HousingPermits

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

Raleigh-Cary, NC

The Raleigh-Cary metro area authorized 17,543 new housing units in 2025. Relative to population, the rate was 11.0 units per 1,000 residents in 2025, the highest rate of the 56 metro areas with 1 million or more residents. Recent building has outrun the boom: the 2021–2025 yearly average was 30% above the 2004–2006 average, the third-largest recovery by this measure among the 56 metro areas with 1 million or more residents.

06,00012k18k24k2004: 14,404 units (12,083 single-family, 123 in 2–4 unit, 2,198 in 5+ unit buildings)2005: 14,614 units (13,967 single-family, 169 in 2–4 unit, 478 in 5+ unit buildings)2006: 17,712 units (13,521 single-family, 183 in 2–4 unit, 4,008 in 5+ unit buildings)2007: 16,614 units (12,764 single-family, 192 in 2–4 unit, 3,658 in 5+ unit buildings)2008: 11,397 units (6,572 single-family, 33 in 2–4 unit, 4,792 in 5+ unit buildings)2009: 4,894 units (4,377 single-family, 16 in 2–4 unit, 501 in 5+ unit buildings)2010: 5,213 units (4,653 single-family, 17 in 2–4 unit, 543 in 5+ unit buildings)2011: 6,366 units (4,753 single-family, 22 in 2–4 unit, 1,591 in 5+ unit buildings)2012: 12,926 units (6,425 single-family, 105 in 2–4 unit, 6,396 in 5+ unit buildings)2013: 11,431 units (8,034 single-family, 10 in 2–4 unit, 3,387 in 5+ unit buildings)2014: 11,647 units (7,680 single-family, 4 in 2–4 unit, 3,963 in 5+ unit buildings)2015: 11,987 units (8,694 single-family, 26 in 2–4 unit, 3,267 in 5+ unit buildings)2016: 13,514 units (9,442 single-family, 35 in 2–4 unit, 4,037 in 5+ unit buildings)2017: 14,180 units (10,752 single-family, 32 in 2–4 unit, 3,396 in 5+ unit buildings)2018: 15,950 units (11,160 single-family, 101 in 2–4 unit, 4,689 in 5+ unit buildings)2019: 13,320 units (11,142 single-family, 61 in 2–4 unit, 2,117 in 5+ unit buildings)2020: 16,958 units (12,697 single-family, 32 in 2–4 unit, 4,229 in 5+ unit buildings)2021: 21,649 units (14,227 single-family, 54 in 2–4 unit, 7,368 in 5+ unit buildings)2022: 22,390 units (12,488 single-family, 56 in 2–4 unit, 9,846 in 5+ unit buildings)2023: 20,619 units (12,147 single-family, 85 in 2–4 unit, 8,387 in 5+ unit buildings)2024: 18,979 units (13,343 single-family, 62 in 2–4 unit, 5,574 in 5+ unit buildings)2025: 17,543 units (11,760 single-family, 241 in 2–4 unit, 5,542 in 5+ unit buildings)200420072010201320162019202220252022 high · 22,3902009 low · 4,89408,00016k24k2004: 14,404 units (12,083 single-family, 123 in 2–4 unit, 2,198 in 5+ unit buildings)2005: 14,614 units (13,967 single-family, 169 in 2–4 unit, 478 in 5+ unit buildings)2006: 17,712 units (13,521 single-family, 183 in 2–4 unit, 4,008 in 5+ unit buildings)2007: 16,614 units (12,764 single-family, 192 in 2–4 unit, 3,658 in 5+ unit buildings)2008: 11,397 units (6,572 single-family, 33 in 2–4 unit, 4,792 in 5+ unit buildings)2009: 4,894 units (4,377 single-family, 16 in 2–4 unit, 501 in 5+ unit buildings)2010: 5,213 units (4,653 single-family, 17 in 2–4 unit, 543 in 5+ unit buildings)2011: 6,366 units (4,753 single-family, 22 in 2–4 unit, 1,591 in 5+ unit buildings)2012: 12,926 units (6,425 single-family, 105 in 2–4 unit, 6,396 in 5+ unit buildings)2013: 11,431 units (8,034 single-family, 10 in 2–4 unit, 3,387 in 5+ unit buildings)2014: 11,647 units (7,680 single-family, 4 in 2–4 unit, 3,963 in 5+ unit buildings)2015: 11,987 units (8,694 single-family, 26 in 2–4 unit, 3,267 in 5+ unit buildings)2016: 13,514 units (9,442 single-family, 35 in 2–4 unit, 4,037 in 5+ unit buildings)2017: 14,180 units (10,752 single-family, 32 in 2–4 unit, 3,396 in 5+ unit buildings)2018: 15,950 units (11,160 single-family, 101 in 2–4 unit, 4,689 in 5+ unit buildings)2019: 13,320 units (11,142 single-family, 61 in 2–4 unit, 2,117 in 5+ unit buildings)2020: 16,958 units (12,697 single-family, 32 in 2–4 unit, 4,229 in 5+ unit buildings)2021: 21,649 units (14,227 single-family, 54 in 2–4 unit, 7,368 in 5+ unit buildings)2022: 22,390 units (12,488 single-family, 56 in 2–4 unit, 9,846 in 5+ unit buildings)2023: 20,619 units (12,147 single-family, 85 in 2–4 unit, 8,387 in 5+ unit buildings)2024: 18,979 units (13,343 single-family, 62 in 2–4 unit, 5,574 in 5+ unit buildings)2025: 17,543 units (11,760 single-family, 241 in 2–4 unit, 5,542 in 5+ unit buildings)2004200820122016202020252022 high · 22,390

