HousingPermits

Metro area in California · part of the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA combined area

Merced, CA

The Merced metro area authorized 780 new housing units in 2025. The housing bust cut annual permits by 97%, from 3,665 at the 2004–2006 high to 99 in 2009, the second-deepest drop among the 387 US metro areas. Recent building has not returned to boom levels: the 2021–2025 yearly average was 76% below the 2004–2006 average, the third-weakest recovery by this measure among the 85 metro areas of 250,000 to 499,999 residents.

01,0002,0003,0004,0002004: 2,598 units (2,544 single-family, 12 in 2–4 unit, 42 in 5+ unit buildings)2005: 3,665 units (3,479 single-family, 18 in 2–4 unit, 168 in 5+ unit buildings)2006: 2,216 units (2,136 single-family, 51 in 2–4 unit, 29 in 5+ unit buildings)2007: 794 units (780 single-family, 14 in 2–4 unit, 0 in 5+ unit buildings)2008: 349 units (244 single-family, 0 in 2–4 unit, 105 in 5+ unit buildings)2009: 99 units (94 single-family, 0 in 2–4 unit, 5 in 5+ unit buildings)2010: 106 units (104 single-family, 2 in 2–4 unit, 0 in 5+ unit buildings)2011: 157 units (87 single-family, 0 in 2–4 unit, 70 in 5+ unit buildings)2012: 137 units (71 single-family, 12 in 2–4 unit, 54 in 5+ unit buildings)2013: 154 units (99 single-family, 0 in 2–4 unit, 55 in 5+ unit buildings)2014: 169 units (163 single-family, 6 in 2–4 unit, 0 in 5+ unit buildings)2015: 232 units (228 single-family, 4 in 2–4 unit, 0 in 5+ unit buildings)2016: 720 units (611 single-family, 0 in 2–4 unit, 109 in 5+ unit buildings)2017: 550 units (546 single-family, 4 in 2–4 unit, 0 in 5+ unit buildings)2018: 630 units (630 single-family, 0 in 2–4 unit, 0 in 5+ unit buildings)2019: 948 units (948 single-family, 0 in 2–4 unit, 0 in 5+ unit buildings)2020: 1,019 units (998 single-family, 0 in 2–4 unit, 21 in 5+ unit buildings)2021: 1,017 units (1,017 single-family, 0 in 2–4 unit, 0 in 5+ unit buildings)2022: 730 units (373 single-family, 5 in 2–4 unit, 352 in 5+ unit buildings)2023: 406 units (403 single-family, 3 in 2–4 unit, 0 in 5+ unit buildings)2024: 520 units (517 single-family, 3 in 2–4 unit, 0 in 5+ unit buildings)2025: 780 units (697 single-family, 3 in 2–4 unit, 80 in 5+ unit buildings)200420072010201320162019202220252005 high · 3,6652009 low · 9901,5003,0004,5002004: 2,598 units (2,544 single-family, 12 in 2–4 unit, 42 in 5+ unit buildings)2005: 3,665 units (3,479 single-family, 18 in 2–4 unit, 168 in 5+ unit buildings)2006: 2,216 units (2,136 single-family, 51 in 2–4 unit, 29 in 5+ unit buildings)2007: 794 units (780 single-family, 14 in 2–4 unit, 0 in 5+ unit buildings)2008: 349 units (244 single-family, 0 in 2–4 unit, 105 in 5+ unit buildings)2009: 99 units (94 single-family, 0 in 2–4 unit, 5 in 5+ unit buildings)2010: 106 units (104 single-family, 2 in 2–4 unit, 0 in 5+ unit buildings)2011: 157 units (87 single-family, 0 in 2–4 unit, 70 in 5+ unit buildings)2012: 137 units (71 single-family, 12 in 2–4 unit, 54 in 5+ unit buildings)2013: 154 units (99 single-family, 0 in 2–4 unit, 55 in 5+ unit buildings)2014: 169 units (163 single-family, 6 in 2–4 unit, 0 in 5+ unit buildings)2015: 232 units (228 single-family, 4 in 2–4 unit, 0 in 5+ unit buildings)2016: 720 units (611 single-family, 0 in 2–4 unit, 109 in 5+ unit buildings)2017: 550 units (546 single-family, 4 in 2–4 unit, 0 in 5+ unit buildings)2018: 630 units (630 single-family, 0 in 2–4 unit, 0 in 5+ unit buildings)2019: 948 units (948 single-family, 0 in 2–4 unit, 0 in 5+ unit buildings)2020: 1,019 units (998 single-family, 0 in 2–4 unit, 21 in 5+ unit buildings)2021: 1,017 units (1,017 single-family, 0 in 2–4 unit, 0 in 5+ unit buildings)2022: 730 units (373 single-family, 5 in 2–4 unit, 352 in 5+ unit buildings)2023: 406 units (403 single-family, 3 in 2–4 unit, 0 in 5+ unit buildings)2024: 520 units (517 single-family, 3 in 2–4 unit, 0 in 5+ unit buildings)2025: 780 units (697 single-family, 3 in 2–4 unit, 80 in 5+ unit buildings)2004200820122016202020252005 high · 3,665

Single-family2–4 units5+ units

Boom, bust and since

Merced authorized the most units in 2005 (3,665); 2025 reached 21% of that. Its peak year is shared by 105 other metro areas, among them Crestview, Hagerstown, Evansville. From 2024 to 2025 the count rose 50%.

Busiest permit offices

Across the metro area, 7 permit offices authorized new housing in 2021–2025. The busiest was Merced, with 2,291 units or 66% of the total, followed by Los Banos with 625.

  • Merced66% (2,291 units)
  • Los Banos18% (625 units)
  • Merced County (unincorporated)7.7% (266 units)
  • Livingston3.8% (131 units)
  • Atwater3.6% (123 units)
  • Gustine0.3% (10 units)
  • Dos Palos0.2% (7 units)

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

Houses or apartments

In Merced, 87% of the units authorized in 2021–2025 were single-family houses and 12% were in buildings of five or more units, against 34% nationally. The closest match in building mix among the 386 other metro areas is Daphne (12% in five-plus buildings). Units in five-plus buildings peaked in 2022 (352), single-family houses in 2005 (3,479).

2021–202587.1%87%0.4%12.5%12%2004–200696.2%96%1.0%2.8%US, 2021–202562.6%63%3.5%34.0%34%2021–202587.1%87%0.4%12.5%2004–200696.2%96%1.0%2.8%US, 2021–202562.6%63%3.5%34.0%34%

Relative to population

With 297,260 residents in July 2025, Merced authorized 2.4 units per 1,000 residents a year in 2021–2025, under the national 4.7. The metro areas with the nearest rates are Pittsburgh (2.4) and Montgomery (2.3).

The wider San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland region

The Census Bureau groups Merced with 7 neighboring metro areas in the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA combined area. Metro areas in it authorized 22,449 units a year in 2021–2025 (micropolitan parts not counted); Merced accounted for 3.1%. The others, with their yearly averages: San Francisco (9,196), San Jose (5,974), Stockton (3,269), Vallejo (1,256), Modesto (880), Napa (688) and 1 more.

Similar in size

Metro area2004–20252025 unitsPer 1,000 a year5+ share
Waco, TX1,4604.530%
Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA1,6695.353%
Longview, TX2881.520%
Merced, CA7802.412%
College Station-Bryan, TX2,3917.321%

Rates and shares: 2021–2025.

Put Merced beside Longview, TX

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