Benchmarks › Housing Starts
Housing Starts under every president, month by month
At month 21 in office, Trump II is at 1,221K: #7 of 10 administrations (average 1,358K). Official Census Bureau data.
Every administration at month 21
| Rank | Administration | Value at month 21 | Change since month 1 | Latest / end of month 48 | Primary federal source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Jimmy Carter | 1,970K | +29.0% | 1,482K (month 48) | Census Bureau · HOUST |
| #2 | George W. Bush | 1,804K | +12.8% | 2,042K (month 48) | Census Bureau · HOUST |
| #3 | Richard Nixon | 1,534K | −13.3% | 2,366K (month 48) | Census Bureau · HOUST |
| #4 | Joe Biden | 1,481K | −8.8% | 1,494K (month 48) | Census Bureau · HOUST |
| #5 | Bill Clinton | 1,474K | +21.8% | 1,370K (month 48) | Census Bureau · HOUST |
| #6 | Donald Trump (first term) | 1,250K | +5.0% | 1,614K (month 48) | Census Bureau · HOUST |
| #7 | Donald Trump (second term) · in office | 1,221K | −9.8% | 1,221K (month 21) | Census Bureau · HOUST |
| #8 | Ronald Reagan | 1,144K | −26.1% | 1,612K (month 48) | Census Bureau · HOUST |
| #9 | George H. W. Bush | 1,110K | −31.5% | 1,227K (month 48) | Census Bureau · HOUST |
| #10 | Barack Obama | 594K | +21.2% | 976K (month 48) | Census Bureau · HOUST |
Methodology and source verification
New privately owned housing units started, thousands at a seasonally adjusted annual rate (Census Bureau, monthly).
Every administration is aligned to its own inauguration: month 1 is the month it took office, and the comparison runs to month 48 (the first term). Each administration is compared at the same month in office, so a president halfway through a term is never measured against another's full four years.
Primary source: Census Bureau. Retrieved from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED), series HOUST, refreshed hourly. Latest observation 2026-09-01, first published 2026-10-20. Full methods: methodology.
Housing Starts by president
Housing Starts under Richard NixonHousing Starts under Jimmy CarterHousing Starts under Ronald ReaganHousing Starts under George H. W. BushHousing Starts under Bill ClintonHousing Starts under George W. BushHousing Starts under Barack ObamaHousing Starts under Donald Trump (first term)Housing Starts under Joe BidenHousing Starts under Donald Trump (second term)
Other benchmarks
GDP GrowthReal GDPUnemployment RateLabor Force ParticipationJobs Added per MonthManufacturing JobsInflation (CPI)Core InflationGas PricesReal WagesPurchasing Power of the DollarFederal Funds RateDebt-to-GDPTrade Balance30-Year Mortgage RateRetail SalesJob OpeningsJob Openings per Job SeekerPersonal Saving RateConsumer SentimentS&P 50010-Year Treasury Yield5-Year Treasury YieldYield Curve (10Y–2Y)Federal Budget Balance