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DEMOGRAPHICS / HOUSING & CRIME Santa Clarita consistently remains one of the safest cities in California as well as in the nation. Overall, Santa Clarita is the 4th safest among California cities with a population of at least 150,000 people and is the 13th safest in the United States.
The City of Santa Clarita unlike many other cities in Los Angeles County boasts a much larger share of owner-occupied housing units compared to housing units occupied by renters. Close to three-fourths or 74% of Santa Clarita’s housing units are owner-occupied.
Santa Clarita’s housing stock is substantially newer than that of the entire County. One-third or 32% of Santa Clarita’s housing stock was built from 1980 through 1989. In comparison, only 12% of Los Angeles County’s housing was built during this same time period. Additionally, only 9% of Santa Clarita’s housing was built prior to 1960; whereas, 48% of the County’s housing was built prior to 1960.
Santa Clarita’s housing vacancy rate in 2005 was 3.65% compared to 4.65% for the County of Los Angeles.
Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census, 2005 American Community Survey
Single-family homes in the entire Santa Clarita Valley have increased in value each year from 1998 to 2006. Median resale prices in 2007 dropped 5% to $570,658 and another 21% to $450,000 in August 2008 from 2007. Overall, from 1998 to 2006 the median resale price of single-family homes rose 195%. Condominium resale prices followed a similar pattern in the Santa Clarita Valley. In August 2008, the condominium resale price was $269,500 or 24% below prices in 2007. In 2007, the median resale price of $353,333 decreased 7% from 2006. Over the same time period of 1998 to 2006, condominium prices rose 206%.
Median home prices in the City of Santa Clarita remain affordable compared to other cities in Los Angeles County. The August 2008 median home price of $425,000 was slightly above that of Los Angeles County at $380,000. In fact, Santa Clarita’s home prices are substantially lower than those found in Glendale and Pasadena and somewhat lower than those found in Burbank or Los Angeles.
In recent years, more of the residential development in Los Angeles County has occurred in Santa Clarita compared to other areas within the County. Annually, the number of single-family permits in the City of Santa Clarita remains higher than the number of multi-family permits. In contrast, multi-family permits in the County surpassed single-family permits in 2005.
Non-residential construction activity in Santa Clarita has also remained strong and the City has seen much growth in commercial and industrial construction. In 2006, non-residential permits reached a valuation of $166.74 million dollars up 46% from 2005.
Of all non-residential permit activity, 29% was for additions, alterations, and conversions while 21% was for other
Residential construction valuation in the City of Santa Clarita peaked at $24.46 million in 2004; however, construction square footage peaked in 2005 with 510,650 square feet. Although residential permit activity dipped slightly in 2006,
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