Top LA Cities for Accessory Dwelling Units: 2024 Permits & Trends

Los Angeles County has issued more accessory dwelling units (ADUs) per capita than any other county in California, with lower and middle‑income cities leading in ADU construction.

Experts suggest that the efficiency of the ADU permitting process in these cities is a significant factor, although differences in municipal regulations and lot sizes also play a role.

San Fernando is the top city for ADU permits, with nearly 70 ADUs per 1,000 existing housing units over the past six years— more than three times the county average.

In 2024, about two‑thirds of ADU permits in San Fernando were for ADU conversions or additions, while the remaining third were for new stand‑alone ADU structures.

After San Fernando, the cities with the highest number of ADU permits in LA County are Rosemead, Temple City, Sierra Madre, and Hidden Hills. While it’s unclear if ADUs are helping to mitigate the population decline seen in other cities, the data shows that areas with a higher number of permitted ADUs experience less severe population loss.

Ken & Ari Walker

Husband & Wife Team
Phone: 707‑708‑0797 / Office: 1400 N. Dutton Ave #22 Santa Rosa, CA 95401
Ken: CA DRE Broker #01858042 / NMLS #1221130
Ari: CA DRE #01858152 / NMLS #2170867

Ken & Ari are a husband & wife team with combined 3+ decades in real estate and private money industries. They own Pacific Direct Mortgage & Real Estate, specializing in Private Money loans (also known as Hard Money home loans). Having helped thousands of Borrowers & working directly with Brokers, Agents and Lenders to help when needed with fast, flexible, alternative financing for real estate purchases and refinances throughout California. No issues with DTI ratios, credit issues, property condition, difficult to prove income ‑ we want to help!