HousingPermits

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

San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA

The San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont metro area authorized 7,750 new housing units in 2025. Buildings with five or more units accounted for 62% of the units authorized in 2021–2025, the third-highest share among the 48 metro areas based in the Pacific states. The housing bust cut annual permits by 77%, from 15,239 at the 2004–2006 high to 3,550 in 2009, the mildest drop among the 25 metro areas based in California.

05,00010k15k20k2004: 15,239 units (7,986 single-family, 458 in 2–4 unit, 6,795 in 5+ unit buildings)2005: 14,883 units (8,102 single-family, 372 in 2–4 unit, 6,409 in 5+ unit buildings)2006: 14,483 units (5,900 single-family, 370 in 2–4 unit, 8,213 in 5+ unit buildings)2007: 10,560 units (5,055 single-family, 304 in 2–4 unit, 5,201 in 5+ unit buildings)2008: 7,555 units (2,359 single-family, 176 in 2–4 unit, 5,020 in 5+ unit buildings)2009: 3,550 units (2,271 single-family, 149 in 2–4 unit, 1,130 in 5+ unit buildings)2010: 4,621 units (2,118 single-family, 157 in 2–4 unit, 2,346 in 5+ unit buildings)2011: 5,783 units (1,923 single-family, 125 in 2–4 unit, 3,735 in 5+ unit buildings)2012: 9,163 units (3,095 single-family, 226 in 2–4 unit, 5,842 in 5+ unit buildings)2013: 10,922 units (3,659 single-family, 205 in 2–4 unit, 7,058 in 5+ unit buildings)2014: 10,001 units (3,716 single-family, 159 in 2–4 unit, 6,126 in 5+ unit buildings)2015: 13,386 units (4,804 single-family, 245 in 2–4 unit, 8,337 in 5+ unit buildings)2016: 14,787 units (4,967 single-family, 235 in 2–4 unit, 9,585 in 5+ unit buildings)2017: 16,952 units (4,777 single-family, 302 in 2–4 unit, 11,873 in 5+ unit buildings)2018: 17,421 units (4,048 single-family, 413 in 2–4 unit, 12,960 in 5+ unit buildings)2019: 13,881 units (4,076 single-family, 277 in 2–4 unit, 9,528 in 5+ unit buildings)2020: 10,156 units (3,386 single-family, 184 in 2–4 unit, 6,586 in 5+ unit buildings)2021: 13,606 units (4,301 single-family, 341 in 2–4 unit, 8,964 in 5+ unit buildings)2022: 11,180 units (3,376 single-family, 238 in 2–4 unit, 7,566 in 5+ unit buildings)2023: 7,530 units (3,015 single-family, 163 in 2–4 unit, 4,352 in 5+ unit buildings)2024: 5,914 units (2,776 single-family, 148 in 2–4 unit, 2,990 in 5+ unit buildings)2025: 7,750 units (2,713 single-family, 153 in 2–4 unit, 4,884 in 5+ unit buildings)200420072010201320162019202220252018 high · 17,4212009 low · 3,55008,00016k24k2004: 15,239 units (7,986 single-family, 458 in 2–4 unit, 6,795 in 5+ unit buildings)2005: 14,883 units (8,102 single-family, 372 in 2–4 unit, 6,409 in 5+ unit buildings)2006: 14,483 units (5,900 single-family, 370 in 2–4 unit, 8,213 in 5+ unit buildings)2007: 10,560 units (5,055 single-family, 304 in 2–4 unit, 5,201 in 5+ unit buildings)2008: 7,555 units (2,359 single-family, 176 in 2–4 unit, 5,020 in 5+ unit buildings)2009: 3,550 units (2,271 single-family, 149 in 2–4 unit, 1,130 in 5+ unit buildings)2010: 4,621 units (2,118 single-family, 157 in 2–4 unit, 2,346 in 5+ unit buildings)2011: 5,783 units (1,923 single-family, 125 in 2–4 unit, 3,735 in 5+ unit buildings)2012: 9,163 units (3,095 single-family, 226 in 2–4 unit, 5,842 in 5+ unit buildings)2013: 10,922 units (3,659 single-family, 205 in 2–4 unit, 7,058 in 5+ unit buildings)2014: 10,001 units (3,716 single-family, 159 in 2–4 unit, 6,126 in 5+ unit buildings)2015: 13,386 units (4,804 single-family, 245 in 2–4 unit, 8,337 in 5+ unit buildings)2016: 14,787 units (4,967 single-family, 235 in 2–4 unit, 9,585 in 5+ unit buildings)2017: 16,952 units (4,777 single-family, 302 in 2–4 unit, 11,873 in 5+ unit buildings)2018: 17,421 units (4,048 single-family, 413 in 2–4 unit, 12,960 in 5+ unit buildings)2019: 13,881 units (4,076 single-family, 277 in 2–4 unit, 9,528 in 5+ unit buildings)2020: 10,156 units (3,386 single-family, 184 in 2–4 unit, 6,586 in 5+ unit buildings)2021: 13,606 units (4,301 single-family, 341 in 2–4 unit, 8,964 in 5+ unit buildings)2022: 11,180 units (3,376 single-family, 238 in 2–4 unit, 7,566 in 5+ unit buildings)2023: 7,530 units (3,015 single-family, 163 in 2–4 unit, 4,352 in 5+ unit buildings)2024: 5,914 units (2,776 single-family, 148 in 2–4 unit, 2,990 in 5+ unit buildings)2025: 7,750 units (2,713 single-family, 153 in 2–4 unit, 4,884 in 5+ unit buildings)2004200820122016202020252018 high · 17,421

