By Danushka Nanyayakkara-skillington | Eye on Housing
Over the first eight months of 2018, the total number of single-family permits issued year-to-date (YTD) nationwide reached 599,117. On a year-over-year basis, this is a 6.6% increase over the August 2017 level of 561,938. The preliminary results from the New Residential Construction Survey are similar, year-to-date single-family permits over the first eight months of 2018 was, 599,200 which is 6.5% ahead of its level over the same period of 2017, 562,600.Year-to-date, single-family permits grew in the Southern and the Western regions of the country, while the Midwest was essentially unchanged and Northeast declined by 4.1% compared to August 2017 YTD. Western region had the highest growth in single-family (12.4%) while South recorded the highest multifamily permits growth (13.6%) during the last 12 months.
Between August 2017 YTD and August 2018 YTD, 32 states saw growth in single-family permits issued while 18 states and the District of Columbia registered a decline. Colorado recorded the highest growth rate during this time at 22.6% while single-family permits in the District of Columbia declined by 69.3%, from 251 in 2017 to 77 in 2018.
