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U.S. Land Market Momentum

Where are single-family building permits surging — and where are they cooling? This map and ranking use U.S. Census Bureau permit data and FHFA house price trends to show which markets are heating up in 2026.

State-Level Momentum

Composite score: 60% single-family permit growth + 40% home price appreciation. Darker green = stronger momentum. Hover or tap a state for details.

AKAlaskaSF Permits: +28.5%HPI: +6.6%MEMaineSF Permits: +2.5%HPI: +5.6%WIWisconsinSF Permits: +4.1%HPI: +5.7%VTVermontSF Permits: -8.3%HPI: +4.9%NHNew HampshireSF Permits: +12.9%HPI: +5.4%WAWashingtonSF Permits: -7.1%HPI: +2.8%IDIdahoSF Permits: -4.8%HPI: +2.1%MTMontanaSF Permits: -11.9%HPI: +2.1%NDNorth DakotaSF Permits: +6.7%HPI: +5.2%MNMinnesotaSF Permits: -4%HPI: +3.4%ILIllinoisSF Permits: +4.8%HPI: +6.3%MIMichiganSF Permits: +3.5%HPI: +5.6%NYNew YorkSF Permits: +10%HPI: +6.3%MAMassachusettsSF Permits: -10.8%HPI: +4.5%CTConnecticutSF Permits: -2.3%HPI: +6.1%OROregonSF Permits: -6.1%HPI: +1.9%NVNevadaSF Permits: -21.3%HPI: +2.1%WYWyomingSF Permits: +6.1%HPI: +4%SDSouth DakotaSF Permits: +1.2%HPI: +3.7%IAIowaSF Permits: -5.8%HPI: +4.2%INIndianaSF Permits: -1%HPI: +4.5%OHOhioSF Permits: -2.6%HPI: +5.1%PAPennsylvaniaSF Permits: -3.3%HPI: +5.6%NJNew JerseySF Permits: -13.4%HPI: +6.1%RIRhode IslandSF Permits: -11.5%HPI: +5.2%CACaliforniaSF Permits: -5.6%HPI: +1.3%UTUtahSF Permits: -5.1%HPI: +3%COColoradoSF Permits: -14.8%HPI: +1.4%NENebraskaSF Permits: -1.7%HPI: +3.6%MOMissouriSF Permits: -1.3%HPI: +4.2%KYKentuckySF Permits: -1.1%HPI: +4.6%WVWest VirginiaSF Permits: +2.9%HPI: +5.3%VAVirginiaSF Permits: -10.3%HPI: +4.3%MDMarylandSF Permits: -14.1%HPI: +3.1%DEDelawareSF Permits: -13.1%HPI: +5.5%AZArizonaSF Permits: -20.4%HPI: +1.7%NMNew MexicoSF Permits: -3%HPI: +2.8%KSKansasSF Permits: +10%HPI: +4.3%ARArkansasSF Permits: +4.9%HPI: +4.1%TNTennesseeSF Permits: -1.8%HPI: +3.1%NCNorth CarolinaSF Permits: -6.8%HPI: +3.3%SCSouth CarolinaSF Permits: -1.6%HPI: +4%DCD.C.SF Permits: +24%HPI: +3%OKOklahomaSF Permits: +6%HPI: +3.3%LALouisianaSF Permits: -7.6%HPI: +4%MSMississippiSF Permits: -2.7%HPI: +4.2%ALAlabamaSF Permits: -11.6%HPI: +3.6%GAGeorgiaSF Permits: -8.1%HPI: +3%FLFloridaSF Permits: -9.9%HPI: +0.1%HIHawaiiSF Permits: -1%HPI: +4.7%TXTexasSF Permits: -11.1%HPI: +1.2%CoolingHeating up

Top 25 Rising Counties by Single-Family Permit Growth

Ranked by year-over-year change in single-family (1-unit) permits (2024 → 2025). We exclude multifamily projects that can distort county totals with single large developments. Only counties with 100+ SF permits in both years and consistent 5-year reporting are included.

