The number of single-family permits issued in the first five months of 2023 (357,143) is 24.7% below the pace in 2022. Among the 10 metros with the highest number of permits issued during this period, each posted at least a 16% decline compared with 2022 levels. Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale (-43%) and Austin-Right Round, Texas (-41%) recorded the highest level of year-over-year declines in permit activity, according to analysis by the NAHB.
Year-to-date ending in May, single-family permits declined in all four regions. The Northeast posted the lowest decline of 14.7%, while the West region reported the steepest decline of 33.5%. The Midwest declined by 23.9% and the South declined by 22.3% in single-family permits during this time. For multifamily permits, the South is the only region to post a modest increase of 3.2% while the other three regions posted declines. Multifamily permits in the West were down 7.8%, down in the Northeast by 21.7%, and down in Midwest by 23.3%.
Between May 2022 YTD and May 2023 YTD, except for Hawaii, all the other states and the District of Columbia reported declines in single-family permits. Hawaii posted a 25.3% increase while the other states posted declines ranging from 0.5% in New Jersey to 64.6% in Alaska. The ten states issuing the highest number of single-family permits combined accounted for 64.4% of the total single-family permits issued. Texas, the state with the highest number of single-family permits issued, declined 27.6% in the past 12 months while the next two highest states, Florida and North Carolina declined by 23.8% and 14.8% respectively.
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