Winchester issued permits for 247 housing units in August, more than three times its total for all of 2025. Almost all are in apartment buildings, Census figures show.
Winchester issued building permits for 247 new housing units in August. That is more than three times as many as the city permitted in all of 2025.
Almost all of them are apartments. The figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Building Permits Survey, which collects a monthly count from the city’s permit office.
What was permitted in August
The Census Bureau’s August place file lists for the city of Winchester:
| Building type | Buildings | Units | Construction value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Five or more units | 7 | 237 | $40,985,375 |
| Two units | 5 | 10 | $1,534,500 |
| Single-family | 0 | 0 | $0 |
| Total | 12 | 247 | $42,519,875 |
The survey does not name the developments behind the permits. The city’s planning and permits office holds those records. We will update this story when the projects are identified.
How unusual is it?
Very. In the first seven months of 2026, the city permitted 44 units, all of them single-family homes. August alone added 247 more, bringing the year to 291.
August alone beat every full year since 2019 except 2022. Over the full years before 2026, the city permitted:
- 37 units in 2019
- 18 units in 2020
- 209 units in 2021
- 259 units in 2022
- 66 units in 2023
- 91 units in 2024
- 68 units in 2025
The big years, 2021 and 2022, were also driven by apartment buildings: 189 and 237 units respectively were in buildings with five or more units. The yearly figures come from the Census Bureau’s annual place files.
What the numbers do and do not mean
- A permit is not a building. The survey counts units authorized, not units started or finished.
- Figures can change. The Census Bureau revises monthly figures when it publishes its annual file. Some monthly numbers are estimated when a permit office does not report.
- It covers the city only. Frederick County, which surrounds Winchester, reports separately. Its subdivisions are not in these numbers.
What it means for you
If these buildings go up, renters will have more to choose from. Our Winchester home prices page tracks home values and rents.
To see what is proposed near you, check the city’s rezoning and site plan cases. Our building permits and zoning guide explains where they are posted and when the Planning Commission meets. Recorded sales are on our real estate transfers page.
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