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Texas booms with most new homes built in the U.S. since 2010, new report finds

Houston boasts a wealth of new homes on the market.

Texas is still booming when it comes to new home construction.

Archive photo

Housing markets might be stabilizing in most areas of Texas, but there's one sector that's still booming. A new housing report by RubyHome Luxury Real Estate has revealed Texas leads the nation with the highest new home construction rate.

The study examined property data from U.S. Census Bureau's 2022 American Community Survey, including the number of occupied properties and the number of homes built between 2010 and 2022.

Nearly a quarter (22.5 percent) of all occupied housing units in the Lone Star State have been built since 2010, the report found. That adds up to nearly 2.5 million homes out of a total 11 million-plus in the state.

Texas' new home construction rate was predictable, as the state had gained the most new residents between 2000 and 2022, according to a RubyHome spokesperson. That's another trend that doesn't appear to be slowing down in Texas, or in Houston for that matter.

"Residents of Texas are more likely to live in a new, modern property than any other state across the country," the report said.

Houston has its own reputation for being the Texas city with the highest new home construction rate in 2023, with more than 23,000 new home permits issued as of June, which includes 15,400 single-family home permits.

For comparison, there were about 131.2 million recorded occupied households in the U.S., according to the 2022 Census survey. Over 15.7 million of those homes were constructed since 2010, which is nearly 12 percent of the homes across the country.

North Dakota fell behind Texas in No. 2, with less than 69,000 out of a total 331,481 homes built within the same time frame. New construction homes made up less than 20.74 percent of all of the housing stock in the midwestern state.

The top 10 states with the highest new home construction rates are:

No. 1 – Texas (22.5 percent)
No. 2 – North Dakota (20.74 percent)
No. 3 – Utah (20.65 percent)
No. 4 – Idaho (20.01 percent)
No. 5 – South Carolina (19.75 percent)
No. 6 – North Carolina (18.17 percent)
No. 7 – Nevada (16.74 percent)
No. 8 – Delaware (16.49 percent)
No. 9 – Colorado (16.30 percent)
No. 10 – Tennessee (15.73 percent)

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Preserving Houston's history

Historic Houston theater secures $7 million loan to begin renovations

Garden Oaks theater renovation rendering

Courtesy of Arthouse Houston

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A historic Houston movie theater has secured the necessary funds to move forward with its renovation and redevelopment plans.

Community non-profit Arthouse Houston announced on Tuesday, November 10, that it had closed on a seller-financed loan to purchase the Garden Oaks Theater. Thanks to support from 900 donors, Arthouse closed on the $7.1 million property purchase today, putting $2 million down and saving the building from demolition.

“The wind is in our sails,” Arthouse Houston director Maureen McNamara said in a statement. “We expect this level of community support and energy to grow and spread as we enter into the restoration and renovation phase that is coming next. We will restore the original marquee and neon blade sign that was removed but saved. We will apply for national, state, and local historic designations, then seek protected landmark designation as soon as possible once the building loan is paid off.”

Saving the postwar Art Deco cinema on N. Shepherd Dr. has been Arthouse’s primary mission as of late, getting a lot of help from both local devotees and famous natives. Last summer, the organization held the Wes Anderson Homecoming Soiree, where the Houston-born, Oscar-winning auteur came back to Houston to shake some hands and support the endeavor. (Both he and fellow Oscar-winning hometown boy Richard Linklater have been avid supporters.) In September, Arthouse announced that it was only $400,000 short of a targeted $3.1 million goal to cover the down payment and carrying costs.

The true goal for the Garden Oaks is to transform it into an arts and film center, with year-round film and arts programming, film production, eateries, art, and educational resources. The theater will be able to host major film premieres, live performances, and festivals in its 700-plus seat main auditorium. According to McNamara, “Local groups such as Houston Association of Producers, Southwest Alternative Media Project, Performing Arts Houston, HCAS and many more have expressed interest in being part of the new arts center.”

Arthouse has now begun a capital campaign for the estimated $18-20 million project, seeking support from foundations, major private donors, and sponsorship partners. But they’ll also look for community donations for the Name-a-Seat campaign and preservation by-the-foot of the neon blade sign and marquee. Before the grand reopening, the theater hopes to operate a temporary drive-in theater in the large parking lot during renovations.

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