Clarksville permitted 1,533 new homes from January to September, down 18% from 1,867 a year earlier. September brought 144 units, up from August's low of 70.
Clarksville is permitting fewer new homes this year. The city authorized 1,533 housing units from January through September 2026. That is 18% fewer than the 1,867 it authorized in the same nine months of 2025.
Updated Oct. 30: September’s figures are now in. The city permitted 144 units in September, close to the 147 of September 2025, after August’s low of 70.
The figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Building Permits Survey, which counts the new homes each city authorizes every month. We used the bureau’s place-level files for the South for the city of Clarksville.
Fewer houses and fewer apartments
Both kinds of housing are down. Single-family homes fell from 963 to 786. Units in buildings of five or more, mostly apartments, fell from 855 to 694.
| Units permitted, January to September | 2025 | 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single-family homes | 963 | 786 | down 18% |
| Duplexes (two units) | 18 | 16 | down 2 units |
| Three- and four-unit buildings | 31 | 37 | up 6 units |
| Five or more units | 855 | 694 | down 19% |
| All housing units | 1,867 | 1,533 | down 18% |
The estimated construction value of the homes permitted so far this year is about $241.2 million. The same months of 2025 came to about $291.4 million.
How the year has gone, month by month
Permits peaked in February and March, at 271 and 278 units. They ran between 134 and 164 a month from April to July. August dropped to 70, the lowest month since November 2025, when the city permitted 50. September recovered to 144.
September 2026 broke down like this:
- 44 single-family homes
- 10 units in three three- or four-unit buildings
- 90 units in five buildings of five or more units
The estimated construction value of September’s permits was $19,915,517. In September 2025, the city permitted 43 single-family homes and 85 units in buildings of five or more.
Apartment permits swing hard from month to month, because a few large apartment buildings can add 100 units or more in one month. In January 2025, the city permitted 249 units in 13 buildings of five or more units. Single-family homes are the steadier measure, and they are down by about the same share as the total.
What it means for you
- For buyers and renters: A permit is the first step, so fewer permits now usually means fewer new homes on the market a year or so from now. The typical Clarksville home value was $317,914 in September, almost flat on the year, according to the Zillow Home Value Index. Our home prices page tracks it each month.
- For neighbors of new subdivisions: Building permits come from the city’s Building & Codes department, and rezonings go through the Clarksville-Montgomery County Regional Planning Commission. Our building permits and zoning guide explains how to look one up.
- What we cannot tell yet: The Census figures do not say why permits fell. They count units authorized, not homes started or finished.
The Census Bureau publishes October’s city figures next month. We will add them here.
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