Considering all the criticisms of California\u2019s housing creation process, one might think that statewide production of new places to live is abysmal.<\/p>\n
It might surprise you that my trusty spreadsheet found otherwise.<\/p>\n
It looked at the Census Bureau\u2019s housing permits data<\/a> \u2014 documents typically filed by developers just before construction starts \u2014 comparing figures for the 50 states and the District of Columbia along with demographic and economic data from the past decade.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s start with California builders having 1.1 million permits approved to build residential units \u2013 both for ownership and renting \u2013 between 2016 and 2025. That\u2019s the third-highest total among the states. Yes, third-highest in the nation.<\/p>\n Those construction plans were 8% of 14.2 million permits approved nationally and trailed only the Golden State\u2019s economic archrivals: Texas at 2.1 million and Florida at 1.6 million.<\/p>\n Perhaps all the nudging for California to build better is working.<\/p>\n The past 10 years saw a 44% increase in permits over the previous 10 years. That period was marked by a building boom fueled by easy-to-get mortgages, followed by a market crash and the Great Recession.<\/p>\n California\u2019s percentage gain in permits ranked 19th fastest among states and was just below the nation\u2019s 45% growth.<\/p>\n Yes, California has upped its home construction game \u2013 at a pace on par with the nation.<\/p>\n It\u2019s not the top-performing growth seen in Florida (97%), Idaho (93%), and Utah (87%). Nor was it Texas-sized growth, up 53%, ranked No. 12.<\/p>\n But permits fell in six states, led by North Dakota (down 39%), Illinois (down 12%), and Hawaii (down 11%).<\/p>\n Proper perspective<\/p>\n Now, some might argue that California\u2019s recent building pace does not match its hefty status as the nation\u2019s most populous state with 39 million residents.<\/p>\n California permits issued in the past decade were equal to 2.8% of the state\u2019s population. That\u2019s the 13th-lowest level among states and one-third of the nation\u2019s 4.3%.<\/p>\n The nation\u2019s best permitting was found in Idaho at 8.8% of its population, Utah at 8.5%, and South Carolina at 7.8%. The slowest permitting? Rhode Island at 1.2% of its population, Connecticut at 1.5%, and Illinois at 1.6%.<\/p>\n And the rivals? Texas at 7.1% ranked No. 7, while Florida\u2019s 7.5% was No. 4.<\/p>\n Conversely, others might think the pace of construction should mirror population swings.<\/p>\n Remember, California added just 451,000 people in the past decade, or just 1% growth.<\/p>\n When comparing construction plans with new resident counts, you see that California had 2.4 permits per new resident. That\u2019s the fourth-highest rate among the states and well above the national norm of 0.7 per person.<\/p>\n The rivals? The 0.5 permits per new Texan ranked No. 40. Florida\u2019s 0.51 permits per new resident ranked 39th.<\/p>\n What\u2019s it worth?<\/p>\n So what can a Californian say they got from the past decade\u2019s worth of permitting, no matter how one grades the pace?<\/p>\n Home prices and rents did jump \u2013 but those leaps were below national surges.<\/p>\n For starters, consider a federal home-price index<\/a> showing that over the past 10 years, California home values rose 86%.<\/p>\n While that\u2019s painful for house hunters, note that the surge was the 18th-smallest among states and trailed the 93% jump nationally.<\/p>\n Gains ran as high as 161% in Idaho, 135% in Florida, and 130% in Utah. Texas, up 97%, was No. 20.<\/p>\n The smallest home-price increases were in Louisiana (up 43%), the District of Columbia (up 44%), and North Dakota (up 49%).<\/p>\n Next, think about renters. Data from ApartmentList<\/a> for the nine years ending in 2026\u2019s first quarter shows California tenants paying 25% more to their landlords.<\/p>\n Consider that, by this math, only nine states had smaller rent hikes. Also, the Golden State\u2019s increase was below the 35% national gain.<\/p>\n The biggest rent surges were in Delaware, New Mexico and Idaho at 61%.<\/p>\n Smallest? The District of Columbia at 4%, Louisiana at 12%, and Oregon at 15%.<\/p>\n And California\u2019s rivals? Texas\u2019 16% increase was the fifth-smallest, while Florida, up 39%, was the 18th highest.<\/p>\n Bottom line<\/p>\n The Golden State remains a very, very pricey place to live.<\/p>\n