Search, browse and explore FAQs on census.gov by topic, subtopic or group. You can search by text or FAQ number. Many answers contain links to more information. If you cannot find what you are looking for, click on Submit Request to reach our support team. We will find the answer for you soon. Each answer online ends with a survey question, “Was this answer helpful?” Please select Yes or No and help us improve our FAQs. Thank you.

The survey is sponsored by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

Data are collected each month by the 6 Regional Offices of the Census Bureau. The initial interview occurs three months after a building is completed. Subsequent interviews, if necessary, occur at 6, 9 and 12-month intervals.

The building manager or rental/sales agent are preferable. The owner or builder may also respond.

Buildings selected for the SOMA come from the Bureau's Survey of Construction (SOC). New buildings are brought into sample each month. The actual number will vary based on construction activity.

On September 27, 2018, the absorption data for the Survey of Market Absorption of New Multifamily Units (SOMA) transitioned to a more user-generated format called Table Creator.  The Table Creator format allows the user to create data-specific tables by selecting pre-defined topics and column characteristics.  The historical format of the quarterly, annual, and characteristics reports, tables, and figures will no longer be produced.  Previously-released SOMA data (quarterly, annual reports, figure, and tables) will remain accessible on the SOMA home page.