Single-family permitting activity continued to weaken through the first seven months of 2026, while multifamily permitting remained stronger compared with the same period last year. Although single-family permits declined in most regions and states, multifamily permitting increased in three of the four regions, led by significant gains in the Northeast and West. Over the first seven months of the year, the number of single-family permits issued nationwide reached 546,826. Compared with the same period in 2025, this represents a 3.3 percent decline from the July 2025 total of 565,208. In contrast, multifamily permitting activity remained stronger, with 304,876 permits issued nationwide, marking a 6.3 percent increase compared with the same period last year. Regionally, year-to-date single-family permitting declined in three out of the four regions through July.