The U.S. Census Bureau provides comprehensive national and regional data on new residential construction. This data encompasses housing units that have been authorized by building permits, those authorized but not yet started, units currently under construction, and completed homes.
The statistics specifically cover new, privately-owned housing units. Notably, the data excludes manufactured (mobile) homes that adhere to "HUD-code" standards. The information is gathered through two primary surveys: the Building Permits Survey and the Survey of Construction (SOC). The Survey of Construction receives partial funding from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
For those interested in local-level building permit data, this information can be accessed separately on the Building Permits Survey webpage. The Bureau regularly updates its findings, offering insights into the pace and scale of new home building across the country.
Recent announcements from the Census Bureau detail upcoming releases and methodological updates. For instance, the release scheduled for April 29, 2026, will include initial estimates for February. Similarly, the December 2026 release will incorporate preliminary data for November.
Further schedule details indicate that the October 2026 New Residential Construction release will also feature initial estimates for September. These regular updates ensure that stakeholders have access to timely information regarding housing market activity.
In a prior announcement on February 19, 2025, the Bureau addressed a processing error that affected the Quarterly Starts and Completions by Purpose and Design tables. Specifically, Table 1 for the fourth quarter of 2024 contained incorrect data. Corrected tables were subsequently posted on the same day before 11:30 AM, replacing the original versions.
Also on February 19, 2025, the Building Permits survey implemented modifications to its imputation methodology. The previous approach calculated imputation factors on a regional basis. The revised process now calculates these factors using a combination of U.S. Census Bureau divisions and large individual states. More detailed information regarding this methodological change is available in the imputation section of the Bureau's methodology page.
Users can explore historical data and trends through interactive tools. The Time Series/Trend Charts feature allows for the creation of customizable data visualizations, providing a deeper understanding of construction patterns over time. Additionally, the FRED Economic Data mobile application, available for both Apple and Android devices, offers access to the Census Bureau's 13 key economic indicators, integrated within the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis's signature database.
