County housing permits · California

Santa Barbara County, CA building permits: new housing

1,191 new housing units permitted in the 12 months to September 2026, +59% on the year before, with $360M of construction value.

1,191
Housing units, last 12 months+59% vs. prior 12: $360M
Construction value: 54%
In 5+ unit buildings639 units: #19
Rankof 58

New housing units permitted per month

In 5+ unit buildings All new housing units

Show as table

October 2024	42 units	5 in 5+ unit buildings
November 2024	28 units	5 in 5+ unit buildings
December 2024	60 units	29 in 5+ unit buildings
January 2025	37 units	0 in 5+ unit buildings
February 2025	32 units	5 in 5+ unit buildings
March 2025	47 units	5 in 5+ unit buildings
April 2025	34 units	5 in 5+ unit buildings
May 2025	46 units	5 in 5+ unit buildings
June 2025	49 units	10 in 5+ unit buildings
July 2025	40 units	5 in 5+ unit buildings
August 2025	48 units	10 in 5+ unit buildings
September 2025	287 units	241 in 5+ unit buildings
October 2025	43 units	5 in 5+ unit buildings
November 2025	32 units	5 in 5+ unit buildings
December 2025	73 units	34 in 5+ unit buildings
January 2026	44 units	10 in 5+ unit buildings
February 2026	45 units	6 in 5+ unit buildings
March 2026	39 units	5 in 5+ unit buildings
April 2026	95 units	39 in 5+ unit buildings
May 2026	127 units	74 in 5+ unit buildings
June 2026	259 units	154 in 5+ unit buildings
July 2026	222 units	157 in 5+ unit buildings
August 2026	94 units	74 in 5+ unit buildings
September 2026	118 units	76 in 5+ unit buildings

By building size

Last 12 months. Value is the construction cost reported on the permits.

Building size	Buildings	Units	Value
Single-family	445	445	$154M
2 units	21	42	$11.7M
3–4 units	18	65	$7.6M
5+ units	35	639	$186M

By year

Year	Housing units	In 5+ unit buildings	Value
2025	1,371	936	$343M
2024	750	249	$302M
2023	471	80	$106M

Key facts

Santa Barbara County, CA permitted 1,191 new privately owned housing units in the 12 months to September 2026, worth $359,828,758 in construction value.
That is +59% compared with the 12 months before (750 units).
445 were single-family homes and 639 were in apartment buildings with 5 or more units (35 buildings).
The average single-family home permitted was valued at $346,538.
In September 2026, the latest month published, 118 units were permitted.
It ranked #19 of 58 counties in California by housing units permitted in the period.
In 2025, the full year, 1,371 units were permitted ($343M).

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, data through September 2026. New privately owned housing units authorized by building permits, including the Bureau’s estimates for places that didn’t report; commercial buildings and renovations are not counted. How we use it

Looking for commercial projects?

These are housing statistics. We publish permit-by-permit commercial construction leads, with contractors, for the cities on our coverage list.

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Places in Santa Barbara County

Santa Maria410
Santa Barbara County Unincorporated Area407
Lompoc146
Goleta140
Santa Barbara54

Also see

California111,592

Building size

Buildings

Units

Value

Single-family

445

$154M

2 units

$11.7M

3–4 units

$7.6M

5+ units

639

$186M

Year

Housing units

In 5+ unit buildings

Value

2025

1,371

936

$343M

2024

750

249

$302M

2023

471

$106M

Key facts

Santa Barbara County, CA permitted 1,191 new privately owned housing units in the 12 months to September 2026, worth $359,828,758 in construction value.

That is +59% compared with the 12 months before (750 units).

445 were single-family homes and 639 were in apartment buildings with 5 or more units (35 buildings).

The average single-family home permitted was valued at $346,538.

In September 2026, the latest month published, 118 units were permitted.

It ranked #19 of 58 counties in California by housing units permitted in the period.

In 2025, the full year, 1,371 units were permitted ($343M).