San Diego Housing Construction Lags Behind Population Growth

New data shows San Diego County added more housing units than most California counties, but still fell behind the statewide average.

Jan. 27, 2026 at 2:07pm

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San Diego County added more people to its population between 2022 and 2025 than any other county in California except Riverside. However, housing construction in the region has struggled to keep up, with San Diego building about three new housing units for every four new residents added during that period, slightly behind the statewide average of one new housing unit per new resident.

Why it matters

The mismatch between population growth and housing construction in San Diego highlights the ongoing challenges the region faces in providing enough affordable housing to meet demand. While progress has been made, with the city of San Diego leading the way in new housing production, the data suggests more work is needed to address the housing shortage and rising costs.

The details

Between 2022 and 2025, San Diego County added about 36,000 new housing units, the second-most of any county in California behind only Los Angeles. However, the ratio of new housing to new residents was about 0.75, meaning San Diego built around three new homes for every four new residents, slightly behind the statewide average of one new home per new resident. The city of San Diego accounted for about two-thirds of the county's new housing, with 22,000 units. Other cities in the county added just over 10,000 units, while the unincorporated areas saw a decline in population despite adding 3,600 new homes.

  • Between 2022 and 2025, San Diego County added about 36,000 new housing units.
  • During that same period, San Diego's population grew nearly as fast as any other county in California.

The players

California Department of Finance

The state agency that provided the data on population and housing growth in San Diego County and across California.

City of San Diego

The largest city in San Diego County, which accounted for about two-thirds of the new housing units built in the county between 2022 and 2025.

Encinitas

A city in San Diego County known for anti-growth sentiment and battles with the state over housing development.

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What they’re saying

“Numbers don't tell the whole story, of course. Many projects that were approved might never be build –or, at least, not built during the three-year time frame we have examined here. And in small cities, one large apartment or single-family project can skew the numbers.”

— Bill Fulton, Author (Times of San Diego)

The takeaway

While San Diego County has made progress in adding new housing units, the region still lags behind the statewide average in the ratio of new homes to new residents. This mismatch highlights the ongoing challenges the region faces in providing enough affordable housing to meet demand, and suggests more work is needed to address the housing shortage and rising costs.