#1

Taney County, MO

+215.4%
273 → 861 SF permits↑ Rising
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#2

Marion County, IA

+152.5%
101 → 255 SF permits↑ Rising
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#3

Caldwell County, NC

+122.8%
224 → 499 SF permits↑ Rising
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#4

Madison County, ID

+122.6%
186 → 414 SF permits↑ Rising
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#5

Clark County, OH

+120.6%
102 → 225 SF permits→ Flat
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#6

Jessamine County, KY

+96.8%
248 → 488 SF permits↗ Gradually rising
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#7

Talbot County, MD

+90.4%
104 → 198 SF permits↓ Falling
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#8

Lewis County, WA

+90.3%
196 → 373 SF permits↘ Gradually falling
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#9

Garfield County, CO

+86.1%
108 → 201 SF permits↓ Falling
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#10

Wyandotte County, KS

+83.5%
121 → 222 SF permits→ Flat
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#11

Hood County, TX

+83%
141 → 258 SF permits→ Flat
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#12

Wise County, TX

+81.6%
217 → 394 SF permits↑ Rising
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#13

Washington County, TX

+81.3%
107 → 194 SF permits↓ Falling
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#14

Montgomery County, OH

+80.5%
349 → 630 SF permits↓ Falling
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#15

Clallam County, WA

+79.6%
142 → 255 SF permits↓ Falling
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#16

Pasquotank County, NC

+79.1%
153 → 274 SF permits↑ Rising
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#17

Atlantic County, NJ

+76.5%
383 → 676 SF permits↘ Gradually falling
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#18

Carson City, NV

+76%
183 → 322 SF permits↗ Gradually rising
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#19

Rockingham County, NH

+74.5%
615 → 1,073 SF permits↗ Gradually rising
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#20

Kenai Peninsula Borough, AK

+74%
104 → 181 SF permits↑ Rising
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#21

Taylor County, TX

+74%
420 → 731 SF permits→ Flat
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#22

Ontario County, NY

+73.6%
216 → 375 SF permits↓ Falling
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#23

Kalamazoo County, MI

+68.7%
284 → 479 SF permits↗ Gradually rising
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#24

King William County, VA

+66.7%
129 → 215 SF permits→ Flat
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#25

Shelby County, TN

+64.8%
642 → 1,058 SF permits↘ Gradually falling
Get the full picture for a property in Shelby County →

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Read the Analysis

What do these numbers mean for land buyers? Our deep-dive explains how to read building permit trends, what cooling markets signal, and how to use county momentum data in your due diligence.

Hottest (and Coolest) Land Markets of 2026 →

Methodology

Data sources. Building permit counts come from the U.S. Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (annual county-level flat files, 2021–2025). Home price appreciation comes from the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) House Price Index, quarterly state-level data (Q4-to-Q4).

What we measure. County rankings use single-family (1-unit) permits only. Multifamily projects (duplexes, apartments, condos) are excluded because a single large development can distort an entire county's year-over-year change. Year-over-year change compares the two most recent complete calendar years (2024 vs. 2025). The state-level map blends single-family permit growth (60% weight) with FHFA 1-year home price appreciation (40% weight) into a single composite score. A single year can move sharply against the longer trend — the 5-year arrow shows the full direction; the % change shows the most recent year.

Editorial filters. Two filters ensure the rankings reflect real market activity, not statistical noise:

  • Base floor: Both 2024 and 2025 must have at least 100 single-family permits. This excludes very small counties where a single subdivision approval can swing percentages by hundreds of points.
  • Series integrity: No single year in the 5-year series (2021–2025) can fall below 20% of that county's median. This catches reporting gaps and data anomalies (e.g., a county reporting 4 units one year and 179 the next, which indicates a data filing issue rather than real market movement).

Of approximately 3,050 counties in the Census BPS dataset, 1,058 survive both filters.

Data as of June 2026 · Last updated June 12, 2026 · Rankings are informational only and do not constitute investment advice.

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