Permits through August 2026Yearly permits since 1995Leelanau County index 1985–2025
Leelanau County (100 = first year)United States, rebased to the same startNBER recession
House prices are indexed by county, not by city: this is Leelanau County's FHFA index, with the national index rebased to the same start.
Census Bureau notes: building permit figures cover new privately owned housing units authorised by permit-issuing places; permits do not mean the units were started or completed, and places that report less often than monthly are imputed in monthly totals. FHFA notes: The FHFA HPI is a broad measure of the movement of single-family house prices. The FHFA HPI is a weighted, repeat-sales index, meaning that it measures average price changes in repeat sales or refinancings on the same properties.
In the 12 months to August 2026, building permits in Leelanau County, Michigan, covered 168 housing units (−9.2% year on year); the place lies in Leelanau County.
164 of those units were single-family houses (98%), 4 were in two- to four-unit buildings and 0 in buildings of five or more units.
Since 1995 the place has authorised 5,810 units, with the busiest year 1999 (386 units). Leelanau County's FHFA house price index rose +144.4% over the ten years to 2025.
168units permitted, 12 months to August 2026−9.2% on the previous 12 months
164single-family units98% of the total
0units in 5+ unit buildings0% of the total
—units per 1,000 residentsLeelanau County 7.3 · Michigan 2.2
Permits by month and structure type
Housing units authorised in Leelanau County by month, latest 24 monthssingle-family2+ unit buildings
Units, 12 months to August 2026
Leelanau County
Leelanau County
Michigan
United States
All housing units
168
168
22,528
1,418,086
Single-family (1 unit)
164 (98%)
164 (98%)
15,343 (68%)
888,241 (63%)
2 units
4
4
600
34,814
3–4 units
0
0
449
17,298
5 or more units
0 (0%)
0 (0%)
6,136 (27%)
477,733 (34%)
Units per 1,000 residents
—
7.3
2.2
4.1
Change on previous 12 months
−9.2%
−9.2%
−2.7%
−0.1%
Permits by year since 1995
Housing units authorised in Leelanau County by year, 1995–2025single-family2+ unit buildings
5,810 units since 1995; the busiest year was 1999. Annual figures include units imputed for months a place did not report.
Home prices in Leelanau County
FHFA's index for Leelanau County rose +144.4% over the ten years to 2025 (+9.3% a year) and +9.5% in the latest year, against +96.7% and +4.7% for Michigan. Full county page: decade table, peak-to-low declines, every ZIP code and every permit-issuing place in the county.
Questions and answers
How many homes are being built in Leelanau County, MI?
168 housing units were authorised by building permits in the 12 months to August 2026, against 185 in the previous 12 months.
What kind of housing is being permitted in Leelanau County?
164 single-family units, 4 in two-unit buildings, 0 in three- and four-unit buildings and 0 in buildings of five or more units.
How does Leelanau County compare with its county and state?
No population estimate is attached to this permit-issuing area, so a per-resident rate is not shown; Leelanau County runs at 7.3 units per 1,000 residents and Michigan at 2.2.
How have home prices moved in Leelanau County?
FHFA's index for Leelanau County rose +144.4% over the ten years to 2025 and +9.5% in the latest year; the county page has the full series.
What does a permit count?
A housing unit authorised by a building permit for new privately owned residential construction, as reported to the Census Bureau Building Permits Survey by the permit-issuing office. Permits are not completions; some permitted units are never built, and places that report only annually are imputed in monthly figures.
Provenance
Permits: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, place-level monthly and annual files through August 2026 (permit office 503500); county and state comparisons from the county and state files. Population: Census Bureau vintage 2025 estimates for incorporated places, matched on FIPS place code where the permit office is one. House price index: Federal Housing Finance Agency. Public domain. Corrections · Building Permits Survey.