Metro building permits · May 2026

Santa Cruz-Watsonville CA Building Permits

Monthly residential building permits for the Santa Cruz-Watsonville CA metropolitan area — 155 units in May 2026, 827 over the last 12 months — latest month +342.9% vs. a year earlier. #236 nationally.

155
Units (latest month)
15
Single-family units
140
Multifamily (5+) units
$32,303,000
Reported value
Trailing 12 months: 827 units permitted · latest month +342.9% vs. a year earlier.
Total units permitted, by monthDec 2024May 2026
Dec 2024May 2026
Structure typeUnitsShare
Single-family (1-unit)159.7%
2-unit structures00.0%
3–4 unit structures00.0%
Multifamily (5+ units)14090.3%
All units155100%

Santa Cruz-Watsonville CA building permits — FAQ

How many building permits were issued in the Santa Cruz-Watsonville CA metro area?+

155 new residential units were authorized in May 2026, and 827 over the trailing 12 months, per the Census Building Permits Survey.

Where does Santa Cruz-Watsonville CA rank nationally?+

Santa Cruz-Watsonville CA ranks #236 of 922 U.S. metro/micro areas by units permitted over the last 12 months.

What share is multifamily?+

90.3% of the metro's May 2026 permitted units were in multifamily (2+ unit) buildings.