7.9% (10,717 units)
  • Gaston County (unincorporated)6.2% (8,351 units)
  • Union County (unincorporated)6% (8,068 units)
  • Fort Mill town4.1% (5,478 units)
  • Lancaster County (unincorporated)3.6% (4,847 units)
  • Lincoln County3.1% (4,119 units)

Share of the units authorized in the metro area, 2021–2025.

Where in the metro

Mecklenburg County accounted for 46% of the metro area's units in 2021–2025, York County for 10%. The part in South Carolina supplied 15%.

  • Mecklenburg County, NC46% (7,496 in 2025)
  • York County, SC10% (2,646 in 2025)
  • Iredell County, NC9.5% (1,835 in 2025)
  • Union County, NC9.2% (2,707 in 2025)
  • Cabarrus County, NC7.9% (1,991 in 2025)
  • Gaston County, NC7.3% (2,343 in 2025)
  • Lancaster County, SC3.9% (1,110 in 2025)
  • Lincoln County, NC3.1% (785 in 2025)
  • Rowan County, NC2.7% (957 in 2025)
  • Chester County, SC0.7% (310 in 2025)
  • Anson County, NC0.2% (53 in 2025)

The wider Charlotte-Concord region

The Census Bureau groups Charlotte with one neighboring metro area in the Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC combined area. Metro areas in it authorized 29,546 units a year in 2021–2025 (micropolitan parts not counted); Charlotte accounted for 91%. The other, with its yearly average: Hickory (2,561).

Houses or apartments

In Charlotte, 70% of the units authorized in 2021–2025 were single-family houses and 30% were in buildings of five or more units, against 34% nationally. The closest match in building mix among the 386 other metro areas is Grand Rapids (30% in five-plus buildings). That share has risen sharply since 2004–2006, when it stood at 15%. Units in five-plus buildings peaked in 2023 (10,127), single-family houses in 2006 (24,040).

2021–202569.8%70%0.6%29.6%30%2004–200683.7%84%1.1%15.3%15%US, 2021–202562.6%63%3.5%34.0%34%2021–202569.8%70%0.6%29.6%30%2004–200683.7%84%1.1%15.3%15%US, 2021–202562.6%63%3.5%34.0%34%

Boom, bust and since

Its peak year is shared by 27 other metro areas, among them Denver, Austin, Nashville. Annual permits fell from 29,415 during the mid-2000s boom to 6,133 in 2010, a drop of 79%. The nearest bust profile in the South Atlantic states was Harrisonburg's (79%). The 2021–2025 pace of 26,985 units a year is 1.2% below the 2004–2006 pace. Permits rose 8 years in a row up to 2018. From 2024 to 2025 the count fell 14%.

Similar in size

Metro area2004–20252025 unitsPer 1,000 a year5+ share
Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL27,8459.640%
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC22,2339.630%
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD5,7992.444%
St. Louis, MO-IL6,0662.733%
San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX10,5466.539%

Rates and shares: 2021–2025.

Put Charlotte beside Orlando

Every yearly figure behind the chart, split by building size: yearly-units.csv. State view: North Carolina. Counting rules.