A new report from the Dodge Construction Network indicates the continued rebound of the building industry in 12 of America’s 20 largest metropolitan areas during the first two quarters of 2022, propelled by new starts in the commercial and multifamily residential sectors.

A survey at the year’s midway point revealed a 24% year-to-year increase in the value of all new starts within those two sectors, which were driven by demand for housing that is increasingly focused on more affordable apartment and condominium designs. The increases offer a strong indicator of continued performance of the industry through the rest of the year, according to Dodge Construction Network chief economist Richard Branch.

Only three of the top 10 areas surveyed — Seattle, Los Angeles, and Philadelphia — were in decline as the starts in the rest of the country rose a total of 18% when compared to the same period of 2021. New York was the top overall, with a total of $15.3 billion worth of new projects being recorded by the index. Dallas, which finished a distant second, has apparently been in the midst of an unprecedented boom after registering a whopping 72% increase in year-to-date starts over 2021. Its Lone Star neighbor Austin reached the 70% figure as well. 

Other burgeoning building trends recorded by the index included San Jose, California’s 186% increase. That community will soon be the beneficiary of several large-scale projects from Kengo Kuma, BIG, and the architectural consortium attached to the massive Downtown West development for Google. It was joined by the Tampa Bay and Orlando areas, which had 83% and 66% increases marked by a new Disney regional campus and record rental price increases. Overall, the cities surveyed account for 56% of all new starts of both commercial and multifamily development nationwide.