Cities in California by single-family housing units authorized by building permits

Los Angeles, CA had the highest single-family housing units authorized by building permits of 369 cities in 2016, at 1,796. Suisun City, CA had the lowest, at 0. The median was 37. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest1,796Los Angeles, CA

Lowest0Suisun City, CA

Median37369 cities

Top 40 cities, 2016

count. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey: final annual estimates of new privately owned housing units in 1-unit structures authorized by permit-issuing place, including imputation. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

Rank	Cities	2016 count	Change on 2015
1	Los Angeles, CA Estimated	1,796	-2.1%
2	Irvine, CA Estimated	1,461	+9.6%
3	Bakersfield, CA Estimated	1,338	-3.8%
4	Clovis, CA Estimated	1,086	+27.5%
5	Sacramento, CA Estimated	1,017	+132.2%
6	Fresno, CA Estimated	1,005	+19.1%
7	Roseville, CA Estimated	862	-10.9%
8	San Diego, CA Estimated	823	-37.9%
9	Visalia, CA Estimated	613	+11.1%
10	Dublin, CA Estimated	606	+14.6%
11	Manteca, CA Estimated	593	+20%
12	Lake Elsinore, CA Estimated	585	+29.4%
13	Menifee, CA Estimated	565	+38.5%
14	Rocklin, CA Estimated	561	+47.6%
15	Brentwood, CA Estimated	559	+15%
16	Lake Forest, CA Estimated	513	+76.3%
17	Jurupa Valley, CA Estimated	512	+67.9%
18	Hayward, CA Estimated	474	+57.5%
19	Fontana, CA Estimated	458	+0.4%
20	Elk Grove, CA Estimated	455	-31.6%
21	Beaumont, CA Estimated	450	-7.2%
22	Ontario, CA Estimated	448	+54%
23	Santa Clarita, CA Estimated	429	+33.2%
24	Fremont, CA Estimated	414	+101%
25	Chino, CA Estimated	370	-6.6%
26	Vacaville, CA Estimated	337	-8.7%
27	Eastvale, CA Estimated	332	+20.3%
28	Hollister, CA Estimated	331	+173.6%
29	Los Banos, CA Estimated	329	+743.6%
30	Hanford, CA Estimated	326	+51.6%
30	Rancho Cordova, CA Estimated	326	-19.1%
32	Gilroy, CA Estimated	312	-25.2%
33	Tulare, CA Estimated	305	+9.7%
34	Oakley, CA Estimated	295	+25.5%
35	Tracy, CA Estimated	286	+48.2%
36	Chico, CA Estimated	282	+10.2%
37	Carlsbad, CA Estimated	277	+12.1%
38	Newark, CA Estimated	273	+181.4%
39	Woodland, CA Estimated	263	+71.9%
40	Livermore, CA Estimated	261	-21.9%
41	Indio, CA Estimated	242	-11.4%
42	Sunnyvale, CA Estimated	234	+23.8%
43	Stockton, CA Estimated	227	+44.6%
44	San Jose, CA Estimated	222	+43.2%
45	Riverside, CA Estimated	219	-1.4%
46	Glendora, CA Estimated	218	+142.2%
47	Lincoln, CA Estimated	217	-6.9%
48	Santa Maria, CA Estimated	202	+30.3%
49	Fairfield, CA Estimated	201	-47.5%
50	Oakland, CA Estimated	190	+74.3%
51	Lodi, CA Estimated	189	+845%
52	Madera, CA Estimated	185	+27.6%
53	Davis, CA Estimated	173	+119%
53	Wildomar, CA Estimated	173	+53.1%
55	Palmdale, CA Estimated	169	+69%
56	Rancho Cucamonga, CA Estimated	168	-59%
57	Morgan Hill, CA Estimated	166	-34.4%
57	Rio Vista, CA Estimated	166	+9.9%
59	Temecula, CA Estimated	161	+12.6%
60	Lemoore, CA Estimated	159	+24.2%
61	Perris, CA Estimated	157	+11.3%
62	Costa Mesa, CA Estimated	154	-32.8%
63	Pittsburg, CA Estimated	153	-39%
64	Folsom, CA Estimated	152	-38.2%
65	Santa Ana, CA Estimated	149	+282.1%
66	Apple Valley, CA Estimated	148	+34.5%
66	Imperial, CA Estimated	148	+190.2%
66	Lathrop, CA Estimated	148	-56.9%
69	San Jacinto, CA Estimated	146	+29.2%
70	Shafter, CA Estimated	144	-20.4%
71	Murrieta, CA Estimated	143	-21.4%
72	Santa Barbara, CA Estimated	138	+360%
