PROVIDENCE – Rhode Island is the slowest state for residential construction, according to a report released Thursday by Boutique Home Plans.
Researchers used data from the U.S. Census Bureau on new building permits from 1986 to 2021 and ranked each state by new construction per 1,000 residents.
Rhode Island ranked as the nation’s slowest market with 1.27 new residential building permits per 1,000 residents.
Nationally, according to the study, new building permits in the U.S. have increased every year since 2009. Last year, the national rate was 5.2 permits per 1,000 residents, inching up toward the 5.6 average from 1986 to 2007, before it plummeted to 1.90 in 2009 during the Great Recession.
Utah ranked as the fastest state for residential construction, with 11.94 new building permits per 1,000 residents.
Idaho, Florida, South Carolina, and Colorado rounded out the top five fastest markets for residential construction.
Connecticut was ranked just above Rhode Island as the second slowest state for residential construction, with 1.29 new building permits per 1,000 residents.
Illinois, New York and West Virginia rounded out the bottom five states.
Across the rest of New England, Massachusetts was the 11th slowest state with 2.82 new building permits per 1,000 residents. New Hampshire was the 17th slowest state with 3.55 new building permits per 1,000 residents, Vermont was the 18th slowest state with 3.61 new building permits per 1,000 residents and Maine was 32nd slowest with 4.79 new building permits per 1,000 residents.
