While not a huge jump, 2025 featured the highest construction volume for multifamily missing middle housing starts.

The missing middle construction sector includes development of medium-density housing, such as townhouses, duplexes and other small multifamily properties. The multifamily segment of the missing middle (apartments in 2- to 4-unit properties) has generally disappointed since the Great Recession.

For the fourth quarter of 2025, there were 5,000 2- to 4-unit housing unit construction starts. This was flat compared to the fourth quarter of 2024.

Over the course of 2025, there were 19,000 such starts, up 6% compared to 2024 (18,000). Nonetheless, this subsector of residential construction continues to underperform relative to its potential, due in part to zoning restrictions.

As a share of all multifamily production, 2- to 4-unit development was just 5% of total multifamily development for the fourth quarter. This remains lower than recent historical trends. From 2000 to 2010, such home construction made up a little less than 11% of total multifamily construction.

Construction of the missing middle has clearly lagged during the post-Great Recession period and will continue to do so without zoning reform focused on light-touch density.