Single-family2–4 units5+ units

Houses or apartments

The closest match in building mix among the 386 other metro areas is Boston (62% in five-plus buildings). That share has risen sharply since 2004–2006, when it stood at 48%. Units in five-plus buildings peaked in 2018 (12,960), single-family houses in 2005 (8,102).

2021–202535.2%35%2.3%62.5%62%2004–200649.3%49%2.7%48.0%48%US, 2021–202562.6%63%3.5%34.0%34%2021–202535.2%35%2.3%62.5%62%2004–200649.3%49%2.7%48.0%48%US, 2021–202562.6%63%3.5%34.0%34%

Relative to population

With 4,630,041 residents in July 2025, San Francisco authorized 2.0 units per 1,000 residents a year in 2021–2025, under the national 4.7. The metro areas with the nearest rates are South Bend (2.0) and Grand Forks (1.9).

Where in the metro

Alameda County accounted for 38% of the metro area's units in 2021–2025, Contra Costa County for 24%.

  • Alameda County38% (2,778 in 2025)
  • Contra Costa County24% (1,163 in 2025)
  • San Mateo County18% (2,216 in 2025)
  • San Francisco County17% (1,444 in 2025)
  • Marin County2.6% (149 in 2025)

Boom, bust and since

San Francisco authorized the most units in 2018 (17,421); 2025 reached 44% of that. Its peak year is shared by 5 other metro areas, among them Santa Rosa, Boulder, Rochester, MN. The 2021–2025 pace of 9,196 units a year is 38% below the 2004–2006 pace. From 2024 to 2025 the count rose 31%.

The wider San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland region

The Census Bureau groups San Francisco 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); San Francisco accounted for 41%. The others, with their yearly averages: San Jose (5,974), Stockton (3,269), Vallejo (1,256), Modesto (880), Merced (691), Napa (688) and 1 more.

Busiest permit offices

Across the metro area, 63 permit offices authorized new housing in 2021–2025. The busiest was San Francisco, with 7,883 units or 17% of the total, followed by Oakland with 4,037.

  • San Francisco17% (7,883 units)
  • Oakland8.8% (4,037 units)
  • Fremont6.6% (3,046 units)
  • Berkeley4.8% (2,215 units)
  • Contra Costa County (unincorporated)4.7% (2,155 units)
  • Dublin4.3% (1,995 units)
  • Antioch3.8% (1,765 units)
  • Brentwood2.7% (1,223 units)

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

Similar in size

Metro area2004–20252025 unitsPer 1,000 a year5+ share
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH10,0722.562%
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA15,9373.628%
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA7,7502.062%
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI8,8051.832%
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA15,6595.361%

Rates and shares: 2021–2025.

Put San Francisco beside Riverside

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