HousingPermits

Metro area in North Carolina · part of the Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC combined area

Durham-Chapel Hill, NC

The Durham-Chapel Hill metro area authorized 6,100 new housing units in 2025. Permits rose 58% between 2024 and 2025, the third-largest increase among the 55 metro areas of 500,000 to 999,999 residents. Buildings with five or more units accounted for 43% of the units authorized in 2021–2025, the highest share among the 15 metro areas based in North Carolina.

02,0004,0006,0008,0002004: 4,977 units (4,075 single-family, 70 in 2–4 unit, 832 in 5+ unit buildings)2005: 4,393 units (4,177 single-family, 62 in 2–4 unit, 154 in 5+ unit buildings)2006: 4,373 units (3,460 single-family, 26 in 2–4 unit, 887 in 5+ unit buildings)2007: 3,254 units (2,845 single-family, 161 in 2–4 unit, 248 in 5+ unit buildings)2008: 2,498 units (2,111 single-family, 62 in 2–4 unit, 325 in 5+ unit buildings)2009: 2,657 units (1,324 single-family, 48 in 2–4 unit, 1,285 in 5+ unit buildings)2010: 1,913 units (1,530 single-family, 12 in 2–4 unit, 371 in 5+ unit buildings)2011: 1,924 units (1,526 single-family, 44 in 2–4 unit, 354 in 5+ unit buildings)2012: 3,314 units (1,595 single-family, 18 in 2–4 unit, 1,701 in 5+ unit buildings)2013: 4,694 units (1,969 single-family, 26 in 2–4 unit, 2,699 in 5+ unit buildings)2014: 2,587 units (2,167 single-family, 2 in 2–4 unit, 418 in 5+ unit buildings)2015: 4,411 units (2,616 single-family, 86 in 2–4 unit, 1,709 in 5+ unit buildings)2016: 4,382 units (2,951 single-family, 28 in 2–4 unit, 1,403 in 5+ unit buildings)2017: 4,924 units (3,268 single-family, 18 in 2–4 unit, 1,638 in 5+ unit buildings)2018: 5,416 units (3,289 single-family, 68 in 2–4 unit, 2,059 in 5+ unit buildings)2019: 5,454 units (3,220 single-family, 34 in 2–4 unit, 2,200 in 5+ unit buildings)2020: 5,190 units (3,213 single-family, 25 in 2–4 unit, 1,952 in 5+ unit buildings)2021: 5,683 units (3,520 single-family, 42 in 2–4 unit, 2,121 in 5+ unit buildings)2022: 6,172 units (3,010 single-family, 79 in 2–4 unit, 3,083 in 5+ unit buildings)2023: 6,991 units (2,910 single-family, 90 in 2–4 unit, 3,991 in 5+ unit buildings)2024: 3,858 units (2,815 single-family, 54 in 2–4 unit, 989 in 5+ unit buildings)2025: 6,100 units (3,751 single-family, 86 in 2–4 unit, 2,263 in 5+ unit buildings)200420072010201320162019202220252023 high · 6,9912010 low · 1,91302,5005,0007,5002004: 4,977 units (4,075 single-family, 70 in 2–4 unit, 832 in 5+ unit buildings)2005: 4,393 units (4,177 single-family, 62 in 2–4 unit, 154 in 5+ unit buildings)2006: 4,373 units (3,460 single-family, 26 in 2–4 unit, 887 in 5+ unit buildings)2007: 3,254 units (2,845 single-family, 161 in 2–4 unit, 248 in 5+ unit buildings)2008: 2,498 units (2,111 single-family, 62 in 2–4 unit, 325 in 5+ unit buildings)2009: 2,657 units (1,324 single-family, 48 in 2–4 unit, 1,285 in 5+ unit buildings)2010: 1,913 units (1,530 single-family, 12 in 2–4 unit, 371 in 5+ unit buildings)2011: 1,924 units (1,526 single-family, 44 in 2–4 unit, 354 in 5+ unit buildings)2012: 3,314 units (1,595 single-family, 18 in 2–4 unit, 1,701 in 5+ unit buildings)2013: 4,694 units (1,969 single-family, 26 in 2–4 unit, 2,699 in 5+ unit buildings)2014: 2,587 units (2,167 single-family, 2 in 2–4 unit, 418 in 5+ unit buildings)2015: 4,411 units (2,616 single-family, 86 in 2–4 unit, 1,709 in 5+ unit buildings)2016: 4,382 units (2,951 single-family, 28 in 2–4 unit, 1,403 in 5+ unit buildings)2017: 4,924 units (3,268 single-family, 18 in 2–4 unit, 1,638 in 5+ unit buildings)2018: 5,416 units (3,289 single-family, 68 in 2–4 unit, 2,059 in 5+ unit buildings)2019: 5,454 units (3,220 single-family, 34 in 2–4 unit, 2,200 in 5+ unit buildings)2020: 5,190 units (3,213 single-family, 25 in 2–4 unit, 1,952 in 5+ unit buildings)2021: 5,683 units (3,520 single-family, 42 in 2–4 unit, 2,121 in 5+ unit buildings)2022: 6,172 units (3,010 single-family, 79 in 2–4 unit, 3,083 in 5+ unit buildings)2023: 6,991 units (2,910 single-family, 90 in 2–4 unit, 3,991 in 5+ unit buildings)2024: 3,858 units (2,815 single-family, 54 in 2–4 unit, 989 in 5+ unit buildings)2025: 6,100 units (3,751 single-family, 86 in 2–4 unit, 2,263 in 5+ unit buildings)2004200820122016202020252023 high · 6,991

