HousingPermits

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

San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA

The San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara metro area authorized 5,570 new housing units in 2025. Recent building has outrun the boom: the 2021–2025 yearly average was 3.1% above the 2004–2006 average, the second-largest recovery by this measure among the 48 metro areas based in the Pacific states. Permits rose 35% between 2024 and 2025, the third-largest increase among the 56 metro areas with 1 million or more residents.

03,0006,0009,00012k2004: 5,492 units (2,787 single-family, 208 in 2–4 unit, 2,497 in 5+ unit buildings)2005: 5,736 units (2,416 single-family, 230 in 2–4 unit, 3,090 in 5+ unit buildings)2006: 6,150 units (2,151 single-family, 100 in 2–4 unit, 3,899 in 5+ unit buildings)2007: 4,194 units (1,955 single-family, 86 in 2–4 unit, 2,153 in 5+ unit buildings)2008: 3,490 units (958 single-family, 99 in 2–4 unit, 2,433 in 5+ unit buildings)2009: 1,094 units (642 single-family, 35 in 2–4 unit, 417 in 5+ unit buildings)2010: 4,179 units (861 single-family, 27 in 2–4 unit, 3,291 in 5+ unit buildings)2011: 3,097 units (1,002 single-family, 52 in 2–4 unit, 2,043 in 5+ unit buildings)2012: 5,532 units (1,501 single-family, 90 in 2–4 unit, 3,941 in 5+ unit buildings)2013: 7,764 units (1,870 single-family, 136 in 2–4 unit, 5,758 in 5+ unit buildings)2014: 10,037 units (1,861 single-family, 159 in 2–4 unit, 8,017 in 5+ unit buildings)2015: 5,788 units (1,897 single-family, 112 in 2–4 unit, 3,779 in 5+ unit buildings)2016: 6,167 units (2,099 single-family, 124 in 2–4 unit, 3,944 in 5+ unit buildings)2017: 8,539 units (2,592 single-family, 82 in 2–4 unit, 5,865 in 5+ unit buildings)2018: 8,744 units (2,466 single-family, 42 in 2–4 unit, 6,236 in 5+ unit buildings)2019: 6,230 units (2,603 single-family, 75 in 2–4 unit, 3,552 in 5+ unit buildings)2020: 5,851 units (1,814 single-family, 29 in 2–4 unit, 4,008 in 5+ unit buildings)2021: 4,529 units (2,400 single-family, 42 in 2–4 unit, 2,087 in 5+ unit buildings)2022: 9,428 units (3,928 single-family, 28 in 2–4 unit, 5,472 in 5+ unit buildings)2023: 6,227 units (2,037 single-family, 59 in 2–4 unit, 4,131 in 5+ unit buildings)2024: 4,115 units (2,207 single-family, 34 in 2–4 unit, 1,874 in 5+ unit buildings)2025: 5,570 units (2,042 single-family, 45 in 2–4 unit, 3,483 in 5+ unit buildings)200420072010201320162019202220252014 high · 10,0372009 low · 1,09404,0008,00012k2004: 5,492 units (2,787 single-family, 208 in 2–4 unit, 2,497 in 5+ unit buildings)2005: 5,736 units (2,416 single-family, 230 in 2–4 unit, 3,090 in 5+ unit buildings)2006: 6,150 units (2,151 single-family, 100 in 2–4 unit, 3,899 in 5+ unit buildings)2007: 4,194 units (1,955 single-family, 86 in 2–4 unit, 2,153 in 5+ unit buildings)2008: 3,490 units (958 single-family, 99 in 2–4 unit, 2,433 in 5+ unit buildings)2009: 1,094 units (642 single-family, 35 in 2–4 unit, 417 in 5+ unit buildings)2010: 4,179 units (861 single-family, 27 in 2–4 unit, 3,291 in 5+ unit buildings)2011: 3,097 units (1,002 single-family, 52 in 2–4 unit, 2,043 in 5+ unit buildings)2012: 5,532 units (1,501 single-family, 90 in 2–4 unit, 3,941 in 5+ unit buildings)2013: 7,764 units (1,870 single-family, 136 in 2–4 unit, 5,758 in 5+ unit buildings)2014: 10,037 units (1,861 single-family, 159 in 2–4 unit, 8,017 in 5+ unit buildings)2015: 5,788 units (1,897 single-family, 112 in 2–4 unit, 3,779 in 5+ unit buildings)2016: 6,167 units (2,099 single-family, 124 in 2–4 unit, 3,944 in 5+ unit buildings)2017: 8,539 units (2,592 single-family, 82 in 2–4 unit, 5,865 in 5+ unit buildings)2018: 8,744 units (2,466 single-family, 42 in 2–4 unit, 6,236 in 5+ unit buildings)2019: 6,230 units (2,603 single-family, 75 in 2–4 unit, 3,552 in 5+ unit buildings)2020: 5,851 units (1,814 single-family, 29 in 2–4 unit, 4,008 in 5+ unit buildings)2021: 4,529 units (2,400 single-family, 42 in 2–4 unit, 2,087 in 5+ unit buildings)2022: 9,428 units (3,928 single-family, 28 in 2–4 unit, 5,472 in 5+ unit buildings)2023: 6,227 units (2,037 single-family, 59 in 2–4 unit, 4,131 in 5+ unit buildings)2024: 4,115 units (2,207 single-family, 34 in 2–4 unit, 1,874 in 5+ unit buildings)2025: 5,570 units (2,042 single-family, 45 in 2–4 unit, 3,483 in 5+ unit buildings)2004200820122016202020252014 high · 10,037

