It appears Maricopa’s building boom took a breather last year.

That’s because the total number of permits the city issued for single-family homes fell to its lowest point in a decade, according to public data. The City of Maricopa issued just 600 single-family permits, the lowest total since 2016, when 506 permits were approved.

While fluctuations are normal in the housing market, the drop is notable for a city that has seen fairly steady growth for years, fueled in large part by demand for more affordable housing.

The slowdown also appeared to reflect a broader statewide trend. In October, the Arizona Capitol Times reported that housing permits across Arizona were at their lowest point since 2019, with single-family permits down 12% over the past year.

In Maricopa, however, the year-over-year change was far more dramatic: a 51.7% decrease.

InMaricopa spoke with local realtors for insight, but there was no clear consensus on what caused the drop.

“It doesn’t necessarily reflect the number of buyers or contracts,” said HomeSmart Realtor Dayv Morgan when asked about the decline in monthly trends. “The only thing I can think of is some builders preemptively build spec homes for new communities that are ready to go before they sell homes.”

InMaricopa also reached out to several homebuilders for comment.

An expert interviewed by the Capitol Times suggested the slowdown likely came down to price, noting that housing prices have remained elevated for several years.

“Prices are too high. Development is slowing and we do have a policy tool for fixing that and that policy tool is the zoning and permitting requirements,” said Glenn Farley, director of policy and research at the Colorado-based Common Sense Institute.