Massachusetts building permit authorities
2025 Census Building Permits Survey directory.
351 permit-issuing authorities
The Census Building Permits Survey lists 351 authorities in Massachusetts. They reported 12,477 residential units permitted in 2025; 277 of them (79%) reported activity.
No single authority dominates: the largest, Boston, accounts for 17% of the state total.
Largest authorities by 2025 residential units
| Authority | Units permitted |
|---|---|
| Boston | 2,107 |
| Worcester | 470 |
| Lexington town | 408 |
| North Attleborough Town | 406 |
| Taunton | 329 |
| Grafton town | 277 |
| Plymouth town | 265 |
| Nantucket town | 250 |
| Milton town | 240 |
| Barnstable Town | 217 |
| Everett | 197 |
| Weston town | 191 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau Building Permits Survey, 2025. Inclusion confirms that an authority issues permits — not that it publishes an open feed, and not that any address has an active project. What we measure before covering a market →
Key takeaways
This directory records 351 authorities that issued permits in Massachusetts and 12,477 residential units reported for 2025. Our analysis of the Census survey shows reporting scale, not whether an authority has an open permit database or whether a particular project is active. Those questions need the authority’s own current record.
- Use the authority name to locate the primary record.
- Check local data availability separately.
- Verify a project before outreach or a bid decision.
Common question
Does inclusion mean Projects Ahead has a usable project signal there?
No. Inclusion means the Census survey identifies an authority that issues permits. A usable project signal requires separate testing of source access, fields and the ability to reconstruct a project timeline.