Permits Decreasing Nationwide, But Not in These Pa. Metros

In 2023, permits for new homes fell for the second year in a row, decreasing 11% from 2022, which followed a 5% drop from 2021, according to a report by Point2.

Of the 384 U.S. metros, permits last year fell in 266 and increased or stagnated in only 118, meaning 70% of all metros saw a reduction in new permits in 2023.

Permits in Pennsylvania decreased by -2% year-over-year, with new authorizations for homes also decreasing by -3% in Philadelphia. However, permits in Pittsburgh surged by 34.47% with a total of 5,423 permits in 2023. Other Pennsylvania metros that saw an increase in permits last year included:

• Williamsport: 87 permits, +81.25% YoY
• Johnstown: 72 permits, +24.14% YoY
• Reading: 393 permits, +11.65% YoY
• Lancaster: 1,366 permits, +6.39% YoY
• Chambersburg-Waynesboro: 410 permits, +5.94% YoY

Permits issued nationwide by region last year were as follows:

• South: 821,600
• West: 344,500
• Midwest: 190,200
• Northeast: 114,300

By state, Texas, Florida and California issued the most permits for new homes with numbers over 100,000. Conversely, 18 states saw less than 10,000 permits, and Alaska issued less than 1,000.