Single-Family Building Permits at 4-Year High

New construction in Colonie. Courtesy CEG.

Highlights

• Capital Region municipalities in 2025 approved most single-family building permits in four years.
• Saratoga County municipalities approved most single-family building permits in 20 years.
• Single-Family building permit approvals were also at 18-year high in Warren County and 19-year high in Greene County.

The number of single-family building permits approved by Capital Region communities in 2025 increased to a four-year high, according to a Center for Economic Growth (CEG) analysis of new data from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Single-Family Permits

In 2025, municipalities in the eight-county Capital Region approved 1,763 single-unit building permits, a 7.2 percent increase from the previous year and the most since 2021. Driving that growth were annual building permits gains in Saratoga (+79), Warren (+51) and Greene (+32) counties.

Saratoga County’s 813 approved single-family building permits were its most since 2005. Warren County’s 194 permits marked its highest level since 2007, and Greene County’s 135 permits were its most since 2008. Albany County also saw a renewed momentum with 200 single-family building permits, its highest total in three years.

Multi-Family Permits

In 2025, Capital Region municipalities approved building permits for 70 multi-family buildings totaling 827 units. That represented a 55.5 percent decline in multi-family units and the fewest in five years.

Housing Stock

In terms of housing stock growth, the Census Bureau estimates the Capital Region had 545,140 housing units in 2025. That represented an increase of 2,661 units from the previous year. This growth was largely driven by single-family and multi-family building permitting activity. With 1,086 additional units, Saratoga County accounted for 40.8 percent of the region’s housing gains.

Among New York’s 10 economic development regions, the Capital Region had the third largest annual gain in housing units, following the Hudson Valley (+5,652) and New York City (+46,349).

CEG Initiatives

Each year, CEG hosts a Summer Intern Engagement Program: a curated, multi-event series that brings interns together to explore the region, build relationships, and see themselves living and working here long-term.

The 2026 CEG Summer Internship Engagement Program kicked off with an Albany Center Gallery Art Experience on June 11. Other events include Backstage at SPAC! (June 15), Scandalous Schenectady (July 14), and Kayaks & Connections (July 18).

The 2025 CEG Summer Internship Engagement Program included 142 participants – a 9% increase from the previous summer. Attendees represented 20 area companies, and approximately 40% came from outside the region, state, or country.

Give your interns more than just a job. Give them a reason to stay. Connect with Andrea Thompson to get your interns involved!

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