Housing Permits Issued

Housing activity data refers to the number of building, septic and other permits that signal the beginning of a home construction project. Wisconsin Builders Association performs quarterly reporting by county of the data supplied by the U.S. Bureau of the Census.

Note: Monthly data is collected from sites across Wisconsin that report on a monthly basis - this is NOT all municipalties in the state. The figures reported by WBA represent trends in new home construction in Wisconsin, but do not reflect the total number of all new homes started in the state during the specified time period.

(All reports are in .PDF format, requiring Adobe Acrobat Reader, unless otherwise noted.)

Available Reports
2013 One and Two- Family Housing Permits per County in WI January-March 2013

Wisconsin historical housing permit data
2012 One- and Two-Family Housing Permits per county in Wisconsin - January-August
2011 WI Housing Permits Data - January-December
Summary of Land Development, New Home Construction & Construction Employment, Sept. 2011
2010 WI Housing Permit Data-Jan-Dec
2009 WI Housing Permit Data- Jan-Dec
2008 Housing Permit Data- Jan-Dec
2007 Housing Permit Data- Jan-Dec
2006 Housing Permit Data - Jan-Dec
1999-2005 WI Housing Permit Data

Other Sources:
•  Economic Impact of Home Building in Wisconsin
See statewide economic impact studies conducted by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Housing Policy Department which demonstrate the home building industry in the state of Wisconsin not only pays for itself, but its impact includes new income and jobs for Wisconsinites and additional revenue for state and local governments.
•   Home Sweet Home. Still.
An April 2011 study from the Pew Research Center demonstrated the five-year swoon in home prices has done little to shake the confidence of the American public in the investment value of homeownership. Fully eight-in-ten (81%) adults agree that buying a home is the best long-term investment a person can make. Read the full study.
•   NAHB Housing Starts
Updated monthly and based on a seasonally adjusted annual rate.
•   Wisconsin Realtors Association: number of houses sold and median prices.
•    Department of Safety and Professional Services: number of permits issued on a per county basis.

Useful Links to Monitor Economic and Housing Trends
The following are links to useful information from government agencies and NAHB that will enable you to monitor the housing market.
To access the latest information available, simply click the links.
•    U.S. Census Bureau Construction Statistics
•    U.S. Census Bureau Housing Permits by State 
•    NAHB's Housing Market Index (HMI)
The HMI is based on a monthly survey of NAHB members designed to take the pulse of the single-family housing market. An gauge of of builder confidence and perceptions about current and future market conditions.
•   S&P Home Price Indices
The S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Indices measures the residential housing market, tracking changes in the value of the residential real estate market in 20 metropolitan regions across the United States.
•   Characteristics of New Housing
Highlights the latest data on new-home characteristics released by the U.S. Census Department.
•    Housing Market Statistics from HousingEconomics.com
Full array of statistical categories available to NAHB members, a limited number available to non-members.