As Texas Housing Costs Creep Up, So Do Zoning Reform Efforts
For decades, single-family zoning and suburban sprawl helped Texas keep housing costs at bay. Now cities like Austin and Dallas need to grow up, not out.
Apartments under construction in Austin. Texas has been far more effective in building new housing than other US states.
Photographer: Brandon Bell/Getty Images
In the rivalry between California and Texas, there’s no question about who’s winning on housing production: Since 2020, the Lone Star State has built three times as much housing per capita as the Golden State. And it isn’t all just single-family home sprawl: Despite its 30% smaller population, Texas built twice as many new apartments as California last year.
For those of us involved in California’s YIMBY — or “Yes In My Backyard” — movement to legalize more housing, those permitting numbers seem dreamy.