NY’s 2nd Biggest Increase in Single-Family Building Permits Is in the Capital Region

The Capital Region in 2024 had New York’s second largest increase in single-family building permit approvals, boosted by developer activity in Columbia, Rensselaer, Saratoga and Warren counties, according to a Center for Economic Growth analysis of new data from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Regional Performance (Single-Family)

In 2024, municipalities in the eight-county Capital Region last year approved 1,645 single-family building permits. That represented a 19.4 percent increase (+267)  from the number of single-family building permits they approved in 2023, which was when this type of permitting activity fell to a 12-year low. The region’s 2024 total was also above the pre-pandemic, five-year average of 1,586. Among New York’s 10 economic development regions, the Capital Region had the second-largest increase in annual single-family building permit approvals, trailing only the Hudson Valley (+273).

County Performance (Single-Family)

In the Capital Region, the counties with the fastest-growing numbers of approved single-family building permits were Rensselaer (52.4 percent), Saratoga (26.6 percent), Columbia (21.2 percent), and Warren (13.5 percent). In terms of volume, Saratoga County had the state’s second largest increase in the annual number of approved single-family building permits (+154) and Rensselaer County had the fourth most (+55). Sullivan County had the largest annual increase in the state (+262).

Columbia County set a 17-year record for approved single-family building permits in 2024 (137). Rensselaer County set a 14-year record for approved single-family building permits in 2024 (160). However, single-family permitting activity continued at a slow pace in Albany County. In 2023, approved single-family building permits fell to a more than 40-year low at 184. In 2024, the county’s annual total increased slightly to 190, which was its third fewest since 1990.

Multi-Family

In 2024, Capital Region municipalities approved building permits for 120 multi-family buildings (>2 units) with a total 1,286 units. That was a 26.3 percent annual increase (+25) in multi-family buildings and a 35.8 percent increase (+339) in multi-family units. Driving that annual growth in multi-family units were Albany County (+115), Warren County (+100), Saratoga (+71) and Schenectady (+64) counties.

CEG Initiatives

To help the Capital Region retain students who attend any of its 22 colleges and universities as well as others who participate in internships at local businesses, CEG hosts the CEG Summer Internship Engagement Program. The program is a dynamic series of free events and networking opportunities designed to help interns grow professionally and personally during their summer in NY’s Capital Region. The purpose is to help the interns learn about living and working in the region; to supplement the work they’re doing for their internship and enhance their overall internship experience. The 2024 CEG Summer Internship Engagement Program featured five events throughout the Capital Region’s core counties, with more than 120 unique registrants from several local companies.

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