A plain-language platform consolidating Palo Alto's planning and development data — tracking every approved and pending project for residents, investors, and researchers.
RHNA units permitted
639
of 6,086 required by 2031
10.5% complete
Pipeline units
3,643
across all development stages
Multi-family
ADU applications (2025)
174
highest on record
+18% vs 2024
Median permit processing
185 days
Up from 135 days in 2023
+37% slower
Key findings
What the data tells us
Palo Alto's planning data spans dozens of reports, zoning documents, and databases. This section distills the most significant trends into clear, evidence-based findings — making the numbers meaningful for anyone following the city's development trajectory.
01
10.5%
of state-required housing units permitted
Affordable housing production is critically behind
California requires 6,086 units by 2031. Only 639 approved — 542 targeting above-moderate income. Low and very low income categories sit below 6% of their targets.
Behind schedule
02
3,643
units across all development stages
A large pipeline exists, but most projects remain in early review
2,222 units (61%) still under initial planning review. Only 272 have reached construction completion. The gap reflects a lengthy regulatory process.
In progress
03
+37%
increase in ADU processing time since 2023
ADU demand is rising — but processing bottlenecks are growing
ADU applications hit a record 174 in 2025. Processing time climbed from 135 to 185 days. Construction timelines have nearly tripled.
Demand growing
RHNA
State-mandated target of 6,086 homes Palo Alto must permit by 2031.
ADU
Accessory Dwelling Unit — a secondary unit on a single-family property, like a garage conversion or backyard cottage.
JADU
Junior ADU — a smaller unit (max 500 sq ft) carved out of existing home space.
SB 9
California law allowing homeowners to split a lot and build up to four total units.
Entitlement
Formal city approvals (zoning, design, environmental) required before construction can begin.
Mixed use
Development combining residential and commercial uses — e.g. apartments above retail.
Above moderate income
Market-rate housing for households earning above 120% of Area Median Income.
Very low income
Subsidized housing for households earning 50% or less of Area Median Income.
RHNA affordability progress
Above moderate income542 / 2,621
Low income57 / 896
Very low income33 / 1,556
Moderate income7 / 1,013
The vast majority of permitted units target above-moderate income residents. Affordable housing categories remain critically underfunded, at under 6% of their targets.
ADU applications by year
2022
91
2023
119
2024
148
2025
174 — record
2026*
19
* Partial year — data through March 2026 only
Recent projects
Project
Type
Units
Status
525 University Ave
Downtown
Mixed use
48
Approved
3280 El Camino Real
Midtown
Residential
12
Pending
195 Page Mill Rd
South Palo Alto
Commercial
—
In review
740 Lytton Ave
Downtown
SB 9
2
Approved
2755 Middlefield Rd
Midtown
Residential ADU
1
Approved
4151 El Camino Real
South Palo Alto
Mixed use
32
Pending
Housing Dashboard
Data sourced from Palo Alto's Power BI Housing Dashboard, updated monthly. 2023–2031 RHNA cycle.
RHNA affordability targets vs. units permitted
2023–2031 housing cycle · 639 of 6,086 required units permitted to date
Above-moderate income units lead at 21% of target — all other categories remain below 7%. The city's pipeline skews strongly toward market-rate housing, posing a risk of missing affordability goals by 2031.
Affordability breakdown — permitted units
Total 639 permitted units by income category
Income category
Target
Permitted
Progress
Above moderate
2,621
542
21%
Low income
896
57
6%
Very low income
1,556
33
2%
Moderate income
1,013
7
1%
Multi-family development pipeline
3,643 total units across all development stages
61% of pipeline units are still under planning review. Only 272 units have completed construction, reflecting the lengthy regulatory and permitting process in Palo Alto.
Stage distribution
Share of total pipeline units
What each stage means
Under planning review
Proposal submitted; city evaluating zoning and design.
Entitlement complete
Planning approval granted; building permit may be applied for.
Building permit issued
Construction authorized. Work may begin or is underway.
Construction complete
Units built and added to housing supply.
ADU applications & permits, 2023–2026
Total applications (blue), permitted ADUs (teal), constructed ADUs (orange)
Applications peaked at 174 in 2025 before declining in 2026 (partial data). The gap between applications and construction reflects growing processing and build timelines.
ADU type breakdown by year
Detached · JADU · Unspecified
ADU size range by year (sq ft)
Smallest · Median · Largest permitted
Median processing & construction time (days)
Processing time to permit approval vs. construction days, 2023–2026
Both processing and construction times are surging. Processing hit 429 days in 2026 (partial year), while construction time tripled from 127 to 359 days between 2023 and 2025.
Median processing time summary
Days from application submission to permit approval
2023
135
days
2024
160
days
2025
185
days
2026*
429
days
* Partial year — 2026 data through March only
Project Map
All approved and pending development projects across Palo Alto. Click any pin for details. Use scroll or buttons to zoom.
Approved
Pending
In review
100%
Neighborhood Summaries
Planning and development activity by neighborhood. Click any card for detailed project data.