Permits through August 2026Yearly permits since 1995New York County index 1998–2021
New York County (100 = first year)United States, rebased to the same startNBER recessionPeak before the latest year value
House prices are indexed by county, not by city: this is New York 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 Manhattan borough, New York, covered 3,112 housing units (+60.2% year on year); the place lies in New York County.
4 of those units were single-family houses (0%), 0 were in two- to four-unit buildings and 3,108 in buildings of five or more units. That is 0.4 units per 1,000 residents, well below the county's 1.9 and well below the state's 2.4.
Since 1995 the place has authorised 146,003 units, with the busiest year 2015 (12,267 units). New York County's FHFA house price index rose +43.2% over the ten years to 2021.
3,112units permitted, 12 months to August 2026+60.2% on the previous 12 months
4single-family units0% of the total
3,108units in 5+ unit buildings100% of the total
0.4units per 1,000 residentsNew York County 1.9 · New York 2.4
Permits by month and structure type
Housing units authorised in Manhattan borough by month, latest 24 monthssingle-family2+ unit buildings
Units, 12 months to August 2026
Manhattan borough
New York County
New York
United States
All housing units
3,112
3,112
48,587
1,418,086
Single-family (1 unit)
4 (0%)
4 (0%)
10,167 (21%)
888,241 (63%)
2 units
0
0
1,322
34,814
3–4 units
0
0
783
17,298
5 or more units
3,108 (100%)
3,108 (100%)
36,315 (75%)
477,733 (34%)
Units per 1,000 residents
0.4
1.9
2.4
4.1
Change on previous 12 months
+60.2%
+60.2%
+38.8%
−0.1%
Permits by year since 1995
Housing units authorised in Manhattan borough by year, 1995–2025single-family2+ unit buildings
146,003 units since 1995; the busiest year was 2015. Annual figures include units imputed for months a place did not report.
Home prices in New York County
FHFA's index for New York County rose +43.2% over the ten years to 2021 (+3.7% a year) and −13.4% in the latest year, against +38.4% and +9.4% for New York. 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 Manhattan borough, NY?
3,112 housing units were authorised by building permits in the 12 months to August 2026, against 1,943 in the previous 12 months.
What kind of housing is being permitted in Manhattan borough?
4 single-family units, 0 in two-unit buildings, 0 in three- and four-unit buildings and 3,108 in buildings of five or more units.
How does Manhattan borough compare with its county and state?
0.4 units per 1,000 residents in Manhattan borough, 1.9 in New York County and 2.4 in New York.
How have home prices moved in New York County?
FHFA's index for New York County rose +43.2% over the ten years to 2021 and −13.4% 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 431000); 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.