- Multifamily permitting ticked up 5.4% year-over-year to 453,400 units in January 2026.
- Top 10 US markets saw a 7.4% increase in permitting, but performance varied within those cities.
- Half of major markets reported annual permitting gains; the other half showed flat or negative results.
- Columbus, Los Angeles, and Miami were top cities for multifamily permits in January 2026.
Recent Multifamily Permitting Trends
Multifamily permitting in the US edged up in early 2026, following a year of lower activity that bottomed out at 430,000 units, RealPage reports. January’s annualized total reached 453,400 units, marking a modest 5.4% increase from the previous year’s trough. This comes after a post-pandemic peak of over 650,000 units in 2023—a surge that rivaled highs from the 1980s but remained below the 1970s boom.
National and Metro Market Fluctuations
While multifamily permitting has a history of long, flat cycles, current trends remain unsettled. Market uncertainty, including economic, political, and lending headwinds, suggests apartment development will remain challenging, despite demand. Analysis of the top 150 markets tracked by RealPage found roughly half reporting higher multifamily permitting year-over-year, with the remainder flat or down, mirroring recent patterns where national permitting activity has softened even as pockets of strength persist across select metros.
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Top Permitting Markets and Movements
Among the top 10 metros for multifamily permitting, seven posted substantial gains (19%–48%); the others saw declines. New York continued as the nation’s leader but dropped over 19% year-over-year. Dallas and Houston reported gains of 3,800–5,000 units each, joining Phoenix and other Sun Belt markets in strong permit activity. Los Angeles, Miami, and Orlando each permitted about 11,000 units, while Austin and Atlanta, despite declines, both exceeded 10,000 units. Columbus, OH, retained a place among the top 10 since last April.
Biggest Movers and Decliners
Other growing markets included Riverside, San Jose, Salt Lake City, and Denver, each registering increases of 2,000 units or more. In contrast, Fort Worth, Seattle, and Charlotte joined New York, Austin, and Atlanta in posting significant annual declines, with at least 2,200 fewer units each compared to last year. Eleven additional markets saw drops of 1,000 or more permitted units.
City-Level Permitting Leaders
Columbus led all cities with over 7,550 multifamily units permitted in January 2026, followed closely by Los Angeles and Miami. Brooklyn and Orlando also featured prominently. Most top individual permitting cities were aligned with the most active metro markets. Of the top 10 cities, six saw monthly gains, averaging a cumulative increase of nearly 1,850 units. The remaining cities averaged a small decrease, underscoring continued volatility at the local level.