72	Tustin, CA Estimated	138	+31.4%
74	Brea, CA Estimated	137	+28%
74	Hesperia, CA Estimated	137	+37%
74	Palm Springs, CA Estimated	137	+13.2%
77	Galt, CA Estimated	134	+88.7%
78	Cypress, CA Estimated	133	+2,116.7%
78	Redding, CA Estimated	133	-30.4%
80	Modesto, CA Estimated	130	+664.7%
81	Anaheim, CA Estimated	129	+258.3%
81	Wasco, CA Estimated	129	+79.2%
83	Simi Valley, CA Estimated	127	+23.3%
84	Yorba Linda, CA Estimated	126	-38.8%
85	Redondo Beach, CA Estimated	123	-14%
85	San Francisco, CA Estimated	123	+92.2%
87	Napa, CA Estimated	122	+24.5%
87	Rohnert Park, CA Estimated	122	+481%
89	Camarillo, CA Estimated	121	+37.5%
90	Chino Hills, CA Estimated	119	+11.2%
91	Manhattan Beach, CA Estimated	116	+16%
92	Victorville, CA Estimated	115	+38.6%
93	Oakdale, CA Estimated	109	+18.5%
94	Newport Beach, CA Estimated	108	+9.1%
95	Mountain View, CA Estimated	107	+39%
96	Milpitas, CA Estimated	104	+13%
96	Santa Rosa, CA Estimated	104	+5.1%
98	Daly City, CA Estimated	103	-5.5%
99	El Cajon, CA Estimated	102	-2.9%
99	La Quinta, CA Estimated	102	-41%
99	Petaluma, CA Estimated	102	+82.1%
99	West Sacramento, CA Estimated	102	+72.9%
103	San Clemente, CA Estimated	101	-13.7%
104	Moreno Valley, CA Estimated	100	-24.2%
104	Vista, CA Estimated	100	-15.3%
106	McFarland, CA Estimated	97	+24.4%
107	Oxnard, CA Estimated	96	+7.9%
108	Gardena, CA Estimated	95	+187.9%
109	San Luis Obispo, CA Estimated	93	-38.4%
109	Soledad, CA Estimated	93	+4,550%
111	Kerman, CA Estimated	92	+206.7%
111	Truckee, CA Estimated	92	+22.7%
113	Lancaster, CA Estimated	91	-4.2%
114	Highland, CA Estimated	89	+1,012.5%
114	Westminster, CA Estimated	89	+23.6%
116	Chula Vista, CA Estimated	86	-4.4%
117	Encinitas, CA Estimated	85	-40.1%
117	Moorpark, CA Estimated	85	-53.6%
117	Palo Alto, CA Estimated	85	-22%
120	Temple City, CA Estimated	84	-28.2%
121	Escondido, CA Estimated	81	+305%
122	San Marcos, CA Estimated	80	-12.1%
122	Santee, CA Estimated	80	+220%
124	El Monte, CA Estimated	76	+94.9%
125	Arcadia, CA Estimated	75	+10.3%
125	Palm Desert, CA Estimated	75	-29.9%
125	Pomona, CA Estimated	75	+476.9%
128	Buena Park, CA Estimated	74	-58%
128	Marina, CA Estimated	74	+39.6%
130	San Gabriel, CA Estimated	73	-3.9%
130	Walnut, CA Estimated	73	+356.3%
132	Pleasanton, CA Estimated	72	-23.4%
133	Merced, CA Estimated	70	+25%
134	Placerville, CA Estimated	68	+195.7%
134	San Mateo, CA Estimated	68	-39.3%
134	Santa Clara, CA Estimated	68	-41.9%
137	Corona, CA Estimated	66	+135.7%
137	Richmond, CA Estimated	66	-13.2%
137	Upland, CA Estimated	66	-1.5%
140	Campbell, CA Estimated	64	+28%
141	Azusa, CA Estimated	63	-43.2%
142	Fillmore, CA Estimated	62	+24%
142	San Juan Capistrano, CA Estimated	62	+29.2%
144	Monterey Park, CA Estimated	61	+17.3%
144	Thousand Oaks, CA Estimated	61	+56.4%
146	Ridgecrest, CA Estimated	60	+185.7%
147	Alameda, CA Estimated	59	-50%
148	Hermosa Beach, CA Estimated	58	-1.7%
149	Cupertino, CA Estimated	57	+9.6%
149	San Buenaventura (Ventura), CA Estimated	57	+90%
151	Santa Cruz, CA Estimated	56	-1.8%
151	Yuba City, CA Estimated	56	+24.4%
153	Coronado, CA Estimated	55	-3.5%
154	Inglewood, CA Estimated	54	+2,600%
155	Brawley, CA Estimated	53	+20.5%
156	Calimesa, CA Estimated	52	+85.7%
156	Los Altos, CA Estimated	52	+23.8%
158	Coachella, CA Estimated	51	+50%
158	Kingsburg, CA Estimated	51	+920%
158	Los Gatos, CA Estimated	51	+88.9%
158	Menlo Park, CA Estimated	51	+4.1%
162	Watsonville, CA Estimated	49	+25.6%
