MADISON, WI (WTAQ) - New home construction is still above last year’s pace in Wisconsin’s largest metros.

MTD Marketing Services said Monday that the numbers of building permits rose 5.6% last month for new one-and-two-family homes in the Milwaukee, Dane County, Racine-Kenosha, Fox Cities, and Green Bay-Door County areas.

MTD said 262 building permits were issued in those places in September – 14 more than in the same month the year before.

Greater Milwaukee was the only region that did not see a year-to-year monthly increase.

For the first nine months of 2012, MTD said 2,340 one-and-two-family permits were issued. That’s up 3% from the year before – but it’s still only about half what it was in 2007, before the Great Recession put a whammy into the housing market.