After significant growth in July, Boston construction starts dropped in August, according to the latest report from Dodge Data and Analytics.
Total construction spending in August was $1.1 billion in the Boston-Cambridge-Quincy MSA, which is 58 percent of the spending in August 2016’s $2.5 billion. Residential construction in August was up 89 percent compared to August 2016, $586.8 million compared to $310.2 million, respectively. However, non-residential construction dropped 79 percent, with $463.3 million spent in August 2017 compared to $2.2 billion in August 2016.
On a year-to-date basis, total construction starts are down 9 percent, with $7.9 billion spent so far in 2017 compared to $8.7 billion spent by this time last year. Residential construction starts saw the biggest drop, with a year-to-date total of $2.8 billion in 2017, down 16 percent from $3.4 billion last year. Nonresidential construction is down 5 percent, from $5.3 billion in 2016 to $5 billion this year.
| Aug 2017 | Aug 2016 | % Change | |
| Nonresidential | $463,331,000 | $2,204,889,000 | -79% |
| Residential | $586,755,000 | $310,243,000 | 89% |
| Total Building | $1,050,086,000 | $2,515,132,000 | -58% |
| YTD 2017 | YTD 2016 | % Change | |
| Nonresidential | $5,028,372,000 | $5,286,239,000 | -5% |
| Residential | $2,842,359,000 | $3,394,115,000 | -16% |
| Total Building | $7,870,731,000 | $8,680,354,000 | -9% |