The value of commercial and multifamily construction starts in the top 20 metropolitan areas of the United States gained 11 percent in 2019, reaching $139.6 billion, according to Dodge Data & Analytics. Nationally, commercial and multifamily starts were up 1 percent in 2019 at $227.5 billion. The top 10 metropolitan areas gained 8 percent during the year, with seven of the 10 reporting year-over-year gains. In second-tier metropolitan areas (those ranked 11-20), gains in commercial and multifamily starts were stronger at 17 percent, with eight of these 10 also posting growth.
The New York metropolitan area was once again the largest market for commercial and multifamily starts at $30.9 billion. However, New York’s rate of growth eased in 2019 to 5 percent from a 13 percent gain in 2018. The Washington, D.C., area h
