HousingPermits

Metro area in Louisiana · part of the Lafayette-New Iberia-Opelousas, LA combined area

Lafayette, LA

The Lafayette metro area authorized 2,063 new housing units in 2025. Its 2025 total reached 67% of the 2006 high, the closest to a series peak among the 10 metro areas based in Louisiana. Buildings of five or more units took 3.6% of its 2021–2025 units, less than the national 34%.

08001,6002,4003,2002004: 2,703 units (2,672 single-family, 3 in 2–4 unit, 28 in 5+ unit buildings)2005: 2,274 units (2,263 single-family, 11 in 2–4 unit, 0 in 5+ unit buildings)2006: 3,073 units (2,598 single-family, 25 in 2–4 unit, 450 in 5+ unit buildings)2007: 2,340 units (1,761 single-family, 11 in 2–4 unit, 568 in 5+ unit buildings)2008: 1,455 units (1,189 single-family, 7 in 2–4 unit, 259 in 5+ unit buildings)2009: 1,147 units (1,011 single-family, 7 in 2–4 unit, 129 in 5+ unit buildings)2010: 1,088 units (1,008 single-family, 13 in 2–4 unit, 67 in 5+ unit buildings)2011: 1,229 units (1,058 single-family, 83 in 2–4 unit, 88 in 5+ unit buildings)2012: 1,649 units (1,501 single-family, 7 in 2–4 unit, 141 in 5+ unit buildings)2013: 1,873 units (1,712 single-family, 12 in 2–4 unit, 149 in 5+ unit buildings)2014: 2,267 units (2,136 single-family, 6 in 2–4 unit, 125 in 5+ unit buildings)2015: 2,385 units (1,892 single-family, 15 in 2–4 unit, 478 in 5+ unit buildings)2016: 1,614 units (1,453 single-family, 61 in 2–4 unit, 100 in 5+ unit buildings)2017: 1,684 units (1,676 single-family, 8 in 2–4 unit, 0 in 5+ unit buildings)2018: 1,607 units (1,591 single-family, 16 in 2–4 unit, 0 in 5+ unit buildings)2019: 1,580 units (1,556 single-family, 0 in 2–4 unit, 24 in 5+ unit buildings)2020: 2,478 units (2,462 single-family, 3 in 2–4 unit, 13 in 5+ unit buildings)2021: 2,977 units (2,973 single-family, 4 in 2–4 unit, 0 in 5+ unit buildings)2022: 1,964 units (1,944 single-family, 0 in 2–4 unit, 20 in 5+ unit buildings)2023: 2,264 units (1,886 single-family, 0 in 2–4 unit, 378 in 5+ unit buildings)2024: 2,019 units (2,001 single-family, 8 in 2–4 unit, 10 in 5+ unit buildings)2025: 2,063 units (2,063 single-family, 0 in 2–4 unit, 0 in 5+ unit buildings)200420072010201320162019202220252006 high · 3,07301,5003,0004,5002004: 2,703 units (2,672 single-family, 3 in 2–4 unit, 28 in 5+ unit buildings)2005: 2,274 units (2,263 single-family, 11 in 2–4 unit, 0 in 5+ unit buildings)2006: 3,073 units (2,598 single-family, 25 in 2–4 unit, 450 in 5+ unit buildings)2007: 2,340 units (1,761 single-family, 11 in 2–4 unit, 568 in 5+ unit buildings)2008: 1,455 units (1,189 single-family, 7 in 2–4 unit, 259 in 5+ unit buildings)2009: 1,147 units (1,011 single-family, 7 in 2–4 unit, 129 in 5+ unit buildings)2010: 1,088 units (1,008 single-family, 13 in 2–4 unit, 67 in 5+ unit buildings)2011: 1,229 units (1,058 single-family, 83 in 2–4 unit, 88 in 5+ unit buildings)2012: 1,649 units (1,501 single-family, 7 in 2–4 unit, 141 in 5+ unit buildings)2013: 1,873 units (1,712 single-family, 12 in 2–4 unit, 149 in 5+ unit buildings)2014: 2,267 units (2,136 single-family, 6 in 2–4 unit, 125 in 5+ unit buildings)2015: 2,385 units (1,892 single-family, 15 in 2–4 unit, 478 in 5+ unit buildings)2016: 1,614 units (1,453 single-family, 61 in 2–4 unit, 100 in 5+ unit buildings)2017: 1,684 units (1,676 single-family, 8 in 2–4 unit, 0 in 5+ unit buildings)2018: 1,607 units (1,591 single-family, 16 in 2–4 unit, 0 in 5+ unit buildings)2019: 1,580 units (1,556 single-family, 0 in 2–4 unit, 24 in 5+ unit buildings)2020: 2,478 units (2,462 single-family, 3 in 2–4 unit, 13 in 5+ unit buildings)2021: 2,977 units (2,973 single-family, 4 in 2–4 unit, 0 in 5+ unit buildings)2022: 1,964 units (1,944 single-family, 0 in 2–4 unit, 20 in 5+ unit buildings)2023: 2,264 units (1,886 single-family, 0 in 2–4 unit, 378 in 5+ unit buildings)2024: 2,019 units (2,001 single-family, 8 in 2–4 unit, 10 in 5+ unit buildings)2025: 2,063 units (2,063 single-family, 0 in 2–4 unit, 0 in 5+ unit buildings)2004200820122016202020252006 high · 3,073

