HousingPermits

Metro area in North Carolina · part of the Greensboro--Winston-Salem--High Point, NC combined area

Winston-Salem, NC

The Winston-Salem metro area authorized 4,699 new housing units in 2025. Per 1,000 residents it authorized 7.2 units a year in 2021–2025, 1.5 times the national rate of 4.7. Buildings of five or more units took 20% of its 2021–2025 units, less than the national 34%.

01,5003,0004,5006,0002004: 4,813 units (4,122 single-family, 23 in 2–4 unit, 668 in 5+ unit buildings)2005: 5,098 units (4,747 single-family, 32 in 2–4 unit, 319 in 5+ unit buildings)2006: 4,890 units (4,608 single-family, 47 in 2–4 unit, 235 in 5+ unit buildings)2007: 4,485 units (4,279 single-family, 29 in 2–4 unit, 177 in 5+ unit buildings)2008: 2,595 units (2,396 single-family, 28 in 2–4 unit, 171 in 5+ unit buildings)2009: 1,440 units (1,110 single-family, 13 in 2–4 unit, 317 in 5+ unit buildings)2010: 1,467 units (1,177 single-family, 4 in 2–4 unit, 286 in 5+ unit buildings)2011: 1,634 units (1,142 single-family, 14 in 2–4 unit, 478 in 5+ unit buildings)2012: 1,509 units (1,057 single-family, 19 in 2–4 unit, 433 in 5+ unit buildings)2013: 1,902 units (1,248 single-family, 2 in 2–4 unit, 652 in 5+ unit buildings)2014: 2,085 units (1,424 single-family, 84 in 2–4 unit, 577 in 5+ unit buildings)2015: 2,044 units (1,602 single-family, 12 in 2–4 unit, 430 in 5+ unit buildings)2016: 2,727 units (2,243 single-family, 18 in 2–4 unit, 466 in 5+ unit buildings)2017: 3,765 units (2,784 single-family, 32 in 2–4 unit, 949 in 5+ unit buildings)2018: 3,499 units (3,123 single-family, 2 in 2–4 unit, 374 in 5+ unit buildings)2019: 3,334 units (3,160 single-family, 4 in 2–4 unit, 170 in 5+ unit buildings)2020: 4,216 units (4,126 single-family, 10 in 2–4 unit, 80 in 5+ unit buildings)2021: 4,206 units (3,887 single-family, 2 in 2–4 unit, 317 in 5+ unit buildings)2022: 5,480 units (3,983 single-family, 7 in 2–4 unit, 1,490 in 5+ unit buildings)2023: 5,074 units (3,567 single-family, 13 in 2–4 unit, 1,494 in 5+ unit buildings)2024: 5,456 units (4,010 single-family, 117 in 2–4 unit, 1,329 in 5+ unit buildings)2025: 4,699 units (4,342 single-family, 21 in 2–4 unit, 336 in 5+ unit buildings)200420072010201320162019202220252022 high · 5,4802009 low · 1,44002,0004,0006,0002004: 4,813 units (4,122 single-family, 23 in 2–4 unit, 668 in 5+ unit buildings)2005: 5,098 units (4,747 single-family, 32 in 2–4 unit, 319 in 5+ unit buildings)2006: 4,890 units (4,608 single-family, 47 in 2–4 unit, 235 in 5+ unit buildings)2007: 4,485 units (4,279 single-family, 29 in 2–4 unit, 177 in 5+ unit buildings)2008: 2,595 units (2,396 single-family, 28 in 2–4 unit, 171 in 5+ unit buildings)2009: 1,440 units (1,110 single-family, 13 in 2–4 unit, 317 in 5+ unit buildings)2010: 1,467 units (1,177 single-family, 4 in 2–4 unit, 286 in 5+ unit buildings)2011: 1,634 units (1,142 single-family, 14 in 2–4 unit, 478 in 5+ unit buildings)2012: 1,509 units (1,057 single-family, 19 in 2–4 unit, 433 in 5+ unit buildings)2013: 1,902 units (1,248 single-family, 2 in 2–4 unit, 652 in 5+ unit buildings)2014: 2,085 units (1,424 single-family, 84 in 2–4 unit, 577 in 5+ unit buildings)2015: 2,044 units (1,602 single-family, 12 in 2–4 unit, 430 in 5+ unit buildings)2016: 2,727 units (2,243 single-family, 18 in 2–4 unit, 466 in 5+ unit buildings)2017: 3,765 units (2,784 single-family, 32 in 2–4 unit, 949 in 5+ unit buildings)2018: 3,499 units (3,123 single-family, 2 in 2–4 unit, 374 in 5+ unit buildings)2019: 3,334 units (3,160 single-family, 4 in 2–4 unit, 170 in 5+ unit buildings)2020: 4,216 units (4,126 single-family, 10 in 2–4 unit, 80 in 5+ unit buildings)2021: 4,206 units (3,887 single-family, 2 in 2–4 unit, 317 in 5+ unit buildings)2022: 5,480 units (3,983 single-family, 7 in 2–4 unit, 1,490 in 5+ unit buildings)2023: 5,074 units (3,567 single-family, 13 in 2–4 unit, 1,494 in 5+ unit buildings)2024: 5,456 units (4,010 single-family, 117 in 2–4 unit, 1,329 in 5+ unit buildings)2025: 4,699 units (4,342 single-family, 21 in 2–4 unit, 336 in 5+ unit buildings)2004200820122016202020252022 high · 5,480

