Data / Rankings / Housing units authorized by building permits / Counties in California

Counties in California by housing units authorized by building permits

Los Angeles County had the highest housing units authorized by building permits of 58 counties in 2023, at 24,286. Sierra County had the lowest, at 6. The median was 497. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest24,286Los Angeles County
Lowest6Sierra County
Median49758 counties

All counties, 2023

CSVChart (SVG)

Los Angeles CountyLos Angeles County: 24,286 count24,286Riverside CountyRiverside County: 12,953 count12,953San Diego CountySan Diego County: 11,469 count11,469San Bernardino CountySan Bernardino County: 7,315 count7,315Sacramento CountySacramento County: 6,930 count6,930Orange CountyOrange County: 6,481 count6,481Santa Clara CountySanta Clara County: 5,834 count5,834Placer CountyPlacer County: 3,681 count3,681Fresno CountyFresno County: 3,154 count3,154Alameda CountyAlameda County: 2,884 count2,884Kern CountyKern County: 2,451 count2,451Sonoma CountySonoma County: 2,353 count2,353San Joaquin CountySan Joaquin County: 2,170 count2,170Contra Costa CountyContra Costa County: 2,033 count2,033Solano CountySolano County: 1,414 count1,414San Mateo CountySan Mateo County: 1,173 count1,173Tulare CountyTulare County: 1,165 count1,165Ventura CountyVentura County: 1,163 count1,163San Francisco CountySan Francisco County: 1,136 count1,136Madera CountyMadera County: 1,109 count1,109San Luis Obispo CountySan Luis Obispo County: 962 count962Butte CountyButte County: 929 count929Stanislaus CountyStanislaus County: 810 count810Kings CountyKings County: 747 count747Yolo CountyYolo County: 722 count722Monterey CountyMonterey County: 617 count617El Dorado CountyEl Dorado County: 608 count608Santa Cruz CountySanta Cruz County: 540 count540Yuba CountyYuba County: 523 count523Santa Barbara CountySanta Barbara County: 471 count471Merced CountyMerced County: 406 count406San Benito CountySan Benito County: 393 count393Napa CountyNapa County: 331 count331Marin CountyMarin County: 304 count304Humboldt CountyHumboldt County: 291 count291Imperial CountyImperial County: 263 count263Nevada CountyNevada County: 253 count253Shasta CountyShasta County: 208 count208Mariposa CountyMariposa County: 174 count174Tehama CountyTehama County: 165 count165Calaveras CountyCalaveras County: 123 count123Glenn CountyGlenn County: 111 count111Plumas CountyPlumas County: 95 count95Amador CountyAmador County: 91 count91Sutter CountySutter County: 86 count86Lake CountyLake County: 76 count76Tuolumne CountyTuolumne County: 72 count72Siskiyou CountySiskiyou County: 54 count54Mono CountyMono County: 38 count38Del Norte CountyDel Norte County: 28 count28Trinity CountyTrinity County: 22 count22Inyo CountyInyo County: 21 count21Lassen CountyLassen County: 17 count17Mendocino CountyMendocino County: 17 count17Colusa CountyColusa County: 13 count13Modoc CountyModoc County: 12 count12Alpine CountyAlpine County: 7 count7Sierra CountySierra County: 6 count6
count. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-10.

Full ranking

RankCounties2023
count
1Los Angeles County Estimated24,286
2Riverside County Estimated12,953
3San Diego County Estimated11,469
4San Bernardino County Estimated7,315
5Sacramento County Estimated6,930
6Orange County Estimated6,481
7Santa Clara County Estimated5,834
8Placer County Estimated3,681
9Fresno County Estimated3,154
10Alameda County Estimated2,884
11Kern County Estimated2,451
12Sonoma County Estimated2,353
13San Joaquin County Estimated2,170
14Contra Costa County Estimated2,033
15Solano County Estimated1,414
16San Mateo County Estimated1,173
17Tulare County Estimated1,165
18Ventura County Estimated1,163
19San Francisco County Estimated1,136
20Madera County Estimated1,109
21San Luis Obispo County Estimated962
22Butte County Estimated929
23Stanislaus County Estimated810
24Kings County Estimated747
25Yolo County Estimated722
26Monterey County Estimated617
27El Dorado County Estimated608
28Santa Cruz County Estimated540
29Yuba County Estimated523
30Santa Barbara County Estimated471
31Merced County Estimated406
32San Benito County Estimated393
33Napa County Estimated331
34Marin County Estimated304
35Humboldt County Estimated291
36Imperial County Estimated263
37Nevada County Estimated253
38Shasta County Estimated208
39Mariposa County Estimated174
40Tehama County Estimated165
41Calaveras County Estimated123
42Glenn County Estimated111
43Plumas County Estimated95
44Amador County Estimated91
45Sutter County Estimated86
46Lake County Estimated76
47Tuolumne County Estimated72
48Siskiyou County Estimated54
49Mono County Estimated38
50Del Norte County Estimated28
51Trinity County Estimated22
52Inyo County Estimated21
53Lassen County Estimated17
53Mendocino County Estimated17
55Colusa County Estimated13
56Modoc County Estimated12
57Alpine County Estimated7
58Sierra County Estimated6

Other periods

About this ranking

Annual number of new privately owned housing units authorized by building permits, from the US Census Bureau Building Permits Survey.

Final annual county estimates include imputation for missing reports. Counts housing units, not buildings, starts, completions or sales. Covers permit-issuing areas; areas where permits are not required are outside the survey. Not seasonally adjusted or expressed as an annualized monthly rate. The total is the sum of units in the four published structure categories; inputs are retained.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the counties are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

U.S. Census Bureau. Building Permits Survey: final annual county estimates of new privately owned housing units authorized, including imputation. https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/County/co2023a.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-10.

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Rank Counties in California by housing units authorized by building permits using official data, and cite the source.
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Questions

Which county has the highest housing units authorized by building permits?

Los Angeles County, with 24,286 in 2023, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest housing units authorized by building permits?

Sierra County, with 6 in 2023.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey: final annual county estimates of new privately owned housing units authorized, including imputation. Retrieved 2026-10-10.

Housing units authorized by building permits: other rankings

Counties in California: more rankings