Permit Momentum Index

Census block group–level building permit activity index comparing the most recent five-year period against the prior baseline — producing a momentum ratio, directional classification, and composite score to surface neighborhoods accelerating, stalling, or in decline.

216

Block Groups

34yr

Permit History

2020–2025

Active Window

Quarterly

Refresh

About this product

Construction permit activity is one of the most reliable leading indicators of neighborhood trajectory. A single parcel's permit history is noisy; aggregated to the census block group, the signal emerges cleanly. The Permit Momentum Index computes per-parcel permit rates for two non-overlapping five-year windows — 2020–2025 (recent) and 2015–2019 (baseline) — then derives a momentum ratio and classifies each block group as accelerating, stable, or decelerating.

The index is constructed at census block group grain — the CRA-reportable geography used by CDFIs and community lenders for investment and lending activity reporting. Each block group carries an activity rate (permits per parcel), a momentum ratio, a directional label, a composite momentum score (0–100), and decomposed type indicators for new construction, demolitions, and permit dormancy.

The composite score weights permit activity (40%), momentum direction (35%), and non-dormancy (25%) using population-relative PERCENT_RANK — so a score of 75 means the block group outperforms 75% of Caddo Parish on the weighted composite. Delivery is CSV (one row per block group) and GeoJSON for direct import into mapping tools.

Buyers

→ CDFIs and community lenders using block group activity for CRA mapping and investment targeting
→ Economic development offices tracking neighborhood reinvestment trajectories
→ Municipal planners and housing authorities allocating CDBG and HOME funds
→ Investors screening for momentum-positive neighborhoods before block-level acquisition

Delivery

·CSV — one row per block group with all index fields
·GeoJSON — block group polygons with all fields as properties for direct mapping import
·Quarterly refresh aligned to calendar year-end
·Caddo Parish coverage; Bossier and DeSoto pending permit data acquisition

Data Preview

Composite momentum score (0–100) by census block group. Green = accelerating reinvestment; red = declining permit activity.

Permit Momentum Index choropleth — Caddo Parish

Score distribution across 216 Caddo Parish block groups. 98 accelerating, 74 stable, 44 decelerating.

Dataset Fields

geoid

Census block group GEOID (11-digit FIPS)

total_parcels

Total parcel count within the block group

parcels_with_permits

Count of parcels with any permit on record

pct_with_permits

Share of parcels with any permit history (%)

permits_5yr

Total building permits issued 2020–2025

permits_prior5yr

Total building permits issued 2015–2019 (baseline)

rate_5yr

Permits per parcel in the 2020–2025 window

rate_prior5yr

Permits per parcel in the 2015–2019 baseline window

momentum_ratio

rate_5yr / rate_prior5yr — values >1.2 = accelerating, <0.8 = decelerating, 0.8–1.2 = stable

momentum_dir

Directional classification: accelerating / stable / decelerating / no_baseline

pct_dormant

Share of parcels with no permit activity in more than 10 years (%)

pct_new_construction

Share of 2020–2025 permits classified as new construction (%)

pct_demo

Share of 2020–2025 permits classified as demolition (%)

total_contract_value_5yr

Declared contract value of all 2020–2025 permits ($)

momentum_score

Composite 0–100 score: 40% permit activity rate, 35% momentum ratio, 25% non-dormancy — all PERCENT_RANK relative to Caddo Parish block groups

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