Permits through August 2026Yearly permits since 1995San Francisco County index 1975–2025
San Francisco County (100 = first year)United States, rebased to the same startNBER recession
House prices are indexed by county, not by city: this is San Francisco 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.
San Francisco, California (San Francisco County), authorised 1,654 housing units through building permits in the 12 months to August 2026, +54.9% on the previous 12 months.
23 of those units were single-family houses (1%), 36 were in two- to four-unit buildings and 1,595 in buildings of five or more units. That is 2.0 units per 1,000 residents, close to the county's 2.0 and below the state's 2.8.
Since 1995 the place has authorised 70,247 units, with the busiest year 2018 (5,178 units). San Francisco County's FHFA house price index rose +33.7% over the ten years to 2025.
1,654units permitted, 12 months to August 2026+54.9% on the previous 12 months
23single-family units1% of the total
1,595units in 5+ unit buildings96% of the total
2.0units per 1,000 residentsSan Francisco County 2.0 · California 2.8
Permits by month and structure type
Housing units authorised in San Francisco by month, latest 24 monthssingle-family2+ unit buildings
Units, 12 months to August 2026
San Francisco
San Francisco County
California
United States
All housing units
1,654
1,654
111,538
1,418,086
Single-family (1 unit)
23 (1%)
23 (1%)
55,792 (50%)
888,241 (63%)
2 units
24
24
4,172
34,814
3–4 units
12
12
1,193
17,298
5 or more units
1,595 (96%)
1,595 (96%)
50,381 (45%)
477,733 (34%)
Units per 1,000 residents
2.0
2.0
2.8
4.1
Change on previous 12 months
+54.9%
+54.9%
+13.8%
−0.1%
Permits by year since 1995
Housing units authorised in San Francisco by year, 1995–2025single-family2+ unit buildings
70,247 units since 1995; the busiest year was 2018. Annual figures include units imputed for months a place did not report.
Home prices in San Francisco County
FHFA's index for San Francisco County rose +33.7% over the ten years to 2025 (+2.9% a year) and +0.5% 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 San Francisco, CA?
1,654 housing units were authorised by building permits in the 12 months to August 2026, against 1,068 in the previous 12 months.
What kind of housing is being permitted in San Francisco?
23 single-family units, 24 in two-unit buildings, 12 in three- and four-unit buildings and 1,595 in buildings of five or more units.
How does San Francisco compare with its county and state?
2.0 units per 1,000 residents in San Francisco, 2.0 in San Francisco County and 2.8 in California.
How have home prices moved in San Francisco County?
FHFA's index for San Francisco County rose +33.7% over the ten years to 2025 and +0.5% 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 389000); 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.