163	Santa Monica, CA Estimated	48	-5.9%
164	Newman, CA Estimated	47	+11.9%
164	Rancho Mirage, CA Estimated	47	+20.5%
164	Riverbank, CA Estimated	47	-11.3%
167	Turlock, CA Estimated	45	-22.4%
168	Cathedral City, CA Estimated	44	+83.3%
168	Dana Point, CA Estimated	44	-10.2%
168	Downey, CA Estimated	44	+144.4%
168	El Paso de Robles (Paso Robles), CA Estimated	44	-27.9%
168	Patterson, CA Estimated	44	+25.7%
173	Dixon, CA Estimated	43	-46.3%
173	Porterville, CA Estimated	43	-25.9%
175	Antioch, CA Estimated	42	-38.2%
175	Claremont, CA Estimated	42	+82.6%
175	Placentia, CA Estimated	42	-2.3%
178	Bellflower, CA Estimated	41	+64%
179	Beverly Hills, CA Estimated	39	+30%
179	King City, CA Estimated	39	+3,800%
179	Vallejo, CA Estimated	39	+44.4%
179	West Covina, CA Estimated	39	-61.4%
183	Redlands, CA Estimated	38	-34.5%
183	Yucaipa, CA Estimated	38	+3,700%
185	Arvin, CA Estimated	37	-48.6%
186	Ripon, CA Estimated	36	-33.3%
187	Montclair, CA Estimated	35	+20.7%
187	South Lake Tahoe, CA Estimated	35	+20.7%
189	Delano, CA Estimated	34	+750%
189	Livingston, CA Estimated	34	+240%
189	San Bernardino, CA Estimated	34	-10.5%
192	Hemet, CA Estimated	33	-63.7%
192	Pasadena, CA Estimated	33	+26.9%
192	Rancho Santa Margarita, CA Estimated	33	n/a
192	Sanger, CA Estimated	33	+3.1%
196	Huntington Beach, CA Estimated	32	-75.6%
196	Mission Viejo, CA Estimated	32	n/a
196	Redwood City, CA Estimated	32	-37.3%
196	Sonoma, CA Estimated	32	+100%
196	Torrance, CA Estimated	32	+166.7%
201	Arroyo Grande, CA Estimated	31	+106.7%
201	Rosemead, CA Estimated	31	+6.9%
201	South El Monte, CA Estimated	31	-35.4%
204	Anderson, CA Estimated	30	+25%
204	Hercules, CA Estimated	30	+500%
206	Desert Hot Springs, CA Estimated	29	+11.5%
206	Selma, CA Estimated	29	-53.2%
208	Shasta Lake, CA Estimated	28	+27.3%
209	Martinez, CA Estimated	27	-50%
210	Grand Terrace, CA Estimated	26	+100%
210	Lindsay, CA Estimated	26	-18.8%
210	Oceanside, CA Estimated	26	-27.8%
213	Fullerton, CA Estimated	25	-37.5%
214	Baldwin Park, CA Estimated	24	+14.3%
214	Grover Beach, CA Estimated	24	-14.3%
214	Norwalk, CA Estimated	24	+1,100%
214	Red Bluff, CA Estimated	24	+26.3%
218	Alhambra, CA Estimated	23	+155.6%
218	Compton, CA Estimated	23	+666.7%
218	San Pablo, CA Estimated	23	-37.8%
218	San Rafael, CA Estimated	23	-14.8%
222	Long Beach, CA Estimated	22	+10%
223	Auburn, CA Estimated	21	+200%
223	Ceres, CA Estimated	21	-40%
223	Dinuba, CA Estimated	21	-81.7%
223	Laguna Beach, CA Estimated	21	+31.3%
223	Saratoga, CA Estimated	21	+133.3%
228	Burlingame, CA Estimated	20	+42.9%
228	Paramount, CA Estimated	20	+900%
230	Windsor, CA Estimated	19	+1,800%
231	Healdsburg, CA Estimated	18	-56.1%
231	Paradise, CA Estimated	18	-48.6%
231	Parlier, CA Estimated	18	+50%
231	Poway, CA Estimated	18	+63.6%
231	Yucca Valley, CA Estimated	18	+5.9%
236	Danville, CA Estimated	17	-73%
236	Monrovia, CA Estimated	17	+240%
236	San Dimas, CA Estimated	17	+142.9%
236	Tehachapi, CA Estimated	17	+54.5%
240	Berkeley, CA Estimated	16	+33.3%
240	Burbank, CA Estimated	16	+33.3%
240	Half Moon Bay, CA Estimated	16	-5.9%
240	Morro Bay, CA Estimated	16	-33.3%
240	San Carlos, CA Estimated	16	+128.6%
240	Solana Beach, CA Estimated	16	+77.8%
246	Chowchilla, CA Estimated	15	+400%
246	Citrus Heights, CA Estimated	15	-28.6%
246	Concord, CA Estimated	15	-40%
246	La Verne, CA Estimated	15	+200%
246	Oroville, CA Estimated	15	0%

