Fast Fact: Housing Starts 31% Below Pre-Recession Levels 

December 16, 2019  by Laurie Northington in Business Strategy, Industry   

Total housing starts this year are 31% below pre-Great Recession levels – 1,238,000 in 2019 May (seasonally adjusted at annual rate) versus 2006 starts of 1,801,000. Housing starts had a 28.2% jump in 2012 and 18.5% growth in 2013, but the large increases have stalled in recent years before hitting negative growth in the first quarter of 2019. 

The South had the healthiest growth in housing starts, up 6.5% this year with all other regions posting negative growth in both single and multi-family unit starts. The Midwest has the largest drop in housing starts this year – down 11.2%.

For a closer look at the data, click here.