Design and Construction Report staff writer
Privately owned residential construction in the United States showed mixed trends in October 2025, according to new data released Friday by the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Building permits for new homes were issued at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,412,000, down 0.2% from September’s revised rate of 1,415,000 and 1.1% below October 2024, when 1,428,000 permits were issued. Single-family permits were at a rate of 876,000, 0.5% below September, while permits for buildings with five or more units were 481,000.
Housing starts fell to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,246,000, a 4.6% decline from September’s revised 1,306,000 and 7.8% below October 2024’s rate of 1,352,000. Single-family starts increased 5.4% from September to 874,000, while starts for buildings with five or more units were 347,000.
Privately owned housing completions rose 1.1% from September to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,386,000 but remained 15.3% below the October 2024 total of 1,636,000. Single-family completions were 1,009,000, up 6% from September, while multi-family completions of five units or more were 367,000.
The data reflect continued variability in the housing market, with single-family construction showing modest growth while overall housing starts and permits remain slightly below year-ago levels.
No date has been announced for the release of November 2025 construction statistics.
