US Housing Starts Drop to Lowest Level Since July 2020: Census Bureau

The South and the West were the top regions for new construction in 2025, according to a report.
US Housing Starts Drop to Lowest Level Since July 2020: Census Bureau
A home is constructed at a housing development in Lemont, Ill., in this file photo. Scott Olson/Getty Images
Mary Prenon
Mary Prenon
Freelance Reporter
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Privately owned housing starts for all property types in October 2025 declined to their lowest level in nearly six years, according to a Jan. 9 report from the Census Bureau.

The report shows starts at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.24 million—a 4.6 percent decrease from the revised September estimate of 1.31 million. October starts represent a 7.8 percent decrease from October 2024, when starts were 1.35 million, and mark the lowest level since July 2020, when housing starts stood at 1.26 million.

Mary Prenon
Mary Prenon
Freelance Reporter
Mary T. Prenon covers real estate and business. She has been a writer and reporter for over 25 years with various print and broadcast media in New York.