While the housing shortage is a national issue, the reason for the crisis is often a regional or even local issue. For instance, major cities such as New York and San Francisco have stricter regulatory requirements, making it harder for developers to build new homes.

Places plagued with the most acute housing shortages had been experiencing population loss leading up to the pandemic; therefore, builders were not putting up new properties. But most people who moved during the height of the pandemic found refuge in these smaller counties.

These migratory patterns made housing in the new locations more competitive.

To combat the affordability problem, federal and local governments are making moves to increase home construction. The Biden administration announced a plan in October 2023 to encourage the conversion of office space to housing; the month before, New York City proposed making it easier to build by lifting zoning restrictions and easing mandates.

Below are the 15 metropolitan areas with the most severe housing shortages. Metros needed at least 50 housing units under construction to be ranked.

- Job-to-housing permit ratio: 16.4
-- 61 permits issued
-- 1,000 jobs added

- Job-to-housing permit ratio: 16.8
-- 191 permits issued
-- 3,200 jobs added

- Job-to-housing permit ratio: 17.1
-- 755 permits issued
-- 12,900 jobs added

- Job-to-housing permit ratio: 17.1
-- 187 permits issued
-- 3,200 jobs added

- Job-to-housing permit ratio: 17.7
-- 356 permits issued
-- 6,300 jobs added

- Job-to-housing permit ratio: 18.0
-- 350 permits issued
-- 6,300 jobs added

- Job-to-housing permit ratio: 18.2
-- 132 permits issued
-- 2,400 jobs added

- Job-to-housing permit ratio: 19.3
-- 114 permits issued
-- 2,200 jobs added

- Job-to-housing permit ratio: 24.0
-- 125 permits issued
-- 3,000 jobs added

- Job-to-housing permit ratio: 24.1
-- 54 permits issued
-- 1,300 jobs added

- Job-to-housing permit ratio: 24.3
-- 177 permits issued
-- 4,300 jobs added

- Job-to-housing permit ratio: 24.4
-- 78 permits issued
-- 1,900 jobs added

- Job-to-housing permit ratio: 25.5
-- 51 permits issued
-- 1,300 jobs added

- Job-to-housing permit ratio: 26.1
-- 276 permits issued
-- 7,200 jobs added

- Job-to-housing permit ratio: 26.9
-- 346 permits issued
-- 9,300 jobs added

Story editing by Ashleigh Graf. Copy editing by Paris Close. Photo selection by Clarese Moller.