HousingPermits

Metro area in California · part of the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA combined area

Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA

The Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim metro area authorized an average of 29,763 new housing units a year in 2021–2025, the seventh-largest total of the 387 US metro areas. Duplexes, triplexes and fourplexes supplied 6.4% of its units in 2021–2025, the highest share among the 25 metro areas based in California. Per 1,000 residents it authorized 2.3 units a year in 2021–2025, 50% of the national rate of 4.7.

010k20k30k40k2004: 35,785 units (17,591 single-family, 1,265 in 2–4 unit, 16,929 in 5+ unit buildings)2005: 30,641 units (16,626 single-family, 1,723 in 2–4 unit, 12,292 in 5+ unit buildings)2006: 33,505 units (13,686 single-family, 1,476 in 2–4 unit, 18,343 in 5+ unit buildings)2007: 26,616 units (9,381 single-family, 1,275 in 2–4 unit, 15,960 in 5+ unit buildings)2008: 15,045 units (4,579 single-family, 821 in 2–4 unit, 9,645 in 5+ unit buildings)2009: 7,281 units (3,609 single-family, 630 in 2–4 unit, 3,042 in 5+ unit buildings)2010: 10,394 units (4,008 single-family, 671 in 2–4 unit, 5,715 in 5+ unit buildings)2011: 14,247 units (4,097 single-family, 522 in 2–4 unit, 9,628 in 5+ unit buildings)2012: 17,447 units (4,946 single-family, 816 in 2–4 unit, 11,685 in 5+ unit buildings)2013: 25,198 units (7,509 single-family, 996 in 2–4 unit, 16,693 in 5+ unit buildings)2014: 26,950 units (8,300 single-family, 894 in 2–4 unit, 17,756 in 5+ unit buildings)2015: 34,034 units (8,447 single-family, 1,316 in 2–4 unit, 24,271 in 5+ unit buildings)2016: 32,114 units (9,379 single-family, 1,522 in 2–4 unit, 21,213 in 5+ unit buildings)2017: 31,084 units (10,587 single-family, 1,769 in 2–4 unit, 18,728 in 5+ unit buildings)2018: 29,524 units (10,042 single-family, 2,050 in 2–4 unit, 17,432 in 5+ unit buildings)2019: 30,554 units (9,306 single-family, 2,052 in 2–4 unit, 19,196 in 5+ unit buildings)2020: 26,930 units (9,737 single-family, 1,672 in 2–4 unit, 15,521 in 5+ unit buildings)2021: 31,151 units (11,090 single-family, 1,794 in 2–4 unit, 18,267 in 5+ unit buildings)2022: 32,873 units (11,199 single-family, 2,040 in 2–4 unit, 19,634 in 5+ unit buildings)2023: 30,767 units (12,035 single-family, 2,078 in 2–4 unit, 16,654 in 5+ unit buildings)2024: 26,781 units (11,777 single-family, 1,735 in 2–4 unit, 13,269 in 5+ unit buildings)2025: 27,242 units (12,883 single-family, 1,834 in 2–4 unit, 12,525 in 5+ unit buildings)200420072010201320162019202220252004 high · 35,7852009 low · 7,281015k30k45k2004: 35,785 units (17,591 single-family, 1,265 in 2–4 unit, 16,929 in 5+ unit buildings)2005: 30,641 units (16,626 single-family, 1,723 in 2–4 unit, 12,292 in 5+ unit buildings)2006: 33,505 units (13,686 single-family, 1,476 in 2–4 unit, 18,343 in 5+ unit buildings)2007: 26,616 units (9,381 single-family, 1,275 in 2–4 unit, 15,960 in 5+ unit buildings)2008: 15,045 units (4,579 single-family, 821 in 2–4 unit, 9,645 in 5+ unit buildings)2009: 7,281 units (3,609 single-family, 630 in 2–4 unit, 3,042 in 5+ unit buildings)2010: 10,394 units (4,008 single-family, 671 in 2–4 unit, 5,715 in 5+ unit buildings)2011: 14,247 units (4,097 single-family, 522 in 2–4 unit, 9,628 in 5+ unit buildings)2012: 17,447 units (4,946 single-family, 816 in 2–4 unit, 11,685 in 5+ unit buildings)2013: 25,198 units (7,509 single-family, 996 in 2–4 unit, 16,693 in 5+ unit buildings)2014: 26,950 units (8,300 single-family, 894 in 2–4 unit, 17,756 in 5+ unit buildings)2015: 34,034 units (8,447 single-family, 1,316 in 2–4 unit, 24,271 in 5+ unit buildings)2016: 32,114 units (9,379 single-family, 1,522 in 2–4 unit, 21,213 in 5+ unit buildings)2017: 31,084 units (10,587 single-family, 1,769 in 2–4 unit, 18,728 in 5+ unit buildings)2018: 29,524 units (10,042 single-family, 2,050 in 2–4 unit, 17,432 in 5+ unit buildings)2019: 30,554 units (9,306 single-family, 2,052 in 2–4 unit, 19,196 in 5+ unit buildings)2020: 26,930 units (9,737 single-family, 1,672 in 2–4 unit, 15,521 in 5+ unit buildings)2021: 31,151 units (11,090 single-family, 1,794 in 2–4 unit, 18,267 in 5+ unit buildings)2022: 32,873 units (11,199 single-family, 2,040 in 2–4 unit, 19,634 in 5+ unit buildings)2023: 30,767 units (12,035 single-family, 2,078 in 2–4 unit, 16,654 in 5+ unit buildings)2024: 26,781 units (11,777 single-family, 1,735 in 2–4 unit, 13,269 in 5+ unit buildings)2025: 27,242 units (12,883 single-family, 1,834 in 2–4 unit, 12,525 in 5+ unit buildings)2004200820122016202020252004 high · 35,785

