As the most populous U.S. state, one may be wondering about the number of housing units that are needed in California to satisfy the mortgage needs of 39,237,836 people residing there.
The over 39 million residents in CA only have just 14,512,281 housing units, according to the July 1, 2021 estimate by the United State Census Bureau across the 58 counties. That has created shortage and crisis.
Californian Counties with Largest Housing Units
We explore the 58 counties in California and the housing statistics in each of the counties. The statistics show that Los Angeles County which is the most populated California County has 3,620,308 housing units, making it the county with the highest number of housing units in California.
The population of each of the counties in the economically vibrant U.S. state plays a huge role in the number of housing needed to accommodate the people there.
Definitely, populated metros and counties face housing crises. For instance, Los Angeles Country with an estimate of 9,829,544 people (as of 2021) has 3,620,308 housing units.
San Diego County, the second largest County in CA by a population at 3,286,069 has 1,237,638 housing units while Orange County with 3,167,809 residents comes third with the number of housing units at 1,138,966.
Riverside County and San Bernardino County come in the 4th and 5th position respectively. Others include Santa Clara County, Alameda County, and Sacramento County
The above figure is an eye-opener to the shortage of housing in California. It’s heartwarming that the government is wading in to resolve the crisis.
In San Francisco, for instance, the government is conducting a review of housing policies. The housing crisis in one of the most expensive locations in the U.S. to buy a home has to do with affordability, according to CBS News.
Short History of Creation of Counties in California
The U.S. state of California was first divided into 27 counties on February 18, 1850. The 27 counties were further sub-divided to form sixteen additional counties by 1860.
Again, from 1861 to 1893, 14 counties were created through further subdivisions while in 1907, Imperial County came into being, making it the most recent county in California.
Counties with Smallest Housing Units in California
Alpine County has the lowest number of housing units. According to 2021 estimates, the housing units in Alpine 1,549 outnumbered the population which was estimated to be 1,235. The Country was formed from The Amador, Mono, Tuolumne, El Dorado, and Calaveras in 1894.
Sierra County with 3,283 residents, has 2,130 units, followed by Modoc County with 4,760 units. Colusa County at 8,136 and Trinity Country at 8,137 are 4th and 5th respectively.
The table below shows the number of housing units in the richest American state of California
| County | No. of Housing Units | |
| 1 | Los Angeles County | 3,620,308 |
| 2 | San Diego County | 1,237,638 |
| 3 | Orange County | 1,138,966 |
| 4 | Riverside County | 858,713 |
| 5 | San Bernardino County | 735,979 |
| 6 | Santa Clara County | 693,240 |
| 7 | Alameda County | 629,118 |
| 8 | Sacramento Country | 593,279 |
| 9 | Contra Costa County | 426,356 |
| 10 | San Francisco | 412,268 |
| 11 | Fresno County | 341,686 |
| 12 | Kern County | 303,888 |
| 13 | Ventura County | 294,681 |
| 14 | San Mateo County | 285,615 |
| 15 | San Joaquin County | 255,171 |
| 16 | Sonoma County | 205,903 |
| 17 | Stanislaus County | 183,898 |
| 18 | Placer County | 174,942 |
| 19 | Solano County | 163,356 |
| 20 | Santa Barbara County | 159,798 |
| 21 | Tulare County | 152,700 |
| 22 | Monterey County | 144,403 |
| 23 | San Luis Obispo County | 124,740 |
| 24 | Marin County | 111,744 |
| 25 | Santa Cruz County | 106,543 |
| 26 | El Dorado County | 94,179 |
| 27 | Butte County | 90,314 |
| 28 | Merced County | 89,320 |
| 29 | Yolo County | 81,259 |
| 30 | Shasta County | 79,711 |
| 31 | Humboldt County | 62,446 |
| 32 | Imperial County | 57,106 |
| 33 | Napa County | 55,318 |
| 34 | Nevada County | 53,932 |
| 35 | Madera County | 49,982 |
| 36 | Kings County | 46,758 |
| 37 | Mendocino County | 41,552 |
| 38 | Sutter County | 34,639 |
| 39 | Lake County | 34,274 |
| 40 | Tuolumne County | 31,487 |
| 41 | Yuba County | 29,978 |
| 42 | Calaveras County | 27,522 |
| 43 | Tehama County | 27,429 |
| 44 | Siskiyou County | 22,907 |
| 45 | San Benito County | 20,960 |
| 46 | Amador County | 18,875 |
| 47 | Plumas County | 15,437 |
| 48 | Mono County | 13,613 |
| 49 | Lassen County | 12,225 |
| 50 | Del Norte County | 11,146 |
| 51 | Glenn County | 10,944 |
| 52 | Mariposa County | 9,826 |
| 53 | Inyo County | 9,497 |
| 54 | Trinity County | 8,137 |
| 55 | Colusa County | 8,136 |
| 56 | Modoc County | 4,760 |
| 57 | Sierra County | 2,130 |
| 58 | Alpine County | 1,549 |
| TOTAL | 14,512,281 |
Conclusion:
The number of housing units in California is subject to change due to the efforts put in place by the government to mitigate the housing shortage across the state.