Showing the top 250 of 369. The Excel download has every row.

Other periods

About this ranking

Annual number of new privately owned housing units in 1-unit structures (detached and attached single-family homes) authorized by building permits, from the US Census Bureau Building Permits Survey.

Part of building_permit_units, which also counts units in buildings with two or more units. Counts housing units, not starts, completions or sales.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the cities are compared on one definition. 3 cities with data in other periods have no value for 2016 and are left out rather than filled from another source. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

U.S. Census Bureau. Building Permits Survey: final annual estimates of new privately owned housing units in 1-unit structures authorized by permit-issuing place, including imputation. https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/West%20Region/we2016a.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Citation styles

The publisher is the author. Invokely is named only as the place the figures were read, where a style asks for it.

APA 7

U.S. Census Bureau. (2017). Building Permits Survey: final annual estimates of new privately owned housing units in 1-unit structures authorized by permit-issuing place, including imputation (Cities in California by single-family housing units authorized by building permits, 2016) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/West%20Region/we2016a.txt

MLA 9

Building Permits Survey: final annual estimates of new privately owned housing units in 1-unit structures authorized by permit-issuing place, including imputation, Cities in California by single-family housing units authorized by building permits, 2016. U.S. Census Bureau, 1 May 2017, https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/West%20Region/we2016a.txt. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/single-family-building-permits/california-cities?period=2016. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Census Bureau. 2017. Building Permits Survey: final annual estimates of new privately owned housing units in 1-unit structures authorized by permit-issuing place, including imputation. Cities in California by single-family housing units authorized by building permits, 2016. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/West%20Region/we2016a.txt. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/single-family-building-permits/california-cities?period=2016.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2017) Building Permits Survey: final annual estimates of new privately owned housing units in 1-unit structures authorized by permit-issuing place, including imputation, Cities in California by single-family housing units authorized by building permits, 2016 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/West%20Region/we2016a.txt, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/single-family-building-permits/california-cities?period=2016 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX

@misc{census_cities_in_california_by_2016,
  author = {{U.S. Census Bureau}},
  title = {{Building Permits Survey: final annual estimates of new privately owned housing units in 1-unit structures authorized by permit-issuing place, including imputation: Cities in California by single-family housing units authorized by building permits, 2016}},
  year = {2017},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/West%20Region/we2016a.txt},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/single-family-building-permits/california-cities?period=2016. Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. Building Permits Survey: final annual estimates of new privately owned housing units in 1-unit structures authorized by permit-issuing place, including imputation. https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/West\%20Region/we2016a.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}

RIS

TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Census Bureau
TI  - Building Permits Survey: final annual estimates of new privately owned housing units in 1-unit structures authorized by permit-issuing place, including imputation: Cities in California by single-family housing units authorized by building permits, 2016
PY  - 2017
DA  - 2017/05/01
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/West%20Region/we2016a.txt
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/single-family-building-permits/california-cities?period=2016
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/single-family-building-permits/california-cities?period=2016.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. Building Permits Survey: final annual estimates of new privately owned housing units in 1-unit structures authorized by permit-issuing place, including imputation. https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/West%20Region/we2016a.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -

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rank_places {"indicator":"building_permit_single_family_units","level":"municipality","within":"California","limit":10}
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Questions

Which city has the highest single-family housing units authorized by building permits?

Los Angeles, CA, with 1,796 in 2016, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which city has the lowest single-family housing units authorized by building permits?

Suisun City, CA, with 0 in 2016.

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 estimates of new privately owned housing units in 1-unit structures authorized by permit-issuing place, including imputation. Retrieved 2026-10-12. 3 cities have no value for 2016 and are not ranked.