HousingPermits

Metro area in Tennessee, Mississippi, Arkansas · part of the Memphis-Clarksdale-Forrest City, TN-MS-AR combined area

Memphis, TN-MS-AR

The Memphis metro area authorized 3,298 new housing units in 2025. Its 2025 total was only 31% of the 2005 high of 10,794 units, the second-furthest below a series peak among the 56 metro areas with 1 million or more residents. Recent building has not returned to boom levels: the 2021–2025 yearly average was 59% below the 2004–2006 average, the weakest recovery by this measure among the 10 metro areas based in Tennessee.

03,0006,0009,00012k2004: 10,131 units (8,891 single-family, 102 in 2–4 unit, 1,138 in 5+ unit buildings)2005: 10,794 units (9,712 single-family, 24 in 2–4 unit, 1,058 in 5+ unit buildings)2006: 10,251 units (8,615 single-family, 211 in 2–4 unit, 1,425 in 5+ unit buildings)2007: 8,078 units (5,676 single-family, 77 in 2–4 unit, 2,325 in 5+ unit buildings)2008: 3,106 units (2,335 single-family, 126 in 2–4 unit, 645 in 5+ unit buildings)2009: 2,034 units (1,570 single-family, 0 in 2–4 unit, 464 in 5+ unit buildings)2010: 2,429 units (1,653 single-family, 127 in 2–4 unit, 649 in 5+ unit buildings)2011: 2,210 units (1,645 single-family, 14 in 2–4 unit, 551 in 5+ unit buildings)2012: 3,507 units (2,220 single-family, 363 in 2–4 unit, 924 in 5+ unit buildings)2013: 3,652 units (2,470 single-family, 159 in 2–4 unit, 1,023 in 5+ unit buildings)2014: 3,154 units (2,539 single-family, 8 in 2–4 unit, 607 in 5+ unit buildings)2015: 3,951 units (2,573 single-family, 8 in 2–4 unit, 1,370 in 5+ unit buildings)2016: 4,354 units (3,002 single-family, 36 in 2–4 unit, 1,316 in 5+ unit buildings)2017: 3,860 units (3,193 single-family, 90 in 2–4 unit, 577 in 5+ unit buildings)2018: 4,492 units (3,185 single-family, 2 in 2–4 unit, 1,305 in 5+ unit buildings)2019: 3,674 units (3,319 single-family, 12 in 2–4 unit, 343 in 5+ unit buildings)2020: 4,797 units (3,887 single-family, 38 in 2–4 unit, 872 in 5+ unit buildings)2021: 5,205 units (4,284 single-family, 26 in 2–4 unit, 895 in 5+ unit buildings)2022: 4,301 units (3,485 single-family, 2 in 2–4 unit, 814 in 5+ unit buildings)2023: 4,058 units (3,062 single-family, 16 in 2–4 unit, 980 in 5+ unit buildings)2024: 4,240 units (2,773 single-family, 24 in 2–4 unit, 1,443 in 5+ unit buildings)2025: 3,298 units (3,082 single-family, 21 in 2–4 unit, 195 in 5+ unit buildings)200420072010201320162019202220252005 high · 10,79404,0008,00012k2004: 10,131 units (8,891 single-family, 102 in 2–4 unit, 1,138 in 5+ unit buildings)2005: 10,794 units (9,712 single-family, 24 in 2–4 unit, 1,058 in 5+ unit buildings)2006: 10,251 units (8,615 single-family, 211 in 2–4 unit, 1,425 in 5+ unit buildings)2007: 8,078 units (5,676 single-family, 77 in 2–4 unit, 2,325 in 5+ unit buildings)2008: 3,106 units (2,335 single-family, 126 in 2–4 unit, 645 in 5+ unit buildings)2009: 2,034 units (1,570 single-family, 0 in 2–4 unit, 464 in 5+ unit buildings)2010: 2,429 units (1,653 single-family, 127 in 2–4 unit, 649 in 5+ unit buildings)2011: 2,210 units (1,645 single-family, 14 in 2–4 unit, 551 in 5+ unit buildings)2012: 3,507 units (2,220 single-family, 363 in 2–4 unit, 924 in 5+ unit buildings)2013: 3,652 units (2,470 single-family, 159 in 2–4 unit, 1,023 in 5+ unit buildings)2014: 3,154 units (2,539 single-family, 8 in 2–4 unit, 607 in 5+ unit buildings)2015: 3,951 units (2,573 single-family, 8 in 2–4 unit, 1,370 in 5+ unit buildings)2016: 4,354 units (3,002 single-family, 36 in 2–4 unit, 1,316 in 5+ unit buildings)2017: 3,860 units (3,193 single-family, 90 in 2–4 unit, 577 in 5+ unit buildings)2018: 4,492 units (3,185 single-family, 2 in 2–4 unit, 1,305 in 5+ unit buildings)2019: 3,674 units (3,319 single-family, 12 in 2–4 unit, 343 in 5+ unit buildings)2020: 4,797 units (3,887 single-family, 38 in 2–4 unit, 872 in 5+ unit buildings)2021: 5,205 units (4,284 single-family, 26 in 2–4 unit, 895 in 5+ unit buildings)2022: 4,301 units (3,485 single-family, 2 in 2–4 unit, 814 in 5+ unit buildings)2023: 4,058 units (3,062 single-family, 16 in 2–4 unit, 980 in 5+ unit buildings)2024: 4,240 units (2,773 single-family, 24 in 2–4 unit, 1,443 in 5+ unit buildings)2025: 3,298 units (3,082 single-family, 21 in 2–4 unit, 195 in 5+ unit buildings)2004200820122016202020252005 high · 10,794

