A housing report published in May by ConsumerAffairs has revealed that Austin is home to the seventh-highest concentration of new home development in the nation. More than 3,000 new residential building permits were issued citywide in the first two months of 2026 alone.

The research team at ConsumerAffairs analyzed data on new building permits and new construction home sales across 150 of the largest U.S. metropolitan areas in January and February of 2026. Cities were scored using two equally weighted metrics: total new residential building permits (sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Building Permits Survey) and total new construction home sales (sourced from Zillow) during the two-month period.

Texas is home to four of the top 10 cities with the highest rates of new home construction: Dallas booted Houston from the top spot down to No. 2, with Austin (No. 7) moving up the ladder after ranking ninth last year, and San Antonio slipping into 10th place.

The report found 3,382 new building permits were issued and 1,352 new construction homes were sold across January and February in Austin. The city has the 10th highest rate of building permits issued, and the sixth-highest rate of new-build home sales in the U.S.

"Austin is also the rare city where newly built properties on balance cost less to buy than preexisting homes — by about $72,000 when you compare the median sale prices," the report said. "Buyers with their hearts set on new construction should head to Austin — as long as they’re prepared to keep the city weird, as the slogan goes, of course."

The Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos metro additionally ranks No. 6 for new home construction on a separate list across the biggest U.S. metros. More than 32,000 new residential units — single-family homes, apartments, and condos — were authorized in the greater Austin area in 2024.

Dallas leads the country with the most new home construction
Dallas led the nation with the highest concentration of new home construction, the report found. More than 11,000 new building permits have been issued in Dallas during the first two months of 2026, and 3,009 newly built homes were sold during the same period.

ConsumerAffairs said Dallas City Council has spent the last year making changes to residential housing codes to fight the city's housing shortage, thus driving the boom in new housing development.

"Previously, buildings with more than two residential housing units had to comply with the International Building Code, adding obstacles and costs for developers," the report said. "The revised code allows buildings with up to eight units to be constructed with looser regulations."

The top 10 U.S. cities building the most new homes in 2026 are:

• No. 1 – Dallas
• No. 2 – Houston
• No. 3 – New York City
• No. 4 – Phoenix
• No. 5 – Atlanta
• No. 6 – Los Angeles
• No. 7 – Austin
• No. 8 – Washington, D.C.
• No. 9 – Charlotte, North Carolina
• No. 10 – San Antonio