WASHINGTON (RFD-TV) — U.S. housing construction slowed in the second quarter of 2025, with single-family permits declining in nearly every region, according to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB).
Large metro areas posted the sharpest decline at 3.8 percent, while rural “micro counties” bucked the trend, recording a 1.8 percent increase — their fifth straight quarter of growth. Collectively, less densely populated regions captured just over 50 percent of the single-family market share, their highest level since early 2023.
NAHB leaders cite high mortgage rates, labor shortages, and regulatory costs as barriers to new single-family construction. At the same time, multifamily construction has expanded in smaller and rural counties, benefiting from lower land costs and lighter regulations.
Small metro outlying areas led with a 22 percent gain in multifamily permits, while large metro cores posted their ninth consecutive quarterly decline.
Tony’s Farm-Level Takeaway: While big-city housing starts are slowing, rural and small-market counties are gaining share in both single- and multifamily construction. For rural communities, this shift could mean new housing options for farmworkers and young families priced out of metro markets.
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RFD-TV agricultural law and taxation expert Roger McEowen discusses issues concerning farmers and ranchers, such as trade vs. business, income tax basis, croppers, and like-kind exchanges.
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“All our bill would do is go back to the way things were for decades prior to the Obama-era regulation...”
In his latest Firm to Farm blog post, Roger McEowen discusses the new EPA/COE clarifications concerning WOTUS. The new measures have important implications for farmers, ranchers, and rural landowners.
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Agricultural irrigation return flow exemption and “Maui factors” are the topics of today’s Firm to Farm blog post by RFD-TV ag tax and legal expert Roger McEowen with Kansas’ Washburn School of Law.
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