HousingPermits

Metro area in Colorado · part of the Denver-Aurora-Greeley, CO combined area

Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO

The Denver-Aurora-Centennial metro area authorized 15,948 new housing units in 2025, the second-largest total of the 39 metro areas based in the Mountain states. Per 1,000 residents it authorized 6.9 units a year in 2021–2025, 1.5 times the national rate of 4.7. Its busiest year since 2004 was 2021, with 30,006 units; 2025 came to 53% of that.

08,00016k24k32k2004: 21,836 units (18,599 single-family, 348 in 2–4 unit, 2,889 in 5+ unit buildings)2005: 20,849 units (17,745 single-family, 348 in 2–4 unit, 2,756 in 5+ unit buildings)2006: 18,070 units (13,166 single-family, 373 in 2–4 unit, 4,531 in 5+ unit buildings)2007: 14,217 units (7,859 single-family, 374 in 2–4 unit, 5,984 in 5+ unit buildings)2008: 8,814 units (4,003 single-family, 206 in 2–4 unit, 4,605 in 5+ unit buildings)2009: 4,112 units (2,723 single-family, 110 in 2–4 unit, 1,279 in 5+ unit buildings)2010: 5,042 units (3,660 single-family, 247 in 2–4 unit, 1,135 in 5+ unit buildings)2011: 6,673 units (3,630 single-family, 261 in 2–4 unit, 2,782 in 5+ unit buildings)2012: 13,760 units (5,606 single-family, 239 in 2–4 unit, 7,915 in 5+ unit buildings)2013: 15,475 units (6,965 single-family, 322 in 2–4 unit, 8,188 in 5+ unit buildings)2014: 15,767 units (8,064 single-family, 371 in 2–4 unit, 7,332 in 5+ unit buildings)2015: 18,326 units (9,324 single-family, 324 in 2–4 unit, 8,678 in 5+ unit buildings)2016: 21,947 units (10,247 single-family, 486 in 2–4 unit, 11,214 in 5+ unit buildings)2017: 22,735 units (10,978 single-family, 366 in 2–4 unit, 11,391 in 5+ unit buildings)2018: 21,729 units (11,808 single-family, 358 in 2–4 unit, 9,563 in 5+ unit buildings)2019: 19,308 units (11,081 single-family, 190 in 2–4 unit, 8,037 in 5+ unit buildings)2020: 19,732 units (11,234 single-family, 353 in 2–4 unit, 8,145 in 5+ unit buildings)2021: 30,006 units (13,113 single-family, 865 in 2–4 unit, 16,028 in 5+ unit buildings)2022: 23,009 units (10,099 single-family, 568 in 2–4 unit, 12,342 in 5+ unit buildings)2023: 20,650 units (9,012 single-family, 276 in 2–4 unit, 11,362 in 5+ unit buildings)2024: 15,570 units (9,012 single-family, 129 in 2–4 unit, 6,429 in 5+ unit buildings)2025: 15,948 units (7,477 single-family, 276 in 2–4 unit, 8,195 in 5+ unit buildings)200420072010201320162019202220252021 high · 30,0062009 low · 4,112015k30k45k2004: 21,836 units (18,599 single-family, 348 in 2–4 unit, 2,889 in 5+ unit buildings)2005: 20,849 units (17,745 single-family, 348 in 2–4 unit, 2,756 in 5+ unit buildings)2006: 18,070 units (13,166 single-family, 373 in 2–4 unit, 4,531 in 5+ unit buildings)2007: 14,217 units (7,859 single-family, 374 in 2–4 unit, 5,984 in 5+ unit buildings)2008: 8,814 units (4,003 single-family, 206 in 2–4 unit, 4,605 in 5+ unit buildings)2009: 4,112 units (2,723 single-family, 110 in 2–4 unit, 1,279 in 5+ unit buildings)2010: 5,042 units (3,660 single-family, 247 in 2–4 unit, 1,135 in 5+ unit buildings)2011: 6,673 units (3,630 single-family, 261 in 2–4 unit, 2,782 in 5+ unit buildings)2012: 13,760 units (5,606 single-family, 239 in 2–4 unit, 7,915 in 5+ unit buildings)2013: 15,475 units (6,965 single-family, 322 in 2–4 unit, 8,188 in 5+ unit buildings)2014: 15,767 units (8,064 single-family, 371 in 2–4 unit, 7,332 in 5+ unit buildings)2015: 18,326 units (9,324 single-family, 324 in 2–4 unit, 8,678 in 5+ unit buildings)2016: 21,947 units (10,247 single-family, 486 in 2–4 unit, 11,214 in 5+ unit buildings)2017: 22,735 units (10,978 single-family, 366 in 2–4 unit, 11,391 in 5+ unit buildings)2018: 21,729 units (11,808 single-family, 358 in 2–4 unit, 9,563 in 5+ unit buildings)2019: 19,308 units (11,081 single-family, 190 in 2–4 unit, 8,037 in 5+ unit buildings)2020: 19,732 units (11,234 single-family, 353 in 2–4 unit, 8,145 in 5+ unit buildings)2021: 30,006 units (13,113 single-family, 865 in 2–4 unit, 16,028 in 5+ unit buildings)2022: 23,009 units (10,099 single-family, 568 in 2–4 unit, 12,342 in 5+ unit buildings)2023: 20,650 units (9,012 single-family, 276 in 2–4 unit, 11,362 in 5+ unit buildings)2024: 15,570 units (9,012 single-family, 129 in 2–4 unit, 6,429 in 5+ unit buildings)2025: 15,948 units (7,477 single-family, 276 in 2–4 unit, 8,195 in 5+ unit buildings)2004200820122016202020252021 high · 30,006

