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Massachusetts in 2021

Index change and building permits for the year, with every county.

In 2021 the FHFA house price index for Massachusetts changed +11.0%, against +11.6% for the United States and +3.1% in 2020.

19,853 housing units were authorised by building permits in the state that year (7,231 single-family), +16.6% on 2020; the national total was 1,736,982.

+11.0%Massachusetts index, 2020–2021US +11.6%
19,853housing units permitted in 20217,231 single-family
14 of 14counties with a rising indexmedian county +11.4%
1,736,982units permitted nationally in 2021
← 2020Massachusetts overview2022 →

Counties in 2021

Ranked by the county index change from 2020 to 2021 (FHFA annual county index). Permits are units authorised in 2021; per 1,000 uses the vintage 2025 population.

CountyIndex change 2021Units permittedSingle-familyPer 1,000
Barnstable County+14.6%6726462.9
Berkshire County+13.5%1931161.5
Franklin County+13.3%84781.2
Worcester County+13.3%1,8951,0212.1
Hampden County+12.8%2632590.6
Plymouth County+12.7%2,4891,1694.6
Bristol County+12.5%8667551.5
Essex County+11.4%1,7035082.1
Dukes County+11.0%1881668.9
Hampshire County+9.7%3981582.4
Norfolk County+9.6%2,4187843.3
Middlesex County+9.1%4,6711,2792.8
Suffolk County+7.2%3,738654.7
Nantucket County+4.4%27522718.6

Permits by year, 1995–2025

Housing units authorised in Massachusetts by year010,00020,00030,0001995: 16,428 units (14,449 single-family, 1,979 in multi-unit buildings)19951996: 17,261 units (15,077 single-family, 2,184 in multi-unit buildings)1997: 17,186 units (15,152 single-family, 2,034 in multi-unit buildings)1998: 19,254 units (16,303 single-family, 2,951 in multi-unit buildings)1999: 18,967 units (15,457 single-family, 3,510 in multi-unit buildings)2000: 18,000 units (14,199 single-family, 3,801 in multi-unit buildings)20002001: 17,034 units (13,030 single-family, 4,004 in multi-unit buildings)2002: 17,465 units (13,636 single-family, 3,829 in multi-unit buildings)2003: 20,257 units (13,037 single-family, 7,220 in multi-unit buildings)2004: 22,477 units (14,842 single-family, 7,635 in multi-unit buildings)2005: 24,549 units (14,585 single-family, 9,964 in multi-unit buildings)20052006: 19,580 units (10,916 single-family, 8,664 in multi-unit buildings)2007: 15,358 units (8,928 single-family, 6,430 in multi-unit buildings)2008: 9,883 units (5,368 single-family, 4,515 in multi-unit buildings)2009: 7,941 units (5,074 single-family, 2,867 in multi-unit buildings)2010: 9,075 units (5,839 single-family, 3,236 in multi-unit buildings)20102011: 7,725 units (4,899 single-family, 2,826 in multi-unit buildings)2012: 11,111 units (5,920 single-family, 5,191 in multi-unit buildings)2013: 14,569 units (7,100 single-family, 7,469 in multi-unit buildings)2014: 14,486 units (7,330 single-family, 7,156 in multi-unit buildings)2015: 17,424 units (6,922 single-family, 10,502 in multi-unit buildings)20152016: 16,288 units (7,641 single-family, 8,647 in multi-unit buildings)2017: 17,728 units (7,278 single-family, 10,450 in multi-unit buildings)2018: 17,044 units (7,169 single-family, 9,875 in multi-unit buildings)2019: 17,365 units (6,292 single-family, 11,073 in multi-unit buildings)2020: 17,025 units (6,754 single-family, 10,271 in multi-unit buildings)20202021: 19,853 units (7,231 single-family, 12,622 in multi-unit buildings)2022: 16,830 units (6,232 single-family, 10,598 in multi-unit buildings)2023: 13,214 units (5,075 single-family, 8,139 in multi-unit buildings)2024: 14,338 units (5,626 single-family, 8,712 in multi-unit buildings)2025: 12,477 units (5,018 single-family, 7,459 in multi-unit buildings)2025

Housing units authorised in Massachusetts by yearsingle-family2+ unit buildings

Source: Federal Housing Finance Agency annual state and county house price indexes (updated March 31, 2026); Census Bureau Building Permits Survey annual state and county files. Public domain. Methodology.