Single-family2–4 units5+ units

Boom, bust and since

Its peak year is shared by 105 other metro areas, among them Fresno, Hartford, Tucson. Annual permits fell from 10,794 during the mid-2000s boom to 2,034 in 2009, a drop of 81%. The nearest bust profile in the East South Central states was Montgomery's (80%). From 2024 to 2025 the count fell 22%.

Where in the metro

Shelby County accounted for 44% of the metro area's units in 2021–2025, DeSoto County for 29%. The part in Arkansas, Mississippi supplied 43%.

  • Shelby County, TN44% (1,230 in 2025)
  • DeSoto County, MS29% (890 in 2025)
  • Fayette County, TN8.8% (356 in 2025)
  • Marshall County, MS6.7% (372 in 2025)
  • Tipton County, TN4.7% (139 in 2025)
  • Tate County, MS3.2% (129 in 2025)
  • Tunica County, MS2.2% (85 in 2025)
  • Crittenden County, AR1.8% (96 in 2025)
  • Benton County, MS0% (1 in 2025)

Houses or apartments

In Memphis, 79% of the units authorized in 2021–2025 were single-family houses and 20% were in buildings of five or more units, against 34% nationally. The closest match in building mix among the 386 other metro areas is Tulsa (20% in five-plus buildings).

2021–202579.1%79%0.4%20.5%20%2004–200687.3%87%1.1%11.6%12%US, 2021–202562.6%63%3.5%34.0%34%2021–202579.1%79%0.4%20.5%20%2004–200687.3%87%1.1%11.6%US, 2021–202562.6%63%3.5%34.0%34%

Busiest permit offices

Across the metro area, 34 permit offices authorized new housing in 2021–2025. The busiest was Shelby County (unincorporated), with 7,549 units or 36% of the total, followed by DeSoto County (unincorporated) with 2,540. Among the three largest, Shelby County (unincorporated) put 50% of its units in five-plus buildings, DeSoto County (unincorporated) 0%.

  • Shelby County (unincorporated)36% (7,549 units)
  • DeSoto County (unincorporated)12% (2,540 units)
  • Southaven8.1% (1,701 units)
  • Marshall County (unincorporated)6.2% (1,306 units)
  • Collierville town5.1% (1,067 units)
  • Olive Branch4.1% (866 units)
  • Oakland town4.1% (862 units)
  • Hernando3.6% (760 units)

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

Relative to population

With 1,341,412 residents in July 2025, Memphis authorized 3.1 units per 1,000 residents a year in 2021–2025, under the national 4.7. The metro areas with the nearest rates are Sandusky (3.2) and Kenosha (3.1).

Similar in size

Metro area2004–20252025 unitsPer 1,000 a year5+ share
Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN6,1034.537%
Richmond, VA9,0917.046%
Memphis, TN-MS-AR3,2983.120%
Salt Lake City-Murray, UT7,7026.954%
Fresno, CA3,5183.612%

Rates and shares: 2021–2025.

Put Memphis beside Salt Lake City

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