Single-family2–4 units5+ units

Houses or apartments

In Denver, 46% of the units authorized in 2021–2025 were single-family houses and 52% were in buildings of five or more units, against 34% nationally. The closest match in building mix among the 386 other metro areas is Eau Claire (52% in five-plus buildings). That share has risen sharply since 2004–2006, when it stood at 17%. Units in five-plus buildings peaked in 2021 (16,028), single-family houses in 2004 (18,599).

2021–202546.3%46%2.0%51.7%52%2004–200681.5%81%1.8%16.7%17%US, 2021–202562.6%63%3.5%34.0%34%2021–202546.3%46%2.0%51.7%52%2004–200681.5%81%1.8%16.7%17%US, 2021–202562.6%63%3.5%34.0%34%

Where in the metro

Denver County accounted for 31% of the metro area's units in 2021–2025, Arapahoe County for 22%.

  • Denver County31% (4,727 in 2025)
  • Arapahoe County22% (3,599 in 2025)
  • Douglas County18% (2,398 in 2025)
  • Adams County14% (2,608 in 2025)
  • Jefferson County7.8% (1,118 in 2025)
  • Broomfield County3.5% (970 in 2025)
  • Elbert County1.7% (333 in 2025)
  • Park County0.8% (152 in 2025)
  • Clear Creek County0.2% (21 in 2025)
  • Gilpin County0.1% (22 in 2025)

Busiest permit offices

Across the metro area, 45 permit offices authorized new housing in 2021–2025. The busiest was Denver, with 32,742 units or 31% of the total, followed by Aurora with 15,237. Among the three largest, Denver put 82% of its units in five-plus buildings, Douglas County (unincorporated) 25%.

  • Denver31% (32,742 units)
  • Aurora14% (15,237 units)
  • Douglas County (unincorporated)7.2% (7,561 units)
  • Commerce City4.8% (5,016 units)
  • Parker town4.3% (4,541 units)
  • Castle Rock town3.6% (3,821 units)
  • Jefferson County (unincorporated)3.5% (3,719 units)
  • Broomfield3.5% (3,691 units)

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

The wider Denver-Aurora-Greeley region

The Census Bureau groups Denver with 2 neighboring metro areas in the Denver-Aurora-Greeley, CO combined area. Metro areas in it authorized 26,981 units a year in 2021–2025 (micropolitan parts not counted); Denver accounted for 78%. The others, with their yearly averages: Greeley (4,304), Boulder (1,640).

Boom, bust and since

Its peak year is shared by 27 other metro areas, among them Charlotte, Austin, Nashville. Annual permits fell from 21,836 during the mid-2000s boom to 4,112 in 2009, a drop of 81%. The nearest bust profile in the Mountain states was Colorado Springs's (80%). The 2021–2025 pace of 21,037 units a year is 3.9% above the 2004–2006 pace. Permits rose 8 years in a row up to 2017.

Similar in size

Metro area2004–20252025 unitsPer 1,000 a year5+ share
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA11,7073.363%
Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO15,9486.952%
Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL27,8459.640%
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC22,2339.630%
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD5,7992.444%

Rates and shares: 2021–2025.

Put Denver beside Orlando

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