Single-family2–4 units5+ units

Houses or apartments

In Los Angeles, 40% of the units authorized in 2021–2025 were single-family houses and 54% were in buildings of five or more units, against 34% nationally. The closest match in building mix among the 386 other metro areas is Burlington, VT (54% in five-plus buildings). Units in five-plus buildings peaked in 2015 (24,271), single-family houses in 2004 (17,591).

2021–202539.6%40%6.4%54.0%54%2004–200647.9%48%4.5%47.6%48%US, 2021–202562.6%63%3.5%34.0%34%2021–202539.6%40%6.4%54.0%54%2004–200647.9%48%4.5%47.6%48%US, 2021–202562.6%63%3.5%34.0%34%

Busiest permit offices

Across the metro area, 122 permit offices authorized new housing in 2021–2025. The busiest was Los Angeles, with 65,648 units or 44% of the total, followed by Irvine with 10,359. Among the three largest, Los Angeles put 69% of its units in five-plus buildings, Los Angeles County (unincorporated) 37%.

  • Los Angeles44% (65,648 units)
  • Irvine7% (10,359 units)
  • Los Angeles County (unincorporated)6.2% (9,271 units)
  • Santa Ana2.6% (3,924 units)
  • Anaheim2.2% (3,306 units)
  • Long Beach2% (3,027 units)
  • Lancaster2% (2,967 units)
  • Santa Clarita1.5% (2,212 units)

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

The wider Los Angeles-Long Beach region

The Census Bureau groups Los Angeles with 2 neighboring metro areas in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA combined area. Metro areas in it authorized 48,092 units a year in 2021–2025 (micropolitan parts not counted); Los Angeles accounted for 62%. The others, with their yearly averages: Riverside (16,876), Oxnard (1,453).

Boom, bust and since

Los Angeles authorized the most units in 2004 (35,785); 2025 reached 76% of that. Its peak year is shared by 98 other metro areas, among them Atlanta, Washington, Miami. Annual permits fell from 35,785 during the mid-2000s boom to 7,281 in 2009, a drop of 80%. The nearest bust profile in the Pacific states was Fresno's (80%). The 2021–2025 pace of 29,763 units a year is 11% below the 2004–2006 pace. Permits rose 6 years in a row up to 2015.

Where in the metro

Los Angeles County accounted for 78% of the metro area's units in 2021–2025, Orange County for 22%.

  • Los Angeles County78% (22,250 in 2025)
  • Orange County22% (4,992 in 2025)

Similar in size

Metro area2004–20252025 unitsPer 1,000 a year5+ share
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA27,2422.354%
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN15,7781.840%
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX66,1798.935%
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX65,0759.125%
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA33,6706.434%

Rates and shares: 2021–2025.

Put Los Angeles beside Chicago

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