\n Two-story single-family home on slab foundation | Image by Trong Nguyen\/Shutterstock <\/p>\n
The Dallas area passed Houston for the No. 1 spot in a new national ranking of new-home activity, according to a ConsumerAffairs analysis<\/a> updated May 20.<\/p>\n The report reviewed new residential building permits and new-construction home sales across the 150 largest U.S. metropolitan areas during January and February 2026. ConsumerAffairs used U.S. Census Bureau Building Permits Survey data and Zillow sales data, with each metric weighted equally.<\/p>\n The report labels the rankings by city, but ConsumerAffairs noted that the underlying permit, sales, and pricing data reflect metro-area measurements.<\/p>\n Dallas recorded 11,327 new residential building permits during the two-month period, the second-highest total in the country.<\/strong> The area also recorded 3,009 new-construction home sales, the second-highest nationally.<\/strong><\/p>\n The combined score moved<\/strong> Dallas into the No. 1 spot<\/strong> after it ranked second in ConsumerAffairs\u2019 2025 analysis.<\/p>\n The shift marks a reversal from ConsumerAffairs\u2019 prior ranking, in which Houston held the top spot, and Dallas ranked second, as previously reported<\/a> by The Dallas Express.<\/p>\n Houston ranked second in the new report. The Houston area issued 9,239 new building permits during January and February and recorded 3,535 new-construction home sales, the highest sales total in the country.<\/p>\n Texas metros accounted for four of the top 10 spots. Dallas ranked first, followed by Houston at No. 2, Austin at No. 7, and San Antonio at No. 10.<\/strong><\/p>\n ConsumerAffairs said Dallas moved up \u201cmainly because of a surge in new-construction sales.\u201d The report also pointed to a 2025 Dallas residential code change as a possible factor.<\/p>\n On April 23, 2025, the Dallas City Council approved<\/a> changing the Dallas One- and Two-Family Dwelling Code to the One- to Eight-Family Dwelling Code, according to the City of Dallas. The change allows buildings with up to eight dwelling units to be constructed under residential-based codes.<\/p>\n Before the change, structures with more than two dwelling units had to comply with the International Building Code, which the city said could add complexity and costs to smaller-scale residential development.<\/p>\n The ranking comes as Dallas-Fort Worth\u2019s broader new-home market showed stronger spring activity.<\/p>\n