NORTHEAST WISCONSIN — Residential construction activity across Northeast Wisconsin showed mixed results entering 2026, with some cities experiencing strong gains in housing permits while others reported slower starts to the year, according to new data analyzed by Redfin.
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The report, published by Stacker and shared by WBAY-TV, examined housing permits issued between January 2025 and January 2026 in Appleton, Fond du Lac, Green Bay, Oshkosh and Sheboygan.
Homebuilding remains a major factor in addressing the nation’s ongoing housing shortage. According to the report, “Since the Great Recession, construction has lagged well behind what is needed, which is one of the main reasons home prices are so high today.”
The report added, “Supply has slowly increased over the past few years but is still below what is needed for the market to balance out.”
Among the cities analyzed, Green Bay recorded the most significant increase in new housing permits at the start of 2026.
In January 2026, Green Bay issued 304 building permits, equivalent to 9.3 permits per 10,000 residents. That marked a substantial increase from January 2025, when the city issued 84 permits.
The jump suggests accelerating residential development activity in the Green Bay market despite broader concerns about housing affordability and construction costs nationwide.
Appleton, however, experienced a decline in January permit activity compared with the previous year. The city issued 29 permits in January 2026, down from 57 permits in January 2025.
Still, Appleton showed periods of strong construction momentum throughout 2025, including 246 permits issued in December and 183 permits issued in July.
Oshkosh posted relatively stable numbers to begin 2026, issuing 16 permits in January, nearly matching the 15 permits recorded during the same month a year earlier.
Fond du Lac also remained relatively steady, issuing 10 permits in January 2026 compared with 12 permits in January 2025.
Sheboygan reported one of the sharpest slowdowns entering 2026 after experiencing a major spike in permit activity late last year.
The city issued only three permits in January 2026 compared with 13 permits during the same month in 2025. However, Sheboygan recorded a major surge in October 2025 with 174 permits issued, equal to 14.7 permits per 10,000 residents.
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Nationally, housing permit activity also softened slightly entering 2026. The report showed the U.S. issued permits at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.386 million units in January 2026, down from 1.46 million units in January 2025.
Despite fluctuations in monthly permit activity, economists and housing experts continue to monitor residential construction closely as communities across the country attempt to increase housing inventory and improve affordability.
New housing development remains especially important in regional markets where population growth, labor shortages and rising home prices continue to place pressure on available housing supply.
Originally reported by Stacker in Wbay.
