New home construction on MS Coast higher than most mid-sized cities in the US, says study

Home construction on the Mississippi Coast has shown more progress bouncing back from the pandemic than many mid-sized cities in the country.

Between 2021 and 2023, construction rose by more than 10%, according to research by Construction Coverage, a website that provides construction software and insurance reviews. Researchers ranked cities by size and the number of authorized building permits issued during the two-year period.

In 2021, the Gulfport-Biloxi area authorized 15 housing units per 1,000 existing homes. In 2023, authorized permits increased to 16.1 per 1,000, ranking the area no. 27 of 96 mid-sized cities reviewed.

To determine which locations were building the most new homes, researchers analyzed data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2023 Building Permit Survey, U.S. Census Bureau’s 2022 Population and Housing Unit Estimates, and Zillow’s Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI).

The study grouped any metro area with populations of 350,000 to 999,999 under the mid-sized category.

The MS Coast ranked higher than cities like no. 39 Pensacola, Florida (12.3 units in 2023); no. 43 Lafayette, Louisiana (12.1); and no. 49 Lexington, Kentucky (10.6).

The U.S. average was 2.7 units per 1,000 in 2021 and dropped 3.9% to 2.5 in 2023.

In addition to building more homes, the MS Coast is listing them for less than most of the country. Construction Coverage reported a median home price of $213,976 for the Gulfport-Biloxi region and $363,438 as the national median price.

Here’s how other mid-size cities ranked:

Top 10 mid-sized cities in home construction

1. Wilmington, North Carolina: up 9.9% since 2021 with 42.5 authorized permits per 1,000 existing homes in 2023
2. Lakeland-Winter Haven, Florida: down 4.3% since 2021 with 41 authorized permits per 1,000 in 2023
3. North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, Florida: with no change since 2021 and 32.7 per 1,000
4. Boise City, Idaho: down 18.9% with 30.9
5. Cape Coral-Fort Myers, Florida: up 1.2% with 30.7
6. Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina: down 6.6% with 30
7. Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, Arkansas: down 2.9% with 29.3
8. Provo-Orem-Lehi, Utah: down 44.7% with 28.5
9. Greeley, Colorado: down 31.2% with 28.1
10. Ocala, Florida: down 16.6% with 27.7

Bottom 10 mid-sized cities in home construction

96. Peoria, Illinois, with 1.1 units per 1,000 existing homes

95. Youngstown-Warren, Ohio, with 1.1

94. Springfield, Massachusetts, with 1.8

93. Reading, Pennsylvania, with 2.1

92. Flint, Michigan, with 2.1

91. Scranton-Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, with 2.2

90. Syracuse, New York, with 2.2

89. Anchorage, Alaska, with 2.7

88. Canton-Massillon, Ohio, with 2.8

87. Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, California, with 2.9

Mona Moore

Sun Herald

Mona Moore was a Service Journalism Desk Editor for the Sun Herald in Mississippi; Mahoning Matters in Ohio; and the Ledger-Enquirer and Telegraph in Georgia. Originally from West Covina, California, she holds a bachelor’s and master’s in corporate and public communication from the University of South Alabama. Mona’s writing and photography have been recognized by press associations in Mississippi, North Carolina and Florida.