HousingPermits

Metro area in Texas · part of the Houston-Pasadena, TX combined area

Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX

The Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands metro area authorized 65,075 new housing units in 2025, the second-largest total of the 387 US metro areas. Per 1,000 residents it authorized 9.1 units a year in 2021–2025, 2.0 times the national rate of 4.7. Buildings of five or more units took 25% of its 2021–2025 units, less than the national 34%.

020k40k60k80k2004: 56,036 units (45,103 single-family, 331 in 2–4 unit, 10,602 in 5+ unit buildings)2005: 62,125 units (51,205 single-family, 452 in 2–4 unit, 10,468 in 5+ unit buildings)2006: 71,719 units (55,162 single-family, 824 in 2–4 unit, 15,733 in 5+ unit buildings)2007: 63,274 units (42,217 single-family, 745 in 2–4 unit, 20,312 in 5+ unit buildings)2008: 42,728 units (28,192 single-family, 371 in 2–4 unit, 14,165 in 5+ unit buildings)2009: 27,326 units (22,369 single-family, 248 in 2–4 unit, 4,709 in 5+ unit buildings)2010: 27,452 units (22,330 single-family, 264 in 2–4 unit, 4,858 in 5+ unit buildings)2011: 31,271 units (22,889 single-family, 101 in 2–4 unit, 8,281 in 5+ unit buildings)2012: 43,290 units (28,628 single-family, 137 in 2–4 unit, 14,525 in 5+ unit buildings)2013: 51,333 units (34,542 single-family, 142 in 2–4 unit, 16,649 in 5+ unit buildings)2014: 63,743 units (38,317 single-family, 382 in 2–4 unit, 25,044 in 5+ unit buildings)2015: 57,078 units (36,963 single-family, 317 in 2–4 unit, 19,798 in 5+ unit buildings)2016: 44,997 units (35,632 single-family, 311 in 2–4 unit, 9,054 in 5+ unit buildings)2017: 42,763 units (36,716 single-family, 325 in 2–4 unit, 5,722 in 5+ unit buildings)2018: 57,664 units (40,697 single-family, 360 in 2–4 unit, 16,607 in 5+ unit buildings)2019: 64,066 units (39,901 single-family, 357 in 2–4 unit, 23,808 in 5+ unit buildings)2020: 70,997 units (50,372 single-family, 341 in 2–4 unit, 20,284 in 5+ unit buildings)2021: 69,838 units (53,294 single-family, 896 in 2–4 unit, 15,648 in 5+ unit buildings)2022: 76,219 units (48,192 single-family, 903 in 2–4 unit, 27,124 in 5+ unit buildings)2023: 69,303 units (50,992 single-family, 1,820 in 2–4 unit, 16,491 in 5+ unit buildings)2024: 65,747 units (52,703 single-family, 1,539 in 2–4 unit, 11,505 in 5+ unit buildings)2025: 65,075 units (46,219 single-family, 2,471 in 2–4 unit, 16,385 in 5+ unit buildings)200420072010201320162019202220252022 high · 76,2192009 low · 27,326030k60k90k2004: 56,036 units (45,103 single-family, 331 in 2–4 unit, 10,602 in 5+ unit buildings)2005: 62,125 units (51,205 single-family, 452 in 2–4 unit, 10,468 in 5+ unit buildings)2006: 71,719 units (55,162 single-family, 824 in 2–4 unit, 15,733 in 5+ unit buildings)2007: 63,274 units (42,217 single-family, 745 in 2–4 unit, 20,312 in 5+ unit buildings)2008: 42,728 units (28,192 single-family, 371 in 2–4 unit, 14,165 in 5+ unit buildings)2009: 27,326 units (22,369 single-family, 248 in 2–4 unit, 4,709 in 5+ unit buildings)2010: 27,452 units (22,330 single-family, 264 in 2–4 unit, 4,858 in 5+ unit buildings)2011: 31,271 units (22,889 single-family, 101 in 2–4 unit, 8,281 in 5+ unit buildings)2012: 43,290 units (28,628 single-family, 137 in 2–4 unit, 14,525 in 5+ unit buildings)2013: 51,333 units (34,542 single-family, 142 in 2–4 unit, 16,649 in 5+ unit buildings)2014: 63,743 units (38,317 single-family, 382 in 2–4 unit, 25,044 in 5+ unit buildings)2015: 57,078 units (36,963 single-family, 317 in 2–4 unit, 19,798 in 5+ unit buildings)2016: 44,997 units (35,632 single-family, 311 in 2–4 unit, 9,054 in 5+ unit buildings)2017: 42,763 units (36,716 single-family, 325 in 2–4 unit, 5,722 in 5+ unit buildings)2018: 57,664 units (40,697 single-family, 360 in 2–4 unit, 16,607 in 5+ unit buildings)2019: 64,066 units (39,901 single-family, 357 in 2–4 unit, 23,808 in 5+ unit buildings)2020: 70,997 units (50,372 single-family, 341 in 2–4 unit, 20,284 in 5+ unit buildings)2021: 69,838 units (53,294 single-family, 896 in 2–4 unit, 15,648 in 5+ unit buildings)2022: 76,219 units (48,192 single-family, 903 in 2–4 unit, 27,124 in 5+ unit buildings)2023: 69,303 units (50,992 single-family, 1,820 in 2–4 unit, 16,491 in 5+ unit buildings)2024: 65,747 units (52,703 single-family, 1,539 in 2–4 unit, 11,505 in 5+ unit buildings)2025: 65,075 units (46,219 single-family, 2,471 in 2–4 unit, 16,385 in 5+ unit buildings)2004200820122016202020252022 high · 76,219