Single-family2–4 units5+ units

Houses or apartments

In San Jose, 42% of the units authorized in 2021–2025 were single-family houses and 57% were in buildings of five or more units, against 34% nationally. The closest match in building mix among the 386 other metro areas is Amherst Town (57% in five-plus buildings). Units in five-plus buildings peaked in 2014 (8,017), single-family houses in 2022 (3,928).

2021–202542.2%42%0.7%57.1%57%2004–200642.3%42%3.1%54.6%55%US, 2021–202562.6%63%3.5%34.0%34%2021–202542.2%42%0.7%57.1%57%2004–200642.3%42%3.1%54.6%55%US, 2021–202562.6%63%3.5%34.0%34%

Busiest permit offices

Across the metro area, 19 permit offices authorized new housing in 2021–2025. The busiest was San Jose, with 10,622 units or 36% of the total, followed by Santa Clara with 4,437. Among the three largest, Sunnyvale put 85% of its units in five-plus buildings, Santa Clara 44%.

  • San Jose36% (10,622 units)
  • Santa Clara15% (4,437 units)
  • Sunnyvale11% (3,231 units)
  • Mountain View8.6% (2,568 units)
  • Morgan Hill5.4% (1,617 units)
  • Milpitas3.8% (1,135 units)
  • Hollister3.7% (1,111 units)
  • Palo Alto2.9% (873 units)

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

Relative to population

With 1,984,473 residents in July 2025, San Jose 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 Rome (3.0) and Beaumont (3.0).

The wider San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland region

The Census Bureau groups San Jose 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 Jose accounted for 27%. The others, with their yearly averages: San Francisco (9,196), Stockton (3,269), Vallejo (1,256), Modesto (880), Merced (691), Napa (688) and 1 more.

Boom, bust and since

San Jose authorized the most units in 2014 (10,037); 2025 reached 56% of that. Its peak year is shared by 3 other metro areas, among them Scranton, Fargo, Victoria. Annual permits fell from 6,150 during the mid-2000s boom to 1,094 in 2009, a drop of 82%. The nearest bust profile in the Pacific states was Bellingham's (82%).

Where in the metro

Santa Clara County accounted for 94% of the metro area's units in 2021–2025, San Benito County for 5.9%.

  • Santa Clara County94% (5,323 in 2025)
  • San Benito County5.9% (247 in 2025)

Similar in size

Metro area2004–20252025 unitsPer 1,000 a year5+ share
Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN19,20311.739%
Cleveland, OH4,1741.821%
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA5,5703.057%
Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC3,9533.133%
Jacksonville, FL13,45511.029%

Rates and shares: 2021–2025.

Put San Jose beside Cleveland, OH

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