Single-Family Housing Starts Surge +25.1% in January to 926,000 Annual Rate

Privately‐owned housing starts in January were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,230,000, +18.6% above the revised December estimate of 1,037,000, but -7.8% below the Jan. 2018 rate of 1,334,000. Single‐family housing starts in January were at a rate of 926,000, +25.1% above the revised December figure of 740,000. The January rate for units in buildings with five units or more was 289,000.
“Some single-family projects that were on pause in December, meaning they were authorized but not started, went online in January. However, builders remain cautious as single-family permit numbers in January were somewhat soft,” said Robert Dietz, chief economist for the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB).