Metro building permits · May 2026

Santa Maria-Santa Barbara CA Building Permits

Monthly residential building permits for the Santa Maria-Santa Barbara CA metropolitan area — 127 units in May 2026, 922 over the last 12 months — latest month +176.1% vs. a year earlier. #218 nationally.

127
Units (latest month)
27
Single-family units
74
Multifamily (5+) units
$26,988,000
Reported value
Trailing 12 months: 922 units permitted · latest month +176.1% vs. a year earlier.
Total units permitted, by monthDec 2024May 2026
Dec 2024May 2026
Structure typeUnitsShare
Single-family (1-unit)2721.3%
2-unit structures2620.5%
3–4 unit structures00.0%
Multifamily (5+ units)7458.3%
All units127100%

Santa Maria-Santa Barbara CA building permits — FAQ

How many building permits were issued in the Santa Maria-Santa Barbara CA metro area?+

127 new residential units were authorized in May 2026, and 922 over the trailing 12 months, per the Census Building Permits Survey.

Where does Santa Maria-Santa Barbara CA rank nationally?+

Santa Maria-Santa Barbara CA ranks #218 of 922 U.S. metro/micro areas by units permitted over the last 12 months.

What share is multifamily?+

78.7% of the metro's May 2026 permitted units were in multifamily (2+ unit) buildings.