Compass Measure - New Residential Units

Index: Community Development / Subcategory: Growth

New Residential Units

Date updated: 05/11/2012

Chart Directory:

New Residential Dwelling Units - Larimer County, 2002-2011
Percentage of Total New Residential Dwelling Units by Area, 2011
New Residential Dwelling Units - Colorado's 10 Most Populous Counties, 2011

This measure examines the trend in the number of new privately-owned residential dwelling units authorized by building permits in Larimer County. The data represent the number of new housing units (including both single and multi family units) for which building permits were issued, not actual construction starts. The County issues permits for construction in the unincorporated areas; each community within the County issues its own building permits. The number of residential housing units is higher than the number of building permits issued because one permit can represent multiple housing units. For more information about permits, including links to community planning and building departments, see Additional Information below.

What this chart shows: New Residential Dwelling Units in Larimer County, per 1,000 Population, 2002-2011

Data Source: Larimer County Planning & Building Services Division (data not available online)

See data table

What the above data tell us:
The rate of approved new residential units per 1,000 people has decreased by 64.8% between 2002 and 2011. The actual number of approved new dwelling units dropped from 3,415 in 2002 to1,334 in 2011.

What this chart shows: Percentage of Total New Residential Dwelling Units by Area - Larimer County, 2011

Data Source: Larimer County Planning & Building Services Division (data not available online)

See data table

What the above data tell us:
In 2011, the largest percentage (53.5%) of new residential dwelling units was located in Fort Collins. The majority of new residential units in Fort Collins were in multi-family buildings (see data table).

What this chart shows: New Residential Dwelling Units per 1,000 Population by Colorado's 10 Most Populous Counties, 2011

Data Source:

United States Census Bureau Building Permits (new residential housing units authorized by building permits)
Colorado State Demography Office (population statistics)

See data table

What the above data tell us:
Among the ten most populous Colorado counties, Larimer County had the third highest rate of new residential units per 1,000 population in 2011. The counties are listed (left to right) from highest population to lowest. In 2011, building permits were issued at a rate of 3.9 new residential units per 1,000 population in Larimer County, compared to a 2.6 rate for the state and 2.0 for the nation.

Additional Information:

A residential building permit is required to build a new dwelling and for some renovations and repairs. Residential building permits are also required for new construction including garages, agricultural buildings, additions, decks, swimming pools, and manufactured/mobile homes. Please see the County Building Department for a full list of projects that require a permit. Use the following links for permit information specific to each area:

Growth Management Areas (GMA) - Local growth management processes ensure that communities operate within their resources, protect the environment and enhance the lives of their residents. This system requires close cooperation among the County, cities, towns, special districts and state and federal agencies that are involved in land use and environmental protection within the County. For more information, see Larimer County's Master Plan and map.

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Related Information on COMPASS -

Other Resources -

City of Fort Collins - Affordable Housing Programs
City of Loveland - Community Development Block Grant information
Larimer County Building Department - Building Department Residential Requirements [pdf]
National Association of Home Builders

Housing America's Working Families - policy implications of housing
Housing Facts, Figures, and Trends

United States Census Bureau

Standards or Targets: N/A

Data Tables:

New Residential Dwelling Units in Larimer County

Year	New Dwelling Units	Population	Rate per 1,000
2002	3,415	266,789	12.8
2003	3,236	269,061	12.0
2004	3,433	273,883	12.5
2005	2,964	276,755	10.7
2006	2,193	282,052	7.8
2007	1,446	288,244	5.0
2008	1,341	291,906	4.6
2009	533	294,970	1.8
2010	1,273	295,888	4.3
2011	1,334	298,870	4.0

