Graphic by me created in Excel, source data with much more info here: https://constructioncoverage.com/research/cities-investing-most-in-new-housing#results

  • Specifically, the values in this graph represent new housing units authorized per 1,000 existing units (in 2024).

  • All cities include the entire Metro Area, not just city limits. All Metro Areas over 1 million people in 2024 are shown.

  • I chose to color code by area to help identify regional trends. The top cities are all in the south or southwest, while the entire Northeast is towards the bottom of the graph.

Posted by TA-MajestyPalm

31 comments

  1. Graphic by me created in Excel, source data with much more info here: https://constructioncoverage.com/research/cities-investing-most-in-new-housing#results

    – Specifically, the values in this graph represent new housing units authorized per 1,000 existing units (in 2024).

    – All cities include the entire Metro Area, not just city limits. All Metro Areas over 1 million people in 2024 are shown.

    – I chose to color code by area to help identify regional trends. The top cities are all in the south or southwest, while the entire Northeast is towards the bottom of the graph.

    Edit: I created a similar graphic of population growth for the same set of cities a month or so ago, which some may find interesting to compare: https://www.reddit.com/r/dataisbeautiful/s/Hv8OG5lyM2

  2. The real story here is that this is the *only* correct way to divide the continental US by region

  3. As someone who lives near San Jose… Yep. That tracks.

  4. For what it may be worth, Rust Belt cities may not need more housing inventory, hence they aren’t building as much.  Pittsburgh, for example, is currently below its peak historical population and so existing housing is still relatively inexpensive and available.

  5. Sigh. Hello from the City of Oaks, can you bring your infrastructure with you when you move?

  7. Yeah I just flew into Nashville and it looked like there were just fresh empty lots everywhere

  8. Richmond VA is such a nice city. I’m glad to see it higher up on this list than I expected.

  9. This just in. Areas with massive urban sprawl build more units. FYI these places are not building uo. Theyre building out

  10. There’s a reason I moved from the northeast to the south. $1400 gets me a MUCH better housing situation in the south than in the northeast.

  11. wonder what the breakdown of single family vs apartments and condos is. are cities building up more or out more or is it about equal?

  12. Looking at the data is there an ideal spot to land? That way you could see overbuilding and underbuilding?

  13. Raleigh is now a patchwork quilt of luscious green tree canopies and cleared acreage of red dirt awaiting townhouse development. It’s incredibly sad.

  14. I don’t love the red next to maroon but otherwise solid map

  15. Guys, I’m starting to think there might be some relationship between supply and demand. Has anyone worked on this before?

  16. Completely agree that measuring new home construction as a percent of existing homes rather than an absolute number is the way to go here. And MSA vs actual city is also a good move. Nicely done, OP!!!

    it might ALSO be interesting to see how this compares with actual city population growth.

  19. This is also an explanation of why the red states in this map are gaining congressional seats while the states in purple and blue are losing them

  20. Knoxville needs to be on this list. We’ve had the highest increases in housing prices in the nation.

  21. Showed my wife this, who works in national Housing and she launched into 20 minutes of stuff I don’t understand. But she did have a good question, this is for Authorizations, what about actual construction or occupancy? Does the data look any different? She did say most of the population growth in the country is happening in the South East right now so the graph tracks with that.

  22. If anyone is wondering why housing is booming in the south, its cheap and affordable.

  23. I don’t exactly know where Riverside, CA is supposed to build those homes. The only land left not used is either the river bed or the Citrus State park…

  24. The cutoff misses some interesting metros. All of South Carolina, Albuquerque, El Paso, McAllen. New Orleans might be one that breaks the south’s trends. Omaha also.

  25. Most accurate Colorado map ever. Don’t call us Midwest or a plains state except for the 100 people who live east of the airport in the vast unknown.

  26. Dont you think it’d be better to color code by volume of housing built instead of region? I know what “south” is i’m trying to find out how my city compares to others. Otherwise pretty neat

  27. Gotta say that it does not bode well for the future that the vast majority of new housing construction is happening in the most climate vulnerable region in the country. 

  28. Isn’t part of this looser regulations in red states. In Texas aren’t they building in areas like flood plains that you shouldn’t.

  30. Hmmmmmm. I wonder what happened in NC last year that would spur a huge increase in construction.

  31. This is not the cities building the most new homes, it’s the cities growing housing the fastest. Very misleading title.

Comments are closed.