Towns building the most new homes in Michigan
Ranked by new homes authorized by building permits per 1,000 residents a year, averaged over 2021–2025. 509 towns with 2,500+ residents that issue their own permits.
Where Overisel lands: #214 of 509
2.0 per 1,000 new homes a year per 1,000 residents · Visit Overisel →
1
Cascade
Kent County
15.6 per 1,000
Homes, last 5 yrs 1,551
2
Lyon
Oakland County
11.4 per 1,000
Homes, last 5 yrs 1,418
3
Whitehall
10.7 per 1,000
Homes, last 5 yrs 161
How this ranking works
For each town we add up the new homes its building permits authorized in 2021–2025, divide by five for a yearly figure, and divide by the town’s population for a rate per 1,000 residents. Every home counts the same, whether it’s a single-family house or one unit in an apartment building. The highest rate ranks #1. Across Michigan as a whole it’s 2.2 per 1,000.
Permits count homes approved to be built, and nearly all get built within a year or two. A town is ranked only if it issues its own permits and reported in every one of these years. Where the county issues permits (common for unincorporated places), there’s no town figure to rank. Lake, mountain and beach towns often rank high because many of their new homes are second homes.
Only towns with at least 2,500 residents are ranked; Census estimates for smaller places are too uncertain. Population and income: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates. New homes: U.S. Census Bureau Building Permits Survey. Town photos: Wikimedia Commons, credited on each town’s page.