The ongoing supply and labor shortages induced by the pandemic have paralyzed most industries in America, but not construction.
Over the last two years, residential construction has surged across the U.S., according to an in-depth report using US Census Bureau data by Omnis Panels. The report analyzed new building permit data from 368 cities around the country, focusing on the number of permits issued in the first six months of 2020 and the first six months of 2021. Despite the pandemic, permits for all-sized residential projects increased by 36 percent nationally while permits for single-family homes went up 30 percent. Permits for large buildings with five or more units also climbed 21 percent since 2020.
So which cities top the list for new single-family homes? In first place is Sacramento, which saw single-family home construction permits increase by 66 percent since 2020, more than double the nationwide increase. The city issued nearly 5,000 new building permits for single-family homes at the start of this summer, even as California debated the merits of a controversial new zoning law that will allow more duplexes on single-family lots across the state. Single-family units sprouted up elsewhere in California. Silicon Valley trailed in the number two spot, with permits in San Jose, Sunnyvale, and Santa Clara shooting up by 63 percent. In nearby San Francisco, one of the most expensive housing markets in the country, permits for single-family homes went up by 51 percent.
At least half a dozen cities in Texas saw major growth in single-family home construction during the pandemic. San Antonio saw the third-largest increase in construction of new, single-family homes in the nation, with 7,558 permits issued in the first six months of 2021. In hip and trendy Austin, permits for new homes increased by 41 percent while the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area saw a 39 percent increase over the last two years. Houston, the fourth largest city in America, continues to grow with a 39 percent gain in new homes.
Builders pumped up the housing market in the Midwest as well, with Columbus, Ohio, and Minneapolis coming in fourth and fifth on the list. As the fastest-growing city in the Midwest, it’s no surprise that construction is booming in Columbus, where single-family home permits shot up by 61 percent. And while Minneapolis became the first American city to abolish restrictive single-family home zoning laws in 2019, that hasn’t stopped construction of new, single-family homes in the area and in its sister city, St. Paul. Permits for single-family units increased by 53 percent since 2020, skyrocketing to nearly 6,000 at the start of this summer. In Chicago, which maintained its title as the third-largest city in America this year, construction of new single-family homes in the city and the surrounding suburbs continued despite COVID-19. Omnis Panels’ study revealed the number of home construction permits increased by 52 percent in the Windy City. In nearby Milwaukee, permits for single-family homes rose by 40 percent.
Construction blossomed around the south from Georgia down to Florida. As an affordable, large city, more people are flocking to Jacksonville, Florida and builders are responding to the demand. Single-family home construction permits have swelled by 53% since 2020, skyrocketing to over 8,500 at the start of this summer.
In Atlanta, a fierce debate over proposed changes to the city’s zoning code to boost density in residential neighborhoods hasn’t quelled new construction of single-family homes. The Big Peach saw the seventh-largest increase in construction of new, single-family homes in the U.S., with more than 18,000 permits by June of 2021.
Leigh Giangreco covers Media Relations for Omnis Panels.
0 Comments