As we say goodbye to 2023 and begin 2024, HBW is in the process of reviewing construction permit data over the last year to identify building trends and areas where there have been gains (and losses) in the market.  HBW construction data reports provide an in-depth and detailed overview of everything from leading contractors to the number of permits and construction values for any given area, and today we are looking at new residential construction activity in the Metro Atlanta area.

Last year, there were 21,600 new residential construction permits added to the HBW database for the Metro Atlanta area, reflecting a 15 percent year-over-year decrease in new residential construction.  Out of the twenty-four counties that make up the area, five counties carried nearly 50 percent of all new construction activity, and those counties were as follows:

Gwinnett County

Gwinnett County ranked #1 for new home construction last year, having 3,550 new permits on record with a steady market that was on par with the previous year.  This new stability is a good sign for the area considering 2022 had demonstrated a major year-over-year decrease (-21%) in new home construction.  

Cherokee County

Last year, there were approximately 1,895 new residential construction permits in Cherokee County, reflecting a 19 percent year-over-year decrease in new home construction.  Over the last five years, the area has demonstrated incremental increases in housing starts (with the exception of 2021), and the marked downward shift last year is both significant and not typical for the area.

Fulton County

In Fulton County, there were approximately 1,770 new residential construction permits last year, reflecting a 12 percent year-over-year decrease in new home construction. Although the year-over-year dip in new construction is not as significant as 2022, new permits have been steadily declining and new home construction has been slowing in the area over the last two years.

Cobb County

With a 2 percent year-over-year decrease in new residential construction permits, Cobb County had more than 1,510 housing starts on record in 2023.  Since 2019, Cobb County has exhibited an inconsistent market for residential construction, with some years faring better than others. Last year, there was minimal year-over-year change which may be indicative of some steadiness in the market ahead.

Paulding County

Last year, there were 1,315 new residential construction permits added to the HBW database for Paulding County, reflecting a steady market that was right in line with figures from the previous year. Over the last few years, new home construction has been rapidly on the rise in Paulding, and in 2023, it appears that those previous gains are holding and perhaps reaching a temporary plateau.

Information utilized for the above listed figures for Metro Atlanta residential construction was directly derived from HBW construction data reports. To gain access to the HBW database and receive custom and detailed reports on the latest residential and commercial building activity in Florida, Georgia, Texas, Alabama, and Oklahoma, please contact HBW for details.