Table 14
Residential Building Permits Per 1,000 Residents, 1997
Rank	State	Amt.		Rank	State	Amt.
1	Nevada	20.76		27	New Hampshire	4.61
2	Arizona	12.68		28	Arkansas	4.37
3	Colorado	11.06		29	South Dakota	4.30
4	Georgia	10.03		30	Alaska	4.20
5	North Carolina	9.83		31	Ohio	4.16
6	Utah	9.35		32	Alabama	4.11
7	Florida	9.14		33	Illinois	3.89
8	Idaho	8.54		34	Maine	3.79
9	Oregon	8.32		35	Iowa	3.75
10	South Carolina	8.00		36	Mississippi	3.69
11	Washington	7.32		37	Louisiana	3.48
12	Virginia	6.76		38	New Jersey	3.48
13	Texas	6.48		39	Wyoming	3.48
14	Delaware	6.47		40	California	3.40
15	Tennessee	6.34		41	Oklahoma	3.38
16	Wisconsin	6.18		42	Pennsylvania	3.32
17	Indiana	6.01		43	Vermont	3.11
18	Nebraska	5.96		44	Hawaii	3.10
19	New Mexico	5.93		45	Connecticut	2.85
20	Minnesota	5.31		46	Massachusetts	2.81
21	Kansas	5.24		47	Montana	2.81
22	Maryland	5.10		48	Rhode Island	2.71
23	Michigan	5.04		49	West Virginia	2.26
24	North Dakota	5.03		50	New York	1.81
25	Missouri	4.66		U.S. average		5.40
26	Kentucky	4.63		N.Y.S. % of U.S. avg.		33.5%
Source: U.S. Commerce Department