Our latest analysis highlights the significant role of housing development in sustaining rural communities and enhancing the economic viability of local services. Between 2009 and 2024, Predominantly Rural areas of England have shown noteworthy trends in house building compared to their Urban counterparts.

Key Findings:

The analysis of house build starts and completions in the period 2009 to 2024 shows that Predominantly Rural areas of England are delivering as a proportion of total dwelling stock more private enterprise and more housing association starts and completions and more housebuilding in total, but fewer local authority house builds, when compared with Predominantly Urban areas.  The rate of increase in all permanent dwellings being started and completed as a proportion of dwelling stock is also greater for rural areas during this time.

These trends highlight the necessity of integrated development strategies that include not only housing but also the corresponding infrastructure and facilities. Such holistic planning is crucial for ensuring that the growth in rural housing contributes positively to community vitality and service availability.

Download the housing analysis HERE.

For a detailed view of RSN insights and to explore past analyses, members can access our latest updates on the Member Insight & Analysis section or visit the Observatory Archive.

We are committed to providing you with relevant and timely data to support the thriving of rural areas.