HousingPermits

Metro area in California

Bakersfield-Delano, CA

The Bakersfield-Delano metro area authorized 3,159 new housing units in 2025. Buildings with five or more units accounted for 4.4% of the units authorized in 2021–2025, the third-lowest share among the 55 metro areas of 500,000 to 999,999 residents. Its busiest year since 2004 was 2005, with 8,857 units; 2025 came to 36% of that.

02,5005,0007,50010k2004: 6,794 units (6,174 single-family, 315 in 2–4 unit, 305 in 5+ unit buildings)2005: 8,857 units (7,666 single-family, 554 in 2–4 unit, 637 in 5+ unit buildings)2006: 6,991 units (5,731 single-family, 954 in 2–4 unit, 306 in 5+ unit buildings)2007: 4,202 units (3,318 single-family, 651 in 2–4 unit, 233 in 5+ unit buildings)2008: 2,593 units (1,610 single-family, 423 in 2–4 unit, 560 in 5+ unit buildings)2009: 1,777 units (1,585 single-family, 21 in 2–4 unit, 171 in 5+ unit buildings)2010: 1,656 units (1,211 single-family, 58 in 2–4 unit, 387 in 5+ unit buildings)2011: 969 units (712 single-family, 95 in 2–4 unit, 162 in 5+ unit buildings)2012: 2,005 units (1,428 single-family, 120 in 2–4 unit, 457 in 5+ unit buildings)2013: 2,318 units (1,795 single-family, 98 in 2–4 unit, 425 in 5+ unit buildings)2014: 2,297 units (1,885 single-family, 55 in 2–4 unit, 357 in 5+ unit buildings)2015: 2,200 units (2,098 single-family, 20 in 2–4 unit, 82 in 5+ unit buildings)2016: 2,256 units (2,141 single-family, 104 in 2–4 unit, 11 in 5+ unit buildings)2017: 2,640 units (2,378 single-family, 208 in 2–4 unit, 54 in 5+ unit buildings)2018: 2,452 units (2,073 single-family, 173 in 2–4 unit, 206 in 5+ unit buildings)2019: 2,261 units (2,190 single-family, 36 in 2–4 unit, 35 in 5+ unit buildings)2020: 2,502 units (2,209 single-family, 41 in 2–4 unit, 252 in 5+ unit buildings)2021: 2,293 units (2,152 single-family, 50 in 2–4 unit, 91 in 5+ unit buildings)2022: 2,688 units (2,471 single-family, 33 in 2–4 unit, 184 in 5+ unit buildings)2023: 2,451 units (2,246 single-family, 69 in 2–4 unit, 136 in 5+ unit buildings)2024: 3,244 units (2,812 single-family, 359 in 2–4 unit, 73 in 5+ unit buildings)2025: 3,159 units (2,793 single-family, 241 in 2–4 unit, 125 in 5+ unit buildings)200420072010201320162019202220252005 high · 8,8572011 low · 96904,0008,00012k2004: 6,794 units (6,174 single-family, 315 in 2–4 unit, 305 in 5+ unit buildings)2005: 8,857 units (7,666 single-family, 554 in 2–4 unit, 637 in 5+ unit buildings)2006: 6,991 units (5,731 single-family, 954 in 2–4 unit, 306 in 5+ unit buildings)2007: 4,202 units (3,318 single-family, 651 in 2–4 unit, 233 in 5+ unit buildings)2008: 2,593 units (1,610 single-family, 423 in 2–4 unit, 560 in 5+ unit buildings)2009: 1,777 units (1,585 single-family, 21 in 2–4 unit, 171 in 5+ unit buildings)2010: 1,656 units (1,211 single-family, 58 in 2–4 unit, 387 in 5+ unit buildings)2011: 969 units (712 single-family, 95 in 2–4 unit, 162 in 5+ unit buildings)2012: 2,005 units (1,428 single-family, 120 in 2–4 unit, 457 in 5+ unit buildings)2013: 2,318 units (1,795 single-family, 98 in 2–4 unit, 425 in 5+ unit buildings)2014: 2,297 units (1,885 single-family, 55 in 2–4 unit, 357 in 5+ unit buildings)2015: 2,200 units (2,098 single-family, 20 in 2–4 unit, 82 in 5+ unit buildings)2016: 2,256 units (2,141 single-family, 104 in 2–4 unit, 11 in 5+ unit buildings)2017: 2,640 units (2,378 single-family, 208 in 2–4 unit, 54 in 5+ unit buildings)2018: 2,452 units (2,073 single-family, 173 in 2–4 unit, 206 in 5+ unit buildings)2019: 2,261 units (2,190 single-family, 36 in 2–4 unit, 35 in 5+ unit buildings)2020: 2,502 units (2,209 single-family, 41 in 2–4 unit, 252 in 5+ unit buildings)2021: 2,293 units (2,152 single-family, 50 in 2–4 unit, 91 in 5+ unit buildings)2022: 2,688 units (2,471 single-family, 33 in 2–4 unit, 184 in 5+ unit buildings)2023: 2,451 units (2,246 single-family, 69 in 2–4 unit, 136 in 5+ unit buildings)2024: 3,244 units (2,812 single-family, 359 in 2–4 unit, 73 in 5+ unit buildings)2025: 3,159 units (2,793 single-family, 241 in 2–4 unit, 125 in 5+ unit buildings)2004200820122016202020252005 high · 8,857

Single-family2–4 units5+ units

Houses or apartments

The closest match in building mix among the 386 other metro areas is St. Joseph (4.5% in five-plus buildings). Duplexes to fourplexes are unusually common here: 5.4% of units, against 3.5% nationally.

2021–202590.2%90%5.4%4.4%2004–200686.4%86%8.1%5.5%US, 2021–202562.6%63%3.5%34.0%34%2021–202590.2%90%5.4%4.4%2004–200686.4%86%8.1%5.5%US, 2021–202562.6%63%3.5%34.0%34%

Boom, bust and since

Its peak year is shared by 105 other metro areas, among them Albany, NY, Charleston, SC, Allentown. Annual permits fell from 8,857 during the mid-2000s boom to 969 in 2011, a drop of 89%. The nearest bust profile in the Pacific states was Salinas's (89%). The 2021–2025 pace of 2,767 units a year is 63% below the 2004–2006 pace.

Busiest permit offices

Across the metro area, 12 permit offices authorized new housing in 2021–2025. The busiest was Bakersfield, with 7,914 units or 57% of the total, followed by Kern County (unincorporated) with 2,317.

  • Bakersfield57% (7,914 units)
  • Kern County (unincorporated)17% (2,317 units)
  • Shafter12% (1,637 units)
  • Delano4% (554 units)
  • California City2.6% (360 units)
  • McFarland2.5% (345 units)
  • Ridgecrest2.4% (329 units)
  • Wasco1.7% (240 units)

Share of the units authorized in the metro area, 2021–2025.

Relative to population

With 927,068 residents in July 2025, Bakersfield authorized 3.0 units per 1,000 residents a year in 2021–2025, under the national 4.7. The metro areas with the nearest rates are Casper (3.0) and Tyler (3.0).

Similar in size

Metro area2004–20252025 unitsPer 1,000 a year5+ share
North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL17,64217.628%
Bakersfield-Delano, CA3,1593.04.4%
Albuquerque, NM2,8303.332%
McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX7,3017.47.7%
Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY2,0472.643%

Rates and shares: 2021–2025.

Put Bakersfield beside Albuquerque

Every yearly figure behind the chart, split by building size: yearly-units.csv. State view: California. Counting rules.