U.S. Housing Starts Jump 7.2% in January 2026
U.S. housing starts rose 7.2% month-on-month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.487 million in January 2026, up from a downwardly revised 1.387 million in December and well above forecasts of 1.35 million. This marked the third consecutive monthly increase and the highest level since February 2025. However, building permits — a leading indicator for future starts — came in at 1,376,000, down 5.4% from December and 5.8% below January 2025, signaling potential headwinds for future construction activity.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau / HUD Read the full story: https://www.census.gov/construction/nrc/current/index.html
