Data MethodologyOfficial Sources Only
Every metric displayed in Buldora's City Investment Hubs is sourced exclusively from official U.S. government statistical agencies. No metric is published without complete provenance.
Core Data Principles
Official Sources Only
Buldora exclusively uses data from U.S. government statistical agencies: the Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, and Federal Housing Finance Agency. Commercial estimators (Zillow, Redfin, RentCast, etc.) are not used.
Complete Provenance Required
A metric is displayed publicly only when it carries a complete provenance record: source agency name, source URL, data collection date, update date, and confidence level. Incomplete records are hidden regardless of value.
No Fabrication or Fallback
If official data is unavailable for a city, the metric is hidden. There are no estimates, interpolations, or commercial data fallbacks. A blank field means the official data has not yet been sourced.
Geographic Attribution Integrity
City-level data requires strict geocoder verification. Census place data is attributed to a city only when the geocoded place identity exactly matches the target city — preventing parent-city data from being misattributed to neighborhoods or sub-cities.
Official Data Sources
Four approved sources. Each source owns a defined set of metrics and is refreshed independently.
U.S. Census Bureau
American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates
Refresh frequency: Annual (5-year rolling average)
Data is resolved from geographic coordinates to the official Census Place (incorporated city) using the Census Geocoder API. A strict place-name match is required before Census place metrics are stored — no parent-city or CDP substitution is permitted.
B01003_001ETotal resident populationB19013_001EMedian household income in the past 12 months (2022 inflation-adjusted dollars)DerivedAnnualized CAGR from 5-year prior vintage to current vintage (B01003_001E)B25002_001E / B25002_003EVacant housing units divided by total housing unitsB25071_001EMedian gross rent as percentage of household incomeU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS)
Refresh frequency: Monthly (annual average computed)
Data is resolved from city coordinates to the county FIPS code using the Census Geocoder. The LAUS series ID uses the format LAUCNSSCCCC0000000MM where SS = state FIPS, CCCC = county FIPS, MM = measure code.
Series measure 03Annual average unemployment rate for the countySeries measure 05Year-over-year employment growth using trailing-12-month averagesFederal Housing Finance Agency
House Price Index (HPI) — All-Transactions, Metropolitan Statistical Areas
Refresh frequency: Quarterly (annual YoY computed from Q4 to Q4)
Data is resolved from the city's county to the OMB-defined CBSA (Core-Based Statistical Area) using an official FL county-to-CBSA crosswalk. Note: Davenport and ChampionsGate are in Polk County, assigned to the Lakeland-Winter Haven MSA (CBSA 29460), not the Orlando MSA — this is disclosed in each market's data attribution.
HPI at metro (NSA)Year-over-year percentage change in the Not-Seasonally-Adjusted All-Transactions HPI for the CBSAManual Entry
Buldora Research Team — Official Source Transcription
Refresh frequency: On-demand
Every manual entry requires a complete provenance record: source agency name, source URL, data collection date, and update date. Entries without complete provenance are hidden from all public pages regardless of value.
—Sourced from official MLS, county assessor, or government housing reports—Sourced from HUD Fair Market Rents or official local housing authority reportsDerivedComputed from median home price and average annual rent—From Walk Score public data (non-government; labeled accordingly)—From Visit Florida official tourism reports—From FAA/airport authority official annual reportsComplete Metrics Reference
All metrics available in the City Investment Hub data framework.
| Metric | Source | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Population | U.S. Census ACS | persons |
| Population Growth | U.S. Census ACS | % annualized |
| Median Household Income | U.S. Census ACS | USD |
| Housing Vacancy Rate | U.S. Census ACS | % |
| Rent Burden | U.S. Census ACS | % |
| Unemployment Rate | BLS LAUS | % |
| Employment Growth | BLS LAUS | % YoY |
| House Price Appreciation | FHFA HPI | % YoY |
| Median Home Price | Manual (MLS/Assessor) | USD |
| Average Rent | Manual (HUD FMR) | USD/mo |
| Gross Yield Estimate | Derived | % |
Provenance System
How Buldora verifies and gates every metric before publication.
Each metric in the database is accompanied by a provenance record stored as a JSONB object per field. A metric is visible on public pages only when all five provenance fields are populated:
source_nameFull name of the official source agency
source_urlDirect URL to the official data publication
collected_atISO timestamp when the data was fetched from the API
updated_atISO timestamp of the most recent data update
confidence_levelhigh = direct government API; medium = transcribed official figure
Each official data source owns a defined set of metrics. When a source-specific refresh is run, it overwrites provenance only for its owned metrics — never clearing provenance set by another source. This ensures that refreshing Census data never removes BLS or FHFA attribution.
Coverage
Data is currently collected for 27 Florida markets. Coverage expands as the platform grows to additional U.S. states.
Methodology Version
v1.0 — June 2026
Sources: U.S. Census ACS · BLS LAUS · FHFA HPI