For the sixth consecutive month, single-family dwelling permits declined. The continued fall in single-family permits reflects continuously low housing demand, which is linked to affordability issues such as high mortgage rates.
Builders appear cautious in the face of economic uncertainties, labor limitations, and mounting inventory.
The increase in multi-family permits indicates a potentially stabilizing trend, however it is vital to emphasize its instability.
The housing market’s contradictory signals—weak single-family and some resilience in multi-family—may continue to drag on residential investment and the broader economy this year.
In the first six months of 2025, the total number of single-family permits issued year-to-date (YTD) nationally reached 485,935.
On a year-over-year (YoY) basis, this represents a 5.6% decrease from the June 2024 level of 514,728.
The total number of multifamily permits issued nationally was 244,812. This is 2.9% greater than the June 2024 level of 237,935.
Single-family permits increased in one of the four regions year to date through June. The Midwest saw a slight 1.8% gain.
During this period, single-family permits fell 1.7% in the Northeast, 6.5% in the South, and 8.1% in the West.
Three of the four regions increased their multifamily permit numbers.
The Midwest grew by 22.4%, the West by 8.0%, and the South by 7.1%, Meanwhile, the Northeast experienced a sharp 30.0% loss, led by the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ MSA, which fell 40.0%.
Between June 2025 and June 2024 YTD, 15 states saw an increase in single-family permits.
The increases ranged from 19.9% in Hawaii to 0.2% in Kentucky.
The remaining 35 states and the District of Columbia recorded losses in single-family permits, with the District of Columbia experiencing the greatest drop of 24.2%.
The ten states that issued the most single-family permits combined for 63.0% of the total number of permits issued.
Texas, the state with the most single-family permits, issued 78,104 permits in the first six months of 2025, a decrease of 8.0% from the same time previous year.
Florida, the second highest state, plummeted by 10.6%, while North Carolina, the third highest, fell by 0.9%.
From June 2025 to June 2024, 29 states saw an increase in multifamily permits, while 21 states and the District of Columbia saw a decrease.
Iowa (+165.5%) led the way with a high increase in multifamily permits from 1,178 to 3,128, while Alabama experienced the largest decline of 49.6%, from 1,788 to 901.
The 10 states that issued the most multifamily permits combined to account for 61.8% of all multifamily permits issued.
Florida, the state with the most multifamily permits issued, saw a 25.0% increase during the first six months of 2025.
Texas, the second-highest state for multifamily permits, witnessed a 14.1% increase. California, the third-largest multifamily issuing state, grew by 11.5%.
At the local level, the top ten metropolitan areas that issued the most single-family permits are listed below.
The top ten local areas issuing the most multifamily permits are listed below.
[Read more about this topic on Eyeonhousing.org]