Single-family2–4 units5+ units

Houses or apartments

The closest match in building mix among the 386 other metro areas is Valdosta (3.6% in five-plus buildings). Units in five-plus buildings peaked in 2007 (568), single-family houses in 2021 (2,973).

2021–202596.3%96%0.1%3.6%2004–200693.6%94%0.5%5.9%US, 2021–202562.6%63%3.5%34.0%34%2021–202596.3%96%0.1%3.6%2004–200693.6%94%0.5%5.9%US, 2021–202562.6%63%3.5%34.0%34%

Busiest permit offices

Across the metro area, 17 permit offices authorized new housing in 2021–2025. The busiest was Lafayette Parish (unincorporated), with 3,867 units or 34% of the total, followed by Youngsville town with 1,771.

  • Lafayette Parish (unincorporated)34% (3,867 units)
  • Youngsville town16% (1,771 units)
  • Carencro12% (1,382 units)
  • Broussard9.9% (1,112 units)
  • Scott7.3% (821 units)
  • Vermilion Parish (unincorporated)6.3% (711 units)
  • Acadia Parish (unincorporated)4.9% (553 units)
  • Maurice town4.7% (534 units)

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

Boom, bust and since

Its peak year is shared by 30 other metro areas, among them Mobile, Corpus Christi, Springfield, MA. Annual permits fell from 3,073 during the mid-2000s boom to 1,088 in 2010, a drop of 65%. The nearest bust profile in the West South Central states was Oklahoma City's (65%). The 2021–2025 pace of 2,257 units a year is 16% below the 2004–2006 pace. Permits rose 5 years in a row up to 2015.

Relative to population

With 423,758 residents in July 2025, Lafayette, LA authorized 5.4 units per 1,000 residents a year in 2021–2025, 1.2 times the national 4.7. The metro areas with the nearest rates are Rochester, MN (5.5) and Brownsville (5.4).

Where in the metro

Lafayette Parish accounted for 79% of the metro area's units in 2021–2025, Vermilion Parish for 12%.

  • Lafayette Parish79% (1,612 in 2025)
  • Vermilion Parish12% (254 in 2025)
  • Acadia Parish6% (147 in 2025)
  • St. Martin Parish2.9% (50 in 2025)

Similar in size

Metro area2004–20252025 unitsPer 1,000 a year5+ share
Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC6,51117.31.3%
Lafayette, LA2,0635.43.6%
Youngstown-Warren, OH2860.60%
Asheville, NC3,2389.238%
Naples-Marco Island, FL2,73610.928%

Rates and shares: 2021–2025.

Put Lafayette, LA beside Youngstown

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