Stark County housing starts hit 8-year low. These 3 communities accounted for most homes

New housing starts plummeted in Stark County last year, hitting an eight-year low.

They fell 13% from 2022 to 2023, according to data from the Building Industry Association of Stark and East Central Ohio. There were 390 local housing starts last year compared with 447 the previous year.

This follows a nationwide downward trend. Housing starts across the country dropped from 1.6 million in 2022 to 1.4 million last year, according to a new report and preliminary data from the U.S. Census Bureau and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Stark County housing starts peaked in 2020, a year when low interest rates prompted more new housing projects.

Housing starts are new, private housing construction. They count both single- and multi-family housing units.

U.S. housing starts by Rick Armon on Scribd

Why did new housing starts fall in Stark County?

The decline indicates the economy was less favorable last year for builders.

"The high interest rates in 2023 certainly affected the ability to build homes for many builders," said Bill Lemmon, CEO of Lemmon Development.

Lemmon Development, a North Canton-based developer, works with builders like Ryan Homes.

"Housing starts were down in 2023, but the big builders like Ryan Homes did exceptionally well," Lemmon said. "For the smaller builders, they were hurt due to their customers' inability to get financing at a rate acceptable. Companies like Ryan have their own financing available."

Ryan Homes is a large home builder with projects in 16 states. Saratoga Hills and Fountains at Edgewood are two of its developments in Plain Township.

In the county, starts peaked in July and fell in the fall. Last year had more starts in June, July and August compared to the year before, but was behind 2022 for the other nine months.

Where did Stark County see the most new housing?

Plain Township, Jackson Township and Lake Township had the most new private housing projects break ground last year. The three accounted for 55% of all housing starts in the county last year. Plain had 79 starts, Jackson had 74 and Lake had 62. Most were single-family projects.

Plain also led the county in starts in 2020, 2021 and 2022.

Tom Ferrara, director of planning, zoning and development for Plain, said the area has experienced continued growth because people want to live there.

"It's surprising this year that they still sold so many homes even with this bad economy," he said.

He said the township's roads and parks are well maintained, which attracts people to the area.

Homes of all sizes are among the new construction in Plain. This year's starts include family homes with three or four bedrooms and easy-to-maintain smaller homes that appeal to retired people or empty nesters, Ferrara said.

Moving into 2024, Ferrara predicts starts will increase.

"As the economy picks up again, I think the growth will as well," he said. "The builders are still out there and we've still got land that could be used."

Reach Grace at 330-580-8364 or gspringer@gannett.com. Follow her on X @GraceSpringer16.

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This article originally appeared on The Repository: New housing starts fell in Stark in 2023 amid high interest rates