Wilmington-area builders get OK for 955 homes in July

Builders in the Wilmington metro area received authorization for 955 new housing units in July 2026, matching February's recent high of 954. That is up about 44.5%, or 294 units, from June's 661.

Compared with July 2025, when 622 units were authorized, July 2026 is up about 53.5%. The most recent six months averaged about 830 units, versus about 585 for the prior six — a rise of about 42.1%. The 2026 year-to-date average is about 798 units, compared with about 650 for the 2025 average.

Nationally, Census and HUD reported U.S. housing permits at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,443,000 in July 2026, up 5.0% from the prior month and 3.1% from a year earlier. Wilmington's year-over-year gain was much larger than that national pace.

Monthly metro totals can swing widely from month to month, and these figures cover the MSA rather than the city of Wilmington alone.