HousingPermits

Metro area in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland · part of the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD combined area

Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD

The Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington metro area authorized 12,900 new housing units in 2025, the second-largest total of the 32 metro areas based in the Middle Atlantic states. Buildings with five or more units accounted for 51% of the units authorized in 2021–2025, the highest share among the 16 metro areas based in Pennsylvania. Its busiest year since 2004 was 2021, with 36,307 units; 2025 came to 36% of that.

010k20k30k40k2004: 21,010 units (15,504 single-family, 492 in 2–4 unit, 5,014 in 5+ unit buildings)2005: 20,242 units (15,041 single-family, 533 in 2–4 unit, 4,668 in 5+ unit buildings)2006: 17,212 units (11,717 single-family, 537 in 2–4 unit, 4,958 in 5+ unit buildings)2007: 13,477 units (9,542 single-family, 371 in 2–4 unit, 3,564 in 5+ unit buildings)2008: 10,570 units (7,269 single-family, 276 in 2–4 unit, 3,025 in 5+ unit buildings)2009: 7,093 units (4,963 single-family, 307 in 2–4 unit, 1,823 in 5+ unit buildings)2010: 7,053 units (5,186 single-family, 529 in 2–4 unit, 1,338 in 5+ unit buildings)2011: 6,979 units (4,456 single-family, 456 in 2–4 unit, 2,067 in 5+ unit buildings)2012: 9,270 units (5,175 single-family, 558 in 2–4 unit, 3,537 in 5+ unit buildings)2013: 11,217 units (6,252 single-family, 735 in 2–4 unit, 4,230 in 5+ unit buildings)2014: 13,631 units (6,379 single-family, 729 in 2–4 unit, 6,523 in 5+ unit buildings)2015: 12,317 units (6,548 single-family, 709 in 2–4 unit, 5,060 in 5+ unit buildings)2016: 12,245 units (7,016 single-family, 766 in 2–4 unit, 4,463 in 5+ unit buildings)2017: 13,544 units (7,233 single-family, 771 in 2–4 unit, 5,540 in 5+ unit buildings)2018: 13,156 units (6,875 single-family, 906 in 2–4 unit, 5,375 in 5+ unit buildings)2019: 15,607 units (6,963 single-family, 1,104 in 2–4 unit, 7,540 in 5+ unit buildings)2020: 16,201 units (7,999 single-family, 1,251 in 2–4 unit, 6,951 in 5+ unit buildings)2021: 36,307 units (8,868 single-family, 2,012 in 2–4 unit, 25,427 in 5+ unit buildings)2022: 14,371 units (8,534 single-family, 946 in 2–4 unit, 4,891 in 5+ unit buildings)2023: 12,019 units (6,255 single-family, 638 in 2–4 unit, 5,126 in 5+ unit buildings)2024: 14,214 units (8,324 single-family, 846 in 2–4 unit, 5,044 in 5+ unit buildings)2025: 12,900 units (7,256 single-family, 709 in 2–4 unit, 4,935 in 5+ unit buildings)200420072010201320162019202220252021 high · 36,3072011 low · 6,979015k30k45k2004: 21,010 units (15,504 single-family, 492 in 2–4 unit, 5,014 in 5+ unit buildings)2005: 20,242 units (15,041 single-family, 533 in 2–4 unit, 4,668 in 5+ unit buildings)2006: 17,212 units (11,717 single-family, 537 in 2–4 unit, 4,958 in 5+ unit buildings)2007: 13,477 units (9,542 single-family, 371 in 2–4 unit, 3,564 in 5+ unit buildings)2008: 10,570 units (7,269 single-family, 276 in 2–4 unit, 3,025 in 5+ unit buildings)2009: 7,093 units (4,963 single-family, 307 in 2–4 unit, 1,823 in 5+ unit buildings)2010: 7,053 units (5,186 single-family, 529 in 2–4 unit, 1,338 in 5+ unit buildings)2011: 6,979 units (4,456 single-family, 456 in 2–4 unit, 2,067 in 5+ unit buildings)2012: 9,270 units (5,175 single-family, 558 in 2–4 unit, 3,537 in 5+ unit buildings)2013: 11,217 units (6,252 single-family, 735 in 2–4 unit, 4,230 in 5+ unit buildings)2014: 13,631 units (6,379 single-family, 729 in 2–4 unit, 6,523 in 5+ unit buildings)2015: 12,317 units (6,548 single-family, 709 in 2–4 unit, 5,060 in 5+ unit buildings)2016: 12,245 units (7,016 single-family, 766 in 2–4 unit, 4,463 in 5+ unit buildings)2017: 13,544 units (7,233 single-family, 771 in 2–4 unit, 5,540 in 5+ unit buildings)2018: 13,156 units (6,875 single-family, 906 in 2–4 unit, 5,375 in 5+ unit buildings)2019: 15,607 units (6,963 single-family, 1,104 in 2–4 unit, 7,540 in 5+ unit buildings)2020: 16,201 units (7,999 single-family, 1,251 in 2–4 unit, 6,951 in 5+ unit buildings)2021: 36,307 units (8,868 single-family, 2,012 in 2–4 unit, 25,427 in 5+ unit buildings)2022: 14,371 units (8,534 single-family, 946 in 2–4 unit, 4,891 in 5+ unit buildings)2023: 12,019 units (6,255 single-family, 638 in 2–4 unit, 5,126 in 5+ unit buildings)2024: 14,214 units (8,324 single-family, 846 in 2–4 unit, 5,044 in 5+ unit buildings)2025: 12,900 units (7,256 single-family, 709 in 2–4 unit, 4,935 in 5+ unit buildings)2004200820122016202020252021 high · 36,307

Single-family2–4 units5+ units

Houses or apartments

The closest match in building mix among the 386 other metro areas is Santa Rosa (50% in five-plus buildings). That share has risen sharply since 2004–2006, when it stood at 25%. Duplexes to fourplexes are unusually common here: 5.7% of units, against 3.5% nationally. Units in five-plus buildings peaked in 2021 (25,427), single-family houses in 2004 (15,504).

2021–202543.7%44%5.7%50.6%51%2004–200672.3%72%2.7%25.0%25%US, 2021–202562.6%63%3.5%34.0%34%2021–202543.7%44%5.7%50.6%51%2004–200672.3%72%2.7%25.0%25%US, 2021–202562.6%63%3.5%34.0%34%

Busiest permit offices

Across the metro area, 331 permit offices authorized new housing in 2021–2025. The busiest was Philadelphia, with 38,671 units or 43% of the total, followed by New Castle County (unincorporated) with 4,470. Among the three largest, Philadelphia put 80% of its units in five-plus buildings, New Castle County (unincorporated) 9.3%.

  • Philadelphia43% (38,671 units)
  • New Castle County (unincorporated)5% (4,470 units)
  • Upper Merion township1.7% (1,523 units)
  • Delran township1.5% (1,381 units)
  • Mount Laurel township1.5% (1,364 units)
  • Wilmington1.4% (1,273 units)
  • Westampton township1.3% (1,142 units)
  • Cecil County (unincorporated)1.2% (1,120 units)

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

Where in the metro

Philadelphia County accounted for 43% of the metro area's units in 2021–2025, Montgomery County for 11%. The part in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey supplied 30%.

  • Philadelphia County, PA43% (3,366 in 2025)
  • Montgomery County, PA11% (2,231 in 2025)
  • Burlington County, NJ11% (1,624 in 2025)
  • Chester County, PA9.5% (1,400 in 2025)
  • New Castle County, DE7.2% (1,322 in 2025)
  • Camden County, NJ5.3% (820 in 2025)
  • Gloucester County, NJ4.8% (921 in 2025)
  • Bucks County, PA4.7% (780 in 2025)
  • Delaware County, PA1.8% (217 in 2025)
  • Cecil County, MD1.7% (142 in 2025)
  • Salem County, NJ0.4% (77 in 2025)

Relative to population

With 6,329,118 residents in July 2025, Philadelphia authorized 2.9 units per 1,000 residents a year in 2021–2025, under the national 4.7. The metro areas with the nearest rates are Lewiston, ID (2.9) and Yakima (2.9).

The wider Philadelphia-Reading-Camden region

The Census Bureau groups Philadelphia with 4 neighboring metro areas in the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD combined area. Metro areas in it authorized 21,397 units a year in 2021–2025 (micropolitan parts not counted); Philadelphia accounted for 84%. The others, with their yearly averages: Atlantic City (1,532), Dover (1,299), Reading (442), Vineland (161).

Boom, bust and since

Its peak year is shared by 27 other metro areas, among them Dallas, Seattle, Denver. Annual permits fell from 21,010 during the mid-2000s boom to 6,979 in 2011, a drop of 67%. The nearest bust profile in the Middle Atlantic states was Williamsport's (66%). The 2021–2025 pace of 17,962 units a year is 7.8% below the 2004–2006 pace. From 2024 to 2025 the count fell 9.2%.

Similar in size

Metro area2004–20252025 unitsPer 1,000 a year5+ share
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%
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD12,9002.951%
Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ39,6999.036%

Rates and shares: 2021–2025.

Put Philadelphia beside Miami

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