The latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau is adding to concerns that the San Diego region is not building enough housing for its growing population.
Data for housing units, released just before the beginning of the Memorial Day weekend, show that while San Diego County grew by 159,000 people between 2010 and 2014, only 22,000 housing units were added.
The pace of building picked up between 2013 and 2014, but the Census Bureau counted only 8,000 more housing units while the population grew by 41,000. That works out to approximately five new residents for every new housing unit.
The chart below shows the Census Bureau’s estimate for housing units and population on July 1 of each year and the year-to-year increase:
| 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | |
| Housing Units | 1,165,409 | 1,168,600 | 1,173,826 | 1,179,421 | 1,187,625 |
| Increase | 3,191 | 5,226 | 5,595 | 8,204 | |
| Population | 3,104,543 | 3,141,768 | 3,183,413 | 3,222,558 | 3,263,431 |
| Increase | 37,225 | 41,645 | 39,145 | 40,873 |
Last month the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce called attention to a mismatch between housing and population, pointing to a report by Point Loma Nazarene University that showed regulations and delays add 40 percent to the cost of housing.
“This should be a wake up call for government,” said Jerry Sanders, president and CEO of the chamber, after the report was released. “A lot of our workforce is having to live in other areas and facing long commutes.”
Meanwhile, home prices and rents are rising and the population continues to grow. Last week Zillow reported that San Diego is the fifth most expensive metro area for renters, just behind New York.
The California Department of Finances projects that San Diego County will reach 3,953,511 people in 2050, while the San Diego Association of Governments is using a higher estimate of 4,384,867 for transportation planning through 2050.
