Methodology · Building Permits Survey
Seasonal adjustment
Removing predictable seasonal swings from a time series.
Permit activity rises and falls with the seasons — more in spring and summer, less in winter. Seasonal adjustment statistically removes that recurring pattern so underlying trends are easier to compare month to month.
The Census publishes seasonally adjusted figures for the national and broad regional series. pumsdata's local (state/metro/county/city) figures are not seasonally adjusted, so compare a month to the same month a year earlier rather than to the prior month.
Also known as: seasonally adjusted.
See seasonal adjustment in the data
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Seasonal adjustment — FAQ
What is seasonal adjustment in building permits data?+
Removing predictable seasonal swings from a time series. Permit activity rises and falls with the seasons — more in spring and summer, less in winter. Seasonal adjustment statistically removes that recurring pattern so underlying trends are easier to compare month to month.
Why does seasonal adjustment matter?+
The Census publishes seasonally adjusted figures for the national and broad regional series. pumsdata's local (state/metro/county/city) figures are not seasonally adjusted, so compare a month to the same month a year earlier rather than to the prior month.
Where does this building permits data come from?+
All figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau's Building Permits Survey (BPS), a monthly census of permit-issuing jurisdictions. pumsdata is an independent product that makes it easy to map and compare, and is not affiliated with the Census Bureau.