New Residential Permit Volume Through December 2002

Permit volume throughout the nation rose by 5.6% during 2002, and 18 of the country's top 25 highest-volume metropolitan areas contributed to this increase. As a group, last year's top 25 markets accounted for an estimated 37.9% of all new residential permits issued throughout the United States.

Atlanta was again the nation's highest-volume metro area during 2002, although its residential permit total increased only 0.6% from its 2001 level. About 39% more new home permits were issued last year in Atlanta than in the runner-up Phoenix metro area.

Last year's preliminary top 25 list differs considerably in relative rankings from the comparable list for 2001. But only one city that was on the top 25 list in 2001 failed to make it somewhere on that list again in 2002. With a 12.1% over-the-year decline in permit volume, San Diego missed last year's top 25. And with a 3.6% increase in permit activity from 2001 to 2002, Portland, Ore., returned to the list after an absence of a couple of years. However, the 2002 permit totals are still preliminary, and two other metro areas are within less than 200 permits of Portland and Kansas City. So when the final numbers are compiled and certified, Miami or Jacksonville, Fla., or both might muscle their way onto 2002's top 25.

Houston, Sacramento, Calif., and Fort Worth, Texas, all recorded gains of more than 20% in permitted construction volumes from 2001 to 2002. Four other areas in the top 25 also recorded double-digit over-the-year increases: Riverside-San Bernardino, Calif., Orlando, Fla., Minneapolis and Columbus, Ohio (Jacksonville would be added to this group should it ultimately vault onto the final list). Double-digit over-the-year losses in permit volumes were registered in Denver, Raleigh-Durham, N.C., and Los Angeles.

A total of 123 metropolitan market areas throughout the United States recorded 2,500 or more residential permits during 2002. Of this number, only 37 -- 30% of the total -- failed to register increases from their volume levels of the year before. Among the smaller metro areas (outside the top 25 but with volume of at least 2,500 units), the steepest over-the-year increases were recorded by Ocala, Fla. (+94.1%), Charlottesville, Va. (+63.5%), Little Rock, Ark. (+43.7%), Stockton, Calif. (+41.5%), and Orange County, Calif. (+37.3%).