Single-family2–4 units5+ units

Its population grew 13% between 2020 and 2025, the second-fastest growth among the 56 metro areas with 1 million or more residents.

Busiest permit offices

Across the metro area, 18 permit offices authorized new housing in 2021–2025. The busiest was Raleigh, with 31,292 units or 31% of the total, followed by Johnston County (unincorporated) with 12,103. Among the three largest, Raleigh put 74% of its units in five-plus buildings, Johnston County (unincorporated) 7%.

  • Raleigh31% (31,292 units)
  • Johnston County (unincorporated)12% (12,103 units)
  • Apex town7.2% (7,314 units)
  • Fuquay-Varina town6.7% (6,813 units)
  • Cary town6.7% (6,787 units)
  • Garner town6.4% (6,493 units)
  • Wendell town5% (5,058 units)
  • Franklin County4.6% (4,612 units)

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

Boom, bust and since

Raleigh authorized the most units in 2022 (22,390); 2025 reached 78% of that. Its peak year is shared by 19 other metro areas, among them Richmond, Winston, Akron. Annual permits fell from 17,712 during the mid-2000s boom to 4,894 in 2009, a drop of 72%. The nearest bust profile in the South Atlantic states was Charleston, SC's (73%). Permits rose 5 years in a row up to 2018. From 2024 to 2025 the count fell 7.6%.

The wider Raleigh-Durham-Cary region

The Census Bureau groups Raleigh 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); Raleigh accounted for 78%. The other, with its yearly average: Durham (5,761).

Where in the metro

Wake County accounted for 81% of the metro area's units in 2021–2025, Johnston County for 14%.

  • Wake County81% (13,806 in 2025)
  • Johnston County14% (3,002 in 2025)
  • Franklin County4.6% (735 in 2025)

Houses or apartments

In Raleigh, 63% of the units authorized in 2021–2025 were single-family houses and 36% were in buildings of five or more units, against 34% nationally. The closest match in building mix among the 386 other metro areas is Greensboro (36% in five-plus buildings). That share has risen sharply since 2004–2006, when it stood at 14%.

2021–202563.2%63%0.5%36.3%36%2004–200684.7%85%1.0%14.3%14%US, 2021–202562.6%63%3.5%34.0%34%2021–202563.2%63%0.5%36.3%36%2004–200684.7%85%1.0%14.3%14%US, 2021–202562.6%63%3.5%34.0%34%

Similar in size

Metro area2004–20252025 unitsPer 1,000 a year5+ share
Jacksonville, FL13,45511.029%
Providence-Warwick, RI-MA2,8941.424%
Raleigh-Cary, NC17,54313.336%
Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI3,1052.139%
Oklahoma City, OK8,5765.29.5%

Rates and shares: 2021–2025.

Put Raleigh beside Milwaukee

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