SOCDS Building Permits Database

This database contains data on permits for residential construction issued by about 21,000 jurisdictions collected in the Census Bureau's Building Permits Survey. (Documentation available here.) You can create output tables at the State, County, MSA, CBSA (1999 MSA/PMSA and 2003 CBSA definitions.) or permit-issuing jurisdiction level. Monthly data are available from January 1997 through the most recent reporting month for about 9,000 jurisdictions that respond to the monthly survey. The remaining jurisdictions report annual data only. Annual data are available from 1980 through the most recent reporting year. State and Metropolitan Area monthly data do not include imputations of data, created by the Census Bureau, for the jurisdictions within them that report only annual data.

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To retrieve data:

1. On the left side of the page, select the desired "Geography" (the "sub-criteria" displayed in the upper right frame will adjust accordingly).
   
   
2. Select the desired "Periodicity" (Note that the choice of years (displayed in the right middle frame) will change according to the availability of monthly and annual series).
   
   
3. In the upper right frame, select a State, Metropolitan Area or CBSA (you will be given further choices based on your selection).
   
   
4. You may now select additional states,metropolitan areas, or CBSA's. Note: To select county-level data you must first select one or more States.
   
   
5. Select individual jurisdictions or use the checkboxes to select State, County, or Metropolitan Area totals, or all jurisdictions within the States, Counties, or Metropolitan Areas you selected.
   
   
6. Select the desired years to include in your output (middle right frame).
   
   
7. Select the series you wish to display in your output (lower right frame).
   
   
8. Click the "Get Data" button (lower portion of left frame) to see your output. Data are provided initially in tabular form, but a button at the bottom of the output page enables you to access the same data in comma-delimited form. Note: Data may not be available for all jurisdictions for all years.