Single-family permit activity slowed in August, suggesting developers’ prudence in the face of continued economic headwinds.
This pattern has been stable for eight months. Permitting for multifamily housing also decreased in August, although it is still encouraging.
While single-family housing continues to face affordability challenges, the multifamily market is showing signs of rebalancing.
In the first eight months of 2025, the total number of single-family permits issued nationwide year-to-date (YTD) reached 637,096. On a year-over-year (YoY) basis, this is a 7.1% decrease from August 2024’s level of 685,923. The total number of multifamily permits issued across the country was 330,617.
This is 1.4% greater than the 326,080 recorded in August 2024. According to HBGI study, the expansion in multifamily development has been focused in lower density areas and among smaller builders.
Single-family permits were up year to date through August in one of the four zones. The Midwest experienced a slight 1.0% gain.
During this time, single-family permits decreased by 4.4% in the Northeast, 7.5% in the South, and 11.5% in the West. Three of the four regions saw an increase in multifamily permits.
The Midwest increased by 17.2%, the West by 9.1%, and the South by 1.9%. Meanwhile, the Northeast experienced a 23.5% loss, led by the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ MSA, which fell 34.0%.
From August 2025 to August 2024, 12 states saw an increase in single-family permits. The range of increases was from 21.2% in Hawaii to 2.5% in Indiana.
The remaining 38 states and the District of Columbia recorded a reduction in single-family permits, with New Mexico reporting the greatest drop of 35.1%.
The ten states with the most single-family permits together accounted for 62.5% of all single-family permits issued.
Texas, the state with the biggest number of single-family permits, issued 101,850 permits in the first eight months of 2025, an 8.2% decrease from the same time last year.
Florida, the second highest state, plummeted by 11.7%, while North Carolina, the third highest, declined by 3.9%.
Between August 2025 and August 2024 YTD, 31 states and the District of Columbia saw an increase in multifamily permits, while 19 states saw a decrease.
Mississippi (+113.2%) led the way, with a high increase in multifamily permits from 250 to 533, while Maryland experienced the biggest decline of 45.8%, from 4,383 to 2,374.
The ten states that issued the most multifamily permits accounted for 60.0% of all multifamily permits issued. Florida, the state with the most multifamily permits issued in 2025, saw a 20.0% increase in the first eight months. Texas, the second-highest state for multifamily permits, witnessed a 1.5% increase.
California, the third largest multifamily issuing state, rose by 10.1%.
Locally, the top ten metro regions that issued the most single-family permits are listed below.
The following are the top ten local areas that issued the most multifamily permits.
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