The Baltimore Metropolitan Council has released its 2020 Residential Building Permit Activity Hot Spot Report. The document outlines the residential hot spots in our region in 2020.

Every new construction project and any significant improvement to an existing structure requires a building permit issued by the local government--the county or an incorporated municipality. The Baltimore Metropolitan Council tracks permits issued in all seven of its jurisdictions.

In 2020, a total of 7,689 new residential units were permitted in the Baltimore Region. This figure represents an 11% increase over the previous year. The top ten most active or “hottest” residential developments, in terms of the number of units permitted, accounted for 34.7% of all new units in the region. The top-10 residential hot spots developments are spread across five jurisdictions: Baltimore City, Anne Arundel County, Baltimore County, Harford County and Howard County. Nearly 71% of the 2,670 residential units permitted in the region’s hot spots are multi-family or mixed-use. Just over 29% are single family units.

The 2020 Residential Hot Spot Report also outlines the top five residential developments in each county.

View the 2020 Residential Building Permit Activity Hot Spot Report:

About BMC’s Building Permit Data

The Baltimore Metropolitan Council compiles and maintains the region’s building permit information into a standardized database. This database provides a continual record of plans for new and renovated residential and non-residential projects from all permits with an estimated construction value of $10,000 or more. The BMC staff uses this information as a leading indicator of new regional development patterns. Our Building Permits Dashboards summarize this data and are made available to the public on the BMC website.