- “California’s housing growth over the past five years has been among the slowest in the country, contributing to the state’s ongoing affordability crisis.” – Jonathan Lansner, Southern California News Group
By Vanguard Staff
California continues to struggle with housing creation despite being home to the nation’s largest housing market, according to new Census Bureau data analyzed by Jonathan Lansner of the Southern California News Group. The findings show that California’s housing growth over the past five years has been among the slowest in the country, contributing to the state’s ongoing affordability crisis.
“My trusty spreadsheet analyzed fresh Census Bureau housing data, examining changes in supply and costs for occupied housing—both ownership and rental living arrangements—across the 50 states and the District of Columbia,” Lansner wrote. He compared 2024 data to 2019 and found that California’s housing creation lags behind the national pace and has not alleviated the steep financial burden of shelter.
California added 639,800 occupied units between 2019 and 2024, the third-largest increase in the nation, but this accounted for just 6 percent of the U.S. growth of 9.9 million units. By contrast, Texas added 1.5 million units and Florida 1.2 million during the same period. While California had 13.8 million occupied housing units last year—the most of any state and 10 percent of the national total—the growth rate was only 5 percent over five years, the seventh-slowest in the nation. The national pace was 8 percent.
“The top growth rates were found in Utah and Florida, at 16%, followed by Texas and Idaho, at 15%,” Lansner noted.
The lagging construction has kept housing costs high. “According to this math, the typical Californian in various living arrangements paid $2,280 a month last year. That’s the second-highest nationally and 70% above the $1,340 U.S. cost,” Lansner wrote. Only Washington, D.C., was more expensive at $2,610 a month. Texas ranked No. 18 at $1,540, and Florida ranked No. 17 at $1,550.
California’s housing costs rose 23 percent in the past five years, matching the national increase. Lansner pointed out that, although housing creation was slow, high construction alone does not guarantee affordability. “The nation’s biggest cost surges were found in some of the fast-growing states, where population growth outpaced housing construction,” he wrote, citing Florida’s 43 percent increase, Colorado’s 33 percent, and Utah and Texas each at 32 percent.
Ownership growth in California was also sluggish. The state added 483,100 ownership households since 2019, the third-largest increase among states, but only 6 percent of the national growth of 7.9 million. Florida added 982,600 new homeowners, and Texas added 955,600. California’s ownership expansion rate of 7 percent was the seventh-lowest nationally and well below the 10 percent U.S. average. Florida led with 19 percent, and Texas followed at 15 percent.
Rental growth was even weaker. California added 156,700 renting households over five years, the third-largest increase by number, but accounting for just 8 percent of the national gain of 2 million renters. California is home to 13 percent of the nation’s renters, yet the growth rate was only 3 percent—ranking 31st among states and trailing the 5 percent national pace. Utah saw the highest rental growth at 20 percent, while Texas grew 13 percent and Florida 9 percent.
Despite the raw numbers showing large gains in occupied housing, the state’s share of overall national growth has fallen behind its rivals. Lansner argued that California’s lackluster pace of new construction is a central driver of the affordability crisis and highlights the challenges policymakers face in closing the gap.
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Breaking News Housing State of California
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Affordability Crisis California california housing Census Bureau Census Bureau data FLorida Housing SHortage Jonathan Lansner Texas U.S. housing market