Housing starts and building permits for September 2026: out Tuesday, October 20, 2026, at 8:30 AM ET
The story goes up on this page shortly after the release: the new numbers, how they compare with before and what they mean for your money. Until then, here is what the release measures and where the last report left off.
What it measures
How many new homes builders started last month, and how many permits were issued for future construction.
Why it matters for your money
More building now means more housing supply later, which feeds into home prices and rents.
Where the last report left off
Aug 2026 data
- Housing starts, annual rate
- 1.28MJul 2026: 1.31M
- Building permits, annual rate
- 1.40MJul 2026: 1.43M
View the data as a table
| Period | Value |
|---|---|
| Aug 2026 | 1.28M |
| Jul 2026 | 1.31M |
| Jun 2026 | 1.44M |
| May 2026 | 1.18M |
| Apr 2026 | 1.41M |
| Mar 2026 | 1.52M |
| Feb 2026 | 1.35M |
| Jan 2026 | 1.39M |
| Dec 2025 | 1.38M |
| Nov 2025 | 1.32M |
| Oct 2025 | 1.27M |
| Sep 2025 | 1.32M |
| Aug 2025 | 1.29M |
| Jul 2025 | 1.43M |
| Jun 2025 | 1.38M |
| May 2025 | 1.29M |
| Apr 2025 | 1.40M |
| Mar 2025 | 1.35M |
| Feb 2025 | 1.49M |
| Jan 2025 | 1.35M |
| Dec 2024 | 1.49M |
| Nov 2024 | 1.30M |
| Oct 2024 | 1.37M |
| Sep 2024 | 1.36M |
Source: Census Bureau, via FRED (Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis). Revised figures replace earlier ones.Full release
The last story
Housing starts fell 2.6% in August to a 1.28 million annual rateThe Census Bureau said builders started homes at a 1,275,000 annual rate in August, down 34,000 from July and below the 1,291,000 pace of August 2025.