Single-family2–4 units5+ units

Where in the metro

Harris County accounted for 49% of the metro area's units in 2021–2025, Montgomery County for 20%.

  • Harris County49% (30,909 in 2025)
  • Montgomery County20% (13,614 in 2025)
  • Fort Bend County17% (12,487 in 2025)
  • Brazoria County5.5% (2,800 in 2025)
  • Galveston County3.8% (2,525 in 2025)
  • Liberty County1.9% (1,010 in 2025)
  • Chambers County1% (564 in 2025)
  • San Jacinto County0.8% (523 in 2025)
  • Waller County0.5% (339 in 2025)
  • Austin County0.4% (304 in 2025)

Busiest permit offices

Across the metro area, 113 permit offices authorized new housing in 2021–2025. The busiest was Harris County (unincorporated), with 89,692 units or 26% of the total, followed by Houston with 71,200. Among the three largest, Houston put 47% of its units in five-plus buildings, Montgomery County (unincorporated) 12%.

  • Harris County (unincorporated)26% (89,692 units)
  • Houston20% (71,200 units)
  • Montgomery County (unincorporated)15% (52,162 units)
  • Fort Bend County (unincorporated)10% (34,709 units)
  • Fulshear4.9% (17,097 units)
  • Conroe3.9% (13,364 units)
  • Brazoria County (unincorporated)1.9% (6,563 units)
  • Liberty County (unincorporated)1.5% (5,235 units)

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

Houses or apartments

The closest match in building mix among the 386 other metro areas is Huntsville (25% in five-plus buildings). Units in five-plus buildings peaked in 2022 (27,124), single-family houses in 2006 (55,162).

2021–202572.6%73%2.2%25.2%25%2004–200679.8%80%0.8%19.4%19%US, 2021–202562.6%63%3.5%34.0%34%2021–202572.6%73%2.2%25.2%25%2004–200679.8%80%0.8%19.4%19%US, 2021–202562.6%63%3.5%34.0%34%

Boom, bust and since

Houston authorized the most units in 2022 (76,219); 2025 reached 85% of that. Its peak year is shared by 19 other metro areas, among them San Antonio, Raleigh, Richmond. Annual permits fell from 71,719 during the mid-2000s boom to 27,326 in 2009, a drop of 62%. The nearest bust profile in the West South Central states was Alexandria's (60%). The 2021–2025 pace of 69,236 units a year is 9.4% above the 2004–2006 pace. Permits rose 5 years in a row up to 2014.

Similar in size

Metro area2004–20252025 unitsPer 1,000 a year5+ share
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX66,1798.935%
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX65,0759.125%
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA33,6706.434%
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV17,9904.053%
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL23,4533.467%

Rates and shares: 2021–2025.

Put Houston beside Dallas

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