DC Had Third Highest Construction Activity in 2011

• May 7, 2012

by Shilpi Paul

In news that may not be surprising to District residents surrounded by cranes, drills and the constant hum of power tools, DC had the third highest level of construction activity in the nation last year, according to newly released Census data. Houston topped the list with 31,271 permits issued in 2011, while DC reported 16,501 permits issued. Fifty-one percent of our area’s permits were in multi-family buildings.

Trulia’s Chief Economist Jed Kolko analyzed the data in a recent piece in Atlantic Cities, and alluded to the finding when we spoke with him last week about Trulia’s Price and Rent Monitors.

While many large, populated cities unsurprisingly were near the top of the list, Kolko was curious about how cities ranked regardless of population and size. He looked instead at the number of permits issued per 1,000 housing units and ranked the cities accordingly. This chart gives a better sense of where activity is really humming. While major cities like New York and LA dropped off of this list, DC remained, amongst many cities in Texas and the Carolinas.

Courtesy of Atlantic Cities

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• DC Has Second Highest Level of Construction Activity in the Country
• Housing Starts Drop in August, But Permits Increase

This article originally published at http://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/dc_had_third_highest_construction_activity_in_2011/5501