Census: August housing starts 1,275,000, down 2.6 percent from July
Census published Monthly New Residential Construction for August 2026 today. Privately owned housing starts were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,275,000, 2.6 percent below the revised July rate of 1,309,000 and 1.2 percent below the August 2025 rate of 1,291,000. Single-family starts were 918,000, 7.6 percent above the revised July figure of 853,000. Starts of units in buildings with five or more units were 344,000. Building permits were 1,394,000, 2.7 percent below the revised July rate of 1,433,000 and 3.5 percent above August 2025. Completions were 1,128,000, 11.9 percent below the revised July rate of 1,280,000.
- Housing starts, seasonally adjusted annual rate
- 1,275,000
- Housing starts, month-over-month change
- -2.6%
- Housing starts, year-over-year change
- -1.2%
- Single-family housing starts, seasonally adjusted annual rate
- 918,000
- Single-family housing starts, month-over-month change
- 7.6%
- Multifamily housing starts, five or more units, seasonally adjusted annual rate
- 344,000
- Building permits, seasonally adjusted annual rate
- 1,394,000
- Building permits, month-over-month change
- -2.7%
- Housing completions, seasonally adjusted annual rate
- 1,128,000
- Housing completions, month-over-month change
- -11.9%
Source: Monthly New Residential Construction, August 2026 — U.S. Census Bureau. Also: New Residential Construction press release PDF, August 2026.
all 10 figures found at the source
- found Housing starts, seasonally adjusted annual rate = 1,275,000 — at U.S. Census Bureau
- found Housing starts, month-over-month change = -2.6% — at U.S. Census Bureau
- found Housing starts, year-over-year change = -1.2% — at U.S. Census Bureau
- found Single-family housing starts, seasonally adjusted annual rate = 918,000 — at U.S. Census Bureau
- found Single-family housing starts, month-over-month change = 7.6% — at U.S. Census Bureau
- found Multifamily housing starts, five or more units, seasonally adjusted annual rate = 344,000 — at U.S. Census Bureau
- found Building permits, seasonally adjusted annual rate = 1,394,000 — at U.S. Census Bureau
- found Building permits, month-over-month change = -2.7% — at U.S. Census Bureau
- found Housing completions, seasonally adjusted annual rate = 1,128,000 — at U.S. Census Bureau
- found Housing completions, month-over-month change = -11.9% — at U.S. Census Bureau
This page is one print. The daily brief for September 17, 2026 is the editor's cut of what mattered that day. Figures are as the named sources printed them. The methodology says how this page is made and what is checked.