Permits through August 2026Yearly permits since 1995Monterey County index 1975–2025
Monterey County (100 = first year)United States, rebased to the same startNBER recession
House prices are indexed by county, not by city: this is Monterey County's FHFA index, with the national index rebased to the same start.
Census Bureau notes: building permit figures cover new privately owned housing units authorised by permit-issuing places; permits do not mean the units were started or completed, and places that report less often than monthly are imputed in monthly totals. FHFA notes: The FHFA HPI is a broad measure of the movement of single-family house prices. The FHFA HPI is a weighted, repeat-sales index, meaning that it measures average price changes in repeat sales or refinancings on the same properties.
In the 12 months to August 2026, building permits in Monterey County Unincorporated Area, California, covered 215 housing units (+172.2% year on year); the place lies in Monterey County.
133 of those units were single-family houses (62%), 6 were in two- to four-unit buildings and 76 in buildings of five or more units.
Since 1995 the place has authorised 8,007 units, with the busiest year 2000 (700 units). Monterey County's FHFA house price index rose +93.9% over the ten years to 2025.
215units permitted, 12 months to August 2026+172.2% on the previous 12 months
133single-family units62% of the total
76units in 5+ unit buildings35% of the total
—units per 1,000 residentsMonterey County 2.0 · California 2.8
Permits by month and structure type
Housing units authorised in Monterey County Unincorporated Area by month, latest 24 monthssingle-family2+ unit buildings
Units, 12 months to August 2026
Monterey County Unincorporated Area
Monterey County
California
United States
All housing units
215
881
111,538
1,418,086
Single-family (1 unit)
133 (62%)
705 (80%)
55,792 (50%)
888,241 (63%)
2 units
6
10
4,172
34,814
3–4 units
0
8
1,193
17,298
5 or more units
76 (35%)
158 (18%)
50,381 (45%)
477,733 (34%)
Units per 1,000 residents
—
2.0
2.8
4.1
Change on previous 12 months
+172.2%
+41.6%
+13.8%
−0.1%
Permits by year since 1995
Housing units authorised in Monterey County Unincorporated Area by year, 1995–2025single-family2+ unit buildings
8,007 units since 1995; the busiest year was 2000. Annual figures include units imputed for months a place did not report.
Home prices in Monterey County
FHFA's index for Monterey County rose +93.9% over the ten years to 2025 (+6.8% a year) and +1.3% in the latest year, against +80.3% and +0.8% for California. Full county page: decade table, peak-to-low declines, every ZIP code and every permit-issuing place in the county.
Questions and answers
How many homes are being built in Monterey County Unincorporated Area, CA?
215 housing units were authorised by building permits in the 12 months to August 2026, against 79 in the previous 12 months.
What kind of housing is being permitted in Monterey County Unincorporated Area?
133 single-family units, 6 in two-unit buildings, 0 in three- and four-unit buildings and 76 in buildings of five or more units.
How does Monterey County Unincorporated Area compare with its county and state?
No population estimate is attached to this permit-issuing area, so a per-resident rate is not shown; Monterey County runs at 2.0 units per 1,000 residents and California at 2.8.
How have home prices moved in Monterey County?
FHFA's index for Monterey County rose +93.9% over the ten years to 2025 and +1.3% in the latest year; the county page has the full series.
What does a permit count?
A housing unit authorised by a building permit for new privately owned residential construction, as reported to the Census Bureau Building Permits Survey by the permit-issuing office. Permits are not completions; some permitted units are never built, and places that report only annually are imputed in monthly figures.
Provenance
Permits: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, place-level monthly and annual files through August 2026 (permit office 281000); county and state comparisons from the county and state files. Population: Census Bureau vintage 2025 estimates for incorporated places, matched on FIPS place code where the permit office is one. House price index: Federal Housing Finance Agency. Public domain. Corrections · Building Permits Survey.