Census: Midstate building permits down 16 percent in 2014

Residential building permits in the midstate dipped 16 percent last year, according to the preliminary 2014 report from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The annual report said  2,504 residential permits were  issued in the Harrisburg-Carlisle, Lancaster, Lebanon and York-Hanover metropolitan areas.

In December 2013, there were 2,987 permits in the preliminary report.

When the final annual report was issued for 2013, the midstate generated 4,301 permits worth $708 million in 2013. That was the highest valuation since 2008.

So expect the final 2014 report, which will be issued later this year, to include a higher final total.

Based on the preliminary data, Harrisburg-Carlisle led the way in 2014 with 888 permits through December, which was down from 1,203 in 2013, according to the Census.

Lancaster County was second with 718 compared to 749 the previous year, while Lebanon County was slightly off at 337 compared to 342 in 2013.

York-Hanover posted 561 permits last year compared to 693 in 2013, according to the Census.

The value of those permits was $445.6 million, an 11 percent decline from the preliminary 2013 total.

Harrisburg-Carlisle building permits accounted for nearly 40 percent of that total at $172.1 million, compared to $224.5 million in December 2013.

Source: Central Penn Business Journal