- Houston saw the largest amount of housing permits out of the four metros between 2000 and 2015.
- San Antonio saw the least amount of housing permits, but it saw a slight increase from 2014 to 2015.
- Austin and Houston saw dips in housing permits annually in 2015.
In the last 15 years, the cities that make up the Texas Triangle have witnessed a boom in population. Lower costs of living and cost for employeers have helped keep the Lone Star State alive, even as the oil economy is falling behind.
According to data released and compiled by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, the population of Texas Triangle cities Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, Austin and San Antonio increased from 12,838,417 in 2000 to 18,144,678 in 2015.
[Tweet “Texas Triangle saw 41 percent population increase, or 5.3 million, in 15 years”]
That means that Texas Triangle cities increased by 41 percent, or 5.3 million, in population over a 15-year span.
Houston housing market over the years
In the period between 2000 and 2015, there were 552,600 housing permits in Houston. That’s more than any other metro in the Texas Triangle — above Dallas-Fort Worth, which had 466,696 permits.
In 2015, Houston again saw the largest number of housing permits with 36,865, which was a small dip from 2014, when there were 38,123 housing permits.
Throughout the 15-year period, the highest point of housing permits was reported in November 2005 when 5,190 permits were issued. Out of all the Texas cities covered, Dallas’ peak was the only one that surpassed Houston with 5,462 housing permits.
Houston’s lowest point of permits took place in January 2009, which again was just below Dallas’ 1,430.
Austin real estate market
Housing permits were reported at 158,216 in Austin for the period between 2000 and 2015. In 2014 alone, there were 11,561 housing permits and 11,558 housing permits in 2015.
The highest point of housing permits for Austin hit in July 2007, when there were 3,682 housing permits issued.
By January 2010, housing permits in Austin fell to 473.
Conditions of the San Antonio housing market
San Antonio saw the smallest amount of growth of all the Texas cities, with 128,720 housing permits reported between 2000 and 2015. In 2014, there were 6,076 housing permits, and the rate slightly increased in 2015 to 6,295.
San Antonio’s peak happened fairly early, just a month after Houston’s in December 2005. During that month, there were 1,456 permits. When San Antonio hit its low point in October 2010, there were only 317 housing permits.