Single-family2–4 units5+ units

Relative to population

With 625,485 residents in July 2025, Durham authorized 9.4 units per 1,000 residents a year in 2021–2025, 2.0 times the national 4.7. The metro areas with the nearest rates are Bowling Green (9.5) and Hammond (9.3).

Busiest permit offices

Across the metro area, 8 permit offices authorized new housing in 2021–2025. The busiest was Durham, with 19,328 units or 67% of the total, followed by Chatham County (unincorporated) with 3,937. Among the three largest, Chapel Hill town put 72% of its units in five-plus buildings, Chatham County (unincorporated) 23%.

  • Durham67% (19,328 units)
  • Chatham County (unincorporated)14% (3,937 units)
  • Chapel Hill town5.9% (1,703 units)
  • Orange County (unincorporated)5.4% (1,568 units)
  • Durham County (unincorporated)4.6% (1,330 units)
  • Person County2.5% (729 units)
  • Carrboro town0.6% (178 units)
  • Siler City town0.1% (31 units)

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

Boom, bust and since

Durham authorized the most units in 2023 (6,991); 2025 reached 87% of that. Its peak year is shared by 8 other metro areas, among them Wilmington, Waco, Burlington, NC. Annual permits fell from 4,977 during the mid-2000s boom to 1,913 in 2010, a drop of 62%. The nearest bust profile in the South Atlantic states was Sumter's (61%). The 2021–2025 pace of 5,761 units a year is 26% above the 2004–2006 pace.

The wider Raleigh-Durham-Cary region

The Census Bureau groups Durham with one neighboring metro area in the Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC combined area. Metro areas in it authorized 25,997 units a year in 2021–2025 (micropolitan parts not counted); Durham accounted for 22%. The other, with its yearly average: Raleigh (20,236).

Houses or apartments

The closest match in building mix among the 386 other metro areas is Albany, NY (43% in five-plus buildings). That share has risen sharply since 2004–2006, when it stood at 14%. Units in five-plus buildings peaked in 2023 (3,991), single-family houses in 2005 (4,177).

2021–202555.6%56%1.2%43.2%43%2004–200685.2%85%1.1%13.6%14%US, 2021–202562.6%63%3.5%34.0%34%2021–202555.6%56%1.2%43.2%43%2004–200685.2%85%1.1%13.6%14%US, 2021–202562.6%63%3.5%34.0%34%

Where in the metro

Durham County accounted for 72% of the metro area's units in 2021–2025, Chatham County for 14%.

  • Durham County72% (4,772 in 2025)
  • Chatham County14% (517 in 2025)
  • Orange County12% (666 in 2025)
  • Person County2.5% (145 in 2025)

Similar in size

Metro area2004–20252025 unitsPer 1,000 a year5+ share
Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC4,1416.611%
Durham-Chapel Hill, NC6,1009.443%
Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR8,96112.922%
Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA1,2012.926%
Jackson, MS1,5682.22.9%

Rates and shares: 2021–2025.

Put Durham beside Fayetteville, AR

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