Housing units authorized by building permits in California
Housing units authorized by building permits in California was 103,856 in 2025, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That is up 2.3% from 2024. That is the 3rd highest of 51 states in 2025.
Housing units authorized by building permits in California, 2000 to 2025
All 26 values
| Period | count |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 103,856 Estimated |
| 2024 | 101,545 Estimated |
| 2023 | 111,760 Estimated |
| 2022 | 120,780 Estimated |
| 2021 | 119,436 Estimated |
| 2020 | 106,075 Estimated |
| 2019 | 110,197 Estimated |
| 2018 | 113,502 Estimated |
| 2017 | 114,780 Estimated |
| 2016 | 102,350 Estimated |
| 2015 | 98,188 Estimated |
| 2014 | 83,645 Estimated |
| 2013 | 80,742 Estimated |
| 2012 | 58,549 Estimated |
| 2011 | 45,471 Estimated |
| 2010 | 43,716 Estimated |
| 2009 | 35,069 Estimated |
| 2008 | 62,681 Estimated |
| 2007 | 110,073 Estimated |
| 2006 | 160,502 Estimated |
| 2005 | 205,020 Estimated |
| 2004 | 207,390 Estimated |
| 2003 | 191,948 Estimated |
| 2002 | 159,573 Estimated |
| 2001 | 146,739 Estimated |
| 2000 | 145,575 Estimated |
Compared with United States
| Place | 2025 |
|---|---|
| California | 103,856 |
| United States | 1,431,616 |
Rankings
Definition
Number of new privately owned housing units authorized by building permits in the year or month, from the US Census Bureau Building Permits Survey. Annual totals for the nation, states and counties; monthly counts for the nation and states.
Counts housing units, not buildings, starts, completions or sales. Monthly counts are not seasonally adjusted and do not add up exactly to the annual total, which includes later corrections; the national seasonally adjusted annual rate in the monthly New Residential Construction release is a different measure.
How to cite
U.S. Census Bureau. Building Permits Survey: final annual state estimates of new privately owned housing units authorized, including imputation, United States and states. https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/State/st2025a.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-12.Citation styles
APA 7
U.S. Census Bureau. (2026). Building Permits Survey: final annual state estimates of new privately owned housing units authorized, including imputation, United States and states (Housing units authorized by building permits, California, 2000 to 2025) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/State/st2025a.txt
MLA 9
Building Permits Survey: final annual state estimates of new privately owned housing units authorized, including imputation, United States and states, Housing units authorized by building permits, California, 2000 to 2025. U.S. Census Bureau, 14 May 2026, https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/State/st2025a.txt. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/en/building-permit-housing-units/california. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.
Chicago (author-date)
U.S. Census Bureau. 2026. Building Permits Survey: final annual state estimates of new privately owned housing units authorized, including imputation, United States and states. Housing units authorized by building permits, California, 2000 to 2025. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/State/st2025a.txt. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/en/building-permit-housing-units/california.
Harvard
U.S. Census Bureau (2026) Building Permits Survey: final annual state estimates of new privately owned housing units authorized, including imputation, United States and states, Housing units authorized by building permits, California, 2000 to 2025 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/State/st2025a.txt, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/en/building-permit-housing-units/california (Accessed: 12 October 2026).
BibTeX
@misc{census_housing_units_authorized_by_2025,
author = {{U.S. Census Bureau}},
title = {{Building Permits Survey: final annual state estimates of new privately owned housing units authorized, including imputation, United States and states: Housing units authorized by building permits, California, 2000 to 2025}},
year = {2026},
howpublished = {Data set},
url = {https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/State/st2025a.txt},
urldate = {2026-10-12},
note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/en/building-permit-housing-units/california. Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. Building Permits Survey: final annual state estimates of new privately owned housing units authorized, including imputation, United States and states. https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/State/st2025a.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY - DATA
AU - U.S. Census Bureau
TI - Building Permits Survey: final annual state estimates of new privately owned housing units authorized, including imputation, United States and states: Housing units authorized by building permits, California, 2000 to 2025
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/05/14
PB - U.S. Census Bureau
DB - Invokely
UR - https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/State/st2025a.txt
L2 - https://invokely.ai/en/building-permit-housing-units/california
Y2 - 2026/10/12
N1 - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/en/building-permit-housing-units/california.
N1 - Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. Building Permits Survey: final annual state estimates of new privately owned housing units authorized, including imputation, United States and states. https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/State/st2025a.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER -
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What is the latest housing units authorized by building permits in California? Cite the source.
get_value {"indicator":"building_permit_units","place":"us-state-06"}
GET https://invokely.ai/api/v1/value?indicator=building_permit_units&place=us-state-06Questions
What is the housing units authorized by building permits in California?
Housing units authorized by building permits in California was 103,856 in 2025, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That is up 2.3% from 2024. That is the 3rd highest of 51 states in 2025.
Where does this figure come from?
U.S. Census Bureau. Building Permits Survey: final annual state estimates of new privately owned housing units authorized, including imputation, United States and states. Retrieved by Invokely on 2026-10-12.
What was the highest housing units authorized by building permits in California?
207,390 in 2004, the highest value since 2000 in this series.