See chart

Percentage of New Residential Dwelling Units by Area in Larimer County
1.4%

	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008*	2009	2010	2011
Berthoud	0.2%	0.6%	1.0%	1.8%	1.4%		0.7%	0.0%	0.9%	1.3%
Estes Park, unincorp.	2.0%	1.2%	1.7%	2.0%	2.8%	4.3%
Estes Park	4.4%	4.0%	2.8%	4.1%	4.5%	5.4%	6.0%	6.2%	1.0%	1.4%
Johnstown							2.8%	8.6%	6.5%	5.7%
Loveland, unincorp.	2.3%	2.2%	3.2%	3.1%	2.0%	3.5%
Loveland	27.9%	30.7%	29.2%	29.4%	39.9%	19.5%	17.6%	12.8%	57.3%	14.5%
Southern Share	36.8%	38.7%	37.9%	40.4%	50.6%	34.1%	27.1%	27.6%	65.7%	22.9%
Fort Collins, unincorp.	6.7%	5.3%	5.5%	6.2%	5.7%	7.3%
Fort Collins	45.2%	43.7%	37.8%	33.2%	26.7%	41.1%	52.3%	44.8%	19.1%	53.5%
Windsor	5.2%	4.3%	7.8%	8.3%	7.9%	8.3%	3.9%	5.4%	4.2%	6.3%
Wellington	2.9%	4.7%	8.1%	9.3%	6.1%	4.6%	2.5%	2.4%	1.8%	1.6%
Red Feather Lakes	3.2%	3.4%	2.9%	2.6%	3.2%	4.7%
Timnath							4.6%	7.7%	5.0%	10.5%
Northern Share	63.2%	61.4%	62.1%	59.6%	49.6%	66.0%	63.3%	60.3%	30.1%	71.9%
Unincorporated Larimer County							9.7%	12.0%	4.1%	5.2%
Total Number of Units	3,415	3,236	3,433	2,964	2,193	1,446	1,341	533	1,273	1,334

*Boundaries for inspectors changed in 2008 creating different reporting categories.

See chart

New Residential Units by Cities and Towns

	Number of Units
	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011
Berthoud	8	20	34	53	30	20	9	0	12	17
Estes Park	151	128	96	123	98	78	81	33	13	19
Fort Collins	1,545	1,413	1,296	983	585	594	701	239	243	714
Johnstown							37	46	83	76
Loveland	953	994	1,003	872	874	282	236	68	730	194
Timnath							62	41	64	140
Wellington	99	151	277	275	134	66	33	13	23	21
Windsor	176	138	269	246	173	120	52	29	53	84

See chart

New Multiple-Family Units by Larimer County Cities and Towns

	# of families	Number of Units per Type of Building
	# of families	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011
Berthoud*	2								0	0	0
	3-4								3	0	0
	5+								0	0	0
Estes Park	2	42	42	12	0	0	4	0	0	0	0
	3-4	3	24	12	12	8	3	0	0	0	0
	5+	0	5	0	69	0	12	0	0	0	0
Fort Collins	2	14	40	26	12	14	6	8	0	4	4
	3-4	51	134	93	65	32	12	34	12	17	10
	5+	245	250	283	303	209	185	477	67	45	442
Loveland	2	0	0	0	24	48	0	0	2	18	4
	3-4	0	0	12	0	0	0	16	0	0	0
	5+	151	222	94	118	380	0	81	6	592	28
Wellington**	2	N/A	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
	3-4	N/A	0	0	0	67	3	0	0	0	0
	5+	N/A	0	0	0	48	0	0	0	0	0
Larimer County (unincorporated)	2	0	2	2	6	2	0	0	0	0	2
	3-4	0	0	0	7	0	0	0	0	0	0
	5+	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

*Berthoud had no multi-family building permits issued from 2000 through 2008.

**N/A refers to unavailable data

Source: United States Census Bureau, Building Permits

New Residential Units in the United States, Colorado, and Colorado's 10 Most Populous Counties, 2011

	New Dwelling Units	Population	Rate per 1,000
United States	624,061	311,591,917	2.0
Colorado	13,502	5,119,779	2.6
Denver	2,685	612,219	4.4
El Paso	2,220	634,887	3.5
Arapahoe	806	582,106	1.4
Jefferson	958	537,487	1.8
Adams	565	451,914	1.3
Boulder	661	297,814	2.2
Larimer*	1,921	303,990	3.9
Douglas	1,295	291,077	4.4
Weld	889	259,194	3.4
Pueblo	118	161,718	0.7

* Larimer County permit and population numbers do not match County reports because the Census Bureau does not split community counts among counties if the community's boundary covers more than one county.

See chart