Single-family2–4 units5+ units

Busiest permit offices

Across the metro area, 11 permit offices authorized new housing in 2021–2025. The busiest was Winston-Salem, with 9,459 units or 38% of the total, followed by Forsyth County (unincorporated) with 5,490. Among the three largest, Winston-Salem put 38% of its units in five-plus buildings, Davidson County (unincorporated) 0.1%.

  • Winston-Salem38% (9,459 units)
  • Forsyth County (unincorporated)22% (5,490 units)
  • Davidson County (unincorporated)16% (4,111 units)
  • Kernersville town7% (1,745 units)
  • Davie County5% (1,240 units)
  • Lexington3.1% (761 units)
  • Yadkin County2.8% (708 units)
  • King2.2% (539 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 Billings (20% in five-plus buildings). That share has risen sharply since 2004–2006, when it stood at 8.3%. Units in five-plus buildings peaked in 2023 (1,494), single-family houses in 2005 (4,747).

2021–202579.4%79%0.6%19.9%20%2004–200691.1%91%0.7%8.3%US, 2021–202562.6%63%3.5%34.0%34%2021–202579.4%79%0.6%19.9%20%2004–200691.1%91%0.7%8.3%US, 2021–202562.6%63%3.5%34.0%34%

The wider Greensboro--Winston-Salem--High Point region

The Census Bureau groups Winston with 2 neighboring metro areas in the Greensboro--Winston-Salem--High Point, NC combined area. Metro areas in it authorized 11,130 units a year in 2021–2025 (micropolitan parts not counted); Winston accounted for 45%. The others, with their yearly averages: Greensboro (3,854), Burlington, NC (2,293).

Where in the metro

Forsyth County accounted for 67% of the metro area's units in 2021–2025, Davidson County for 21%.

  • Forsyth County67% (2,875 in 2025)
  • Davidson County21% (1,216 in 2025)
  • Davie County5% (236 in 2025)
  • Stokes County4.2% (256 in 2025)
  • Yadkin County2.8% (116 in 2025)

Boom, bust and since

Winston authorized the most units in 2022 (5,480); 2025 reached 86% of that. Its peak year is shared by 19 other metro areas, among them Akron, Harrisburg, Salem. Annual permits fell from 5,098 during the mid-2000s boom to 1,440 in 2009, a drop of 72%. The nearest bust profile in the South Atlantic states was Lynchburg's (71%). The 2021–2025 pace of 4,983 units a year is 1% above the 2004–2006 pace. From 2024 to 2025 the count fell 14%.

Similar in size

Metro area2004–20252025 unitsPer 1,000 a year5+ share
Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL5,4129.817%
Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY2,2203.261%
Winston-Salem, NC4,6997.220%
Madison, WI6,9478.970%
Akron, OH7512.136%

Rates and shares: 2021–2025.

